Tate, Maurice: my Navy recollections (November 5, 2008)

Interviewer: Leitch, Quinn

ABSTRACT: Commander Maurice Tate Royal Canadian Navy Tate_M_0582_01.mp3 SUMMARY (00:42:09) (00:00:45) - Narrator discusses how he joined the Royal Canadian Navy. (00:01:38) - Narrator discusses how he volunteered to serve aboard submarines in 1959. He comments on his families thoughts and concerns regarding his choice. (00:03:00) - Narrator discusses submarine training with the US Navy (Submarines Officer's Course 1959). Posted on USS Conger and qualified. (00:03:35) - Narrator discusses his tenure onboard HMCS Grilse. (00:05:05) - Narrator discusses his experience at the submarine commanding officer's course (Perisher). He discusses, in detail, how thorough the training was as well as its intensity. The main focus was on attacks as well as the safety of the vessel. (00:10:30) - Narrator discusses a time when he took charge to save his boat from a serious collision during training. (00:11:50) - Narrator discusses his service as Commanding Officer of HMCS Grilse (1966-1968) at the rank of lieutenant-commander. He also discusses submarine operations with HMCS Grilse. (00:15:10) - Narrator discusses a training operation with the US Navy where HMCS Grilse went into the anchorage submerged to surprise the surface ships. (00:18:19) - Narrator discusses the differences and similarities between US Navy and Royal Navy training. The Perisher course operated by the Royal Navy better prepared you for conducting operations. (00:21:45) - Narrator discusses his experience as Squadron Commander of the Canadian Oberon Class Submarines. He primarily concentrated on recruitment and retention of crew as well as to advocate for better amenities (increased pay, offshore accommodation, etc) to increase retention and morale. (00:26:50) - Narrator discusses his role as Naval Attaché to Moscow, Soviet Union. (00:32:00) - Narrator discusses his role as Intelligence Liaison Officer in London for 3 years (attached to the High Commission for Canada at the Ministry of Defense). (00:35:00) - Narrator discusses the social aspects of covert operations (for example: what he could tell his family). (00:37:10) - Narrator discusses the commissioning ceremony of HMCS Grilse. (00:39:10) - Narrator discusses his thoughts on the Victoria Class submarines currently in service. (00:42:09) - END OF TAPE

Interviewee: Tate, Maurice

Rank: Commander.

An interview/narrative of Maurice Tate's experiences during the Cold War. Commander Tate served with the Royal Canadian Navy. Interview took place on November 5, 2008.

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Leitch, Quinn
• Tate, Maurice

Subject

• Canada. Canadian Armed Forces
• Military history
• United States. Navy
• Canada. Royal Canadian Navy
• Cold War (1945-1989)

Language

• eng

Keyword

• Nuclear submarines
• Submarines (Ships)--Soviet Union
• Victoria Class (Submarines)
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Officers
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Officers
• Oberon Class (Submarines)
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Personal narratives
• Anti-submarine warfare--Equipment and supplies
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Recruiting, enlistment, etc
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Undercover operations
• War games, Naval
• Official secrets--Canada
• Amphibious warfare
• Onodaga (Submarine : SS-73)
• Submarines (Ships)--Equipment
• Submarine combat
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Submarine Service
• Submarine warfare
• Naval maneuvers
• Naval art and science
• Tate, Maurice--Interviews
• Naval tactics
• Submarines (Ships)--Electronic equipment
• Submarines (Ships)--Canada
• Anti-submarine warfare
• Grilse (Submarine : SS-71)
• Military Liaison Officer
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Sea life
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Drill and tactics
• Submarines (Ships)--Safety
• Military intelligence
• Canada--Canadian High Commission (Great Britain)
• United States--Navy
• Conger (Submarine : SS-477)
• Nautical training schools
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Sea life
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Canadian Submarine Service
• Submariners--Training of
• Okanagan (Submarine : SS-74)
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Personal narratives
• Military attache?s
• Submarine captains

Date created

• November 5, 2008

Relation

• Title of paper: "The Silent Service: Understanding the Covert World of Canadian Submarine Operations During the Cold War". Link:  http://rusiviccda.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Quinn_Leitch-Veterans_and_Oral_History.pdf
• Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews.

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 1 sound recording (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• United States
• Great Britain
• Canada

Coordinates

• 60.10867, -113.64258
• 54.75844, -2.69531
• 39.76, -98.5

Additional physical characteristics

• Original sound recording (MP3) also available.

Physical repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• reminiscences
• interviews
• oral histories (literary genre)
• sound recordings

Archival item identifier

• TM_582

Fonds title

• Military oral history collection

Fonds identifier

• SC141

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection

Date digitized

• October 1, 2009

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Digitized by JF, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2009. Migration metadata by KD and MT.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/peq8-kq68

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