Piers, Desmond W.: my Navy recollections (January 2, 1982, and June 1, and 2, 1985)
PublicRank: Rear Admiral. Medals and Honours: Distinguished Service Cross
Interviewee: Piers, Desmond W.
ABSTRACT: Rear Adm. Desmond W. Piers, D.S.C Royal Canadian Navy (Cassette 1, Side 1) Joined the Royal Military College at Kingston in 1930. Applied for summer training with the navy and in 1932 became the first RMC Cadet to formally join the RCN. To the RN as a Cadet. Served in HMS Erebus (monitor), HMS Frobisher (training cruiser). Describes routine, social life. First cruise to the West Indies, second to the Baltic, where, on a visit to Kiel, they played sports with the German navy. (Cassette 1, Side 2) Appointed as a Midshipman to HMS Resolution (battleship) in the Mediterranean. Comments on the RCN automatically inheriting the life and background of the Royal Navy. Served as the Commander's Doggie, no easy task. Full social life. Greek Islands for naval exercises. Three months destroyer time (HMS Antelope). Considerable Italian sea-borne traffic due to the war in Ethiopia. Huge naval review at Spithead for the Silver Jubilee of the King (1935). In order to prevent unauthorized boats and yachts to approach within 50 yards, Piers commanded a picket-boat circling the Royal Yacht on the evening of a State Dinner. No frog-men, heavily armed guards as would be the case now. Compares it to the Coronation Review in 1953. Midshipman's exams in HMS Royal Sovereign and as a result promoted to Acting Sub-Lieutenant at four dollars a day. Royal Naval College at Greenwich. Describes buildings, studies, social life. Completed courses with good marks, gaining eighteen months seniority. (Cassette 2, Side 1) Returned to Halifax in 1937, appointed to HMCS Saguenay (destroyer). In 1938, accompanied by the destroyer HMCS St. Laurent joined the West Coast "fleet". Returned to Halifax, promoted to Lieutenant. Joined HMCS Restigouche, upon commissioning, in the UK, a West Coast ship. Sailed for Halifax in Nov. 1939. Helped convoy the 1st Canadian Division to England. Assisted in the evacuation of the British Army from France -- particularly from Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. Piers went ashore but the army had not received orders to evacuate. Later to Saint-Jean-de-Luz near the Spanish border. HMCS Fraser (destroyer) cut in two by HMS Calcutta (cruiser). Rescued survivors. Assisted in "take over" of French ships in British ports. Discusses French attitude. Appointed First Lieutenant in HMCS Assiniboine (destroyer). In 1941 HMCS Restigouche in command. Film crew aboard. To Iceland and Argentia for Churchill-Roosevelt meeting aboard USS Augusta (heavy cruiser) Senior officer of the Fourth Escort Group. Efforts at morale boosting (viz. Archival cass. #28, side 1). Iceland (Dec. 1941). Huge gale. Foremast broken, one funnel lost, flooding fore and aft. Bucket brigade necessary. Repairs -- three months in Glasgow, much new modern equipment. Returned to convoy work in 1942. Heavy shipping losses. (In 1943 hunter-killer groups formed.) Heavy weather caused high fuel consumption. Comments on high frequency direction finders (HF-D). Required to provide close escort protection. Convoy SX107, one destroyer, five corvettes, 45 ships (Nov. 1942). Piers escort commander. Heavy attacks, 15 ships sunk in the mid-ocean gap. Report of the action and that later learned that the Germans had commented on the vigorous defence put up by Restigouche and that they had expected to sink more ships than they were able to do. In June 1943 wrote a report "Observations on the Operation and Administration of the Canadian Ships in Mid-Ocean Convoy Groups": equipment shortage, lack of training, excellent crews, morale difficult, better recreational facilities needed, etc. Piers requests that some tapes be returned to him and acknowledges his own copyright. An additional tale of Restigouche and the visit to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, France in 1940. Could not persuade a naval liaison officer (Cmdr. Robt. Elkins) to leave. Elkins was later personally captured by Gen. Erwin Rommel!. Later managed to escape to England in a stolen boat. When Piers was commandant of RMC he met Elkins again (now V/Adm. Sir Robert). As captain of Restigouche Piers relates a 24-hour period in detail on the bridge routine, and in his sea-cabin at sea with a convoy. Nights could be very busy with actions stations at 8:00pm followed by A/S exercises. Tactics by Restigouche designed to keep U-boats at a distance. Speaks of letter to Captain D covering content and reasons for the "Piers Report", see above. As a Lt. Cmdr. posted to Halifax as Training Commander. Later was involved in plans to capture escaped German P.O.W.'s who were to be picked up on the coast by a U-boat. Piers next appointed to HMCS Algonquin (destroyer) in command and building in England (Dec. 1943). During trials Pier's sister-in-law Lt. Cmdr. Isobel Macneill, WRCNS took Algonquin to sea (under Pier's instruction). Scapa Flow. Work-ups with Home Fleet. Operations off Norway. In May the flotilla sailed for the Isle of Wight (see TSS Appendix "HMCS Algonquin and the Invasion". Returned to Scapa and carrier operations against Tirpitz. Comments on the torpedoing of HMS Nabob. Murmansk and Polyarnye. Successful attack off Norway and merchant ships and escorts -- all enemy sunk. Good social events (1945) with Russians -- hockey, hunting, parties. Returned to Halifax in mid-February (1945). Appointed ashore to command officer's training at HMCS Cornwallis. Comments on D-Day riot at Halifax. Has sympathy for R/Adm. Murray. Second recording with Lawrence at Chester, NS (some repetition). (Reel 1, Side 1) Some comment by Lawrence on shortcomings/problems of the Cdn. Navy. Piers: Restigouche experience -- lacked equipment. Best way to obtain through refit in the UK. Low U-boat "kill" due to requirement that escorts remain with a convoy. Discussion of British customs in Canadian ships. "Mutiny" in HMCS Magnificent (1948) and the casual attitude of air-crew to naval customs. Naval Officers Conference, old ship-mates, etc. Regrets the lack of war-time books by senior officers. Unification, Hellyer, and those who left and those forced to leave. The "TDK Cassettes" same as National Archives Cassettes, largely dictated by R/Adm. Piers. Some extra material. (Cassette 22, Side A) Ashore at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, France (1940). Cmdr. Elkins, RN, naval liaison officer ashore. Captured, escaped and eighteen years later as Vice Adm. Sir Robert Elkins visited Piers when Piers was commandant at RMC. Long account of a 24-hour period at sea in HMCS Restigouche as convoy escort. Good morale in ship. The Piers Report (1 June 1943), intended for HMC Ships of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force. Lack of equipment, morale dropped due to necessary crew changes. Insufficient training time. (Side B) Facilities at St. John's and Londonderry initially poor, eventually good. Extra equipment available at Londonderry, frequently through the "old boy network", not as a result of Canadian staff -- there were none in 'Derry. Two years in Restigouche provided excellent war-time experiences. Appointed as a training commander in Halifax. Summer, 1943, hunted escape German P.O.W. and a U-boat attempting to land a spy. Appointed to HMCS Algonquin, in command, then building. (Cassette 23, Side A) Mentions Lt. Cmdr. Isobel Macneill WRCNS. Algonquin to Scapa Flow. Work-ups in the Home Fleet. Operation against the German Tirpitz. Admiral's inspection -- King visited the Fleet. Algonquin part of D-Day. Again attacked Tirpitz. Battleship (Royal Sovereign) given to the Russians. Social exchanges with the Russians. Torpedoing of HMS Nabob (escort carrier). Algonquin took off about 200 of crew. In Sept. 1944 joined Algonquin on her first Russian convoy. Three days in Polyarnye, Murmansk. (Side B) -- blank -- (Cassette 24, Side A) Returns to St. John's Newfoundland in HMCS Algonquin. Appointed ashore in Halifax (HMCS Cornwallis). Acting Commander -- CO of Navigation School. VE-Day -- riot -- mistake to close liquor stores. Atomic bomb dropped. End of war. Appointed to HMCS Stadacona. (Side B) -- blank -- (Cassette 28, Side A) Comments on book by Capt. J.M. Waters USCG, A Bloody Winter, about convoy SC107 and HMCS Restigouche. Dr. Rohmer gives German account. Christmas (1942) in UK. Anecdote. Participated in Operation Torch (N. Africa). Appointed to Algonquin. Report on the Canadian navy -- lack of equipment, etc. Insufficient training. Better recreational facilities needed. (Side B) -- blank -- (Not on Cassette) A personal account by Lt. Cmdr. D.W. Piers, the CO of HMCS Algonquin, of the ship's experiences during the invasion of Europe in June 1944. Proceeded from Scapa Flow as part of the 26th Destroyer Flotilla to southern England (Portsmouth) -- 27 May 1944. Night patrols. Conferences and operation orders. Social gatherings. Press officers and photographers aboard. Quiet period on June 5th, waiting for invasion to start which for Algonquin was 4:00 PM. Escorted HMS Hilary carrying the HQ ship of the 3rd Cdn. Division. Résumé of the D-Day strategy. Normandy: Algonquin detached and approached the coast in order to commence the bombardment. Several targets demolished. Describes the landing, engineers clearing obstacles, landing craft on the beach, etc. Accepted six badly wounded Royal Marine casualties for medical treatment, three of whom died before they could be transferred two or three days later to a hospital ship. Demolished a German battery by indirect fire controlled by an army forward observation officer ashore. Watched airborne troops arriving. On June 7th Algonquin shelled and destroyed a stone house used by the Germans as a strong point. Anti-submarine patrol, and return to the D-Day anchorage. Visited 3rd Cdn. Div. HQ ship. Returned to patrol. Wonderful sight to see the great mass of ships and landing craft. Lack of targets for bombardment resulted in restful days but with a certain amount of German air attacks. On D-Day plus 4 they returned to Portsmouth. V/Adm. Percy Nelles visited that evening to join the ship and sail to France. Patrols off Portsmouth. Depth charged several wrecks (just to be safe). Took a landing craft in tow. After several experiences Algonquin returned to Normandy -- carrying Gen. Crerar, the commander of the First Canadian Army. On the 19th, at night, fired in support of 45 Royal Marine Commando during their attack on German positions on the eastern flank of the landing area. Stormy weather caused many problems on the beaches. By the 22nd the storm was very strong. On the 23rd Algonquin was attacked at night by a German aircraft, suffering a near-miss, but no damage. Piers and other officers managed to go ashore and inspect the defences and the damage. Near-by destroyer sunk by a mine. Enemy shelling from positions to the east. Air attacks. Shelled enemy troops on the eastern flank for some time. Patrols at sea. On the 27th returned to Portsmouth and then ordered to rejoin the Home Fleet (at Scapa).
Interviewer: Lawrence, Hal
An interview/narrative of Desmond W. Piers's experiences during World War II. Rear Admiral Piers served with the Royal Canadian Navy. Interview took place on January 2, 1982 and June 1 and 2, 1985.
- In Collection:
- 21 sound recordings (MP3)
- 51.45, 0.05
- Original sound recordings on fourteen audio cassettes also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- PDW_264
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/hal-lawrence-collection
- April 13, 2013
- Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 44 kHz. In .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Digitized by JF, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2013. 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
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