Interview with Lieutenant Sterling Cripps
Narrator: Cripps, Sterling Townsend, 1961-. Interviewer: Interviewed by James Ziolkoski. Interview Date and Location 03 March 2024, Victoria BC (Ziolkoski) and Medicine Hat AB (Cripps). Synopsis: This interview is with L(N) Sterling Cripps, on his experiences as a naval diver. L(N) Cripps describes his various roles as a Ship’s Diving Officer, a Clearance Diving Officer, and a Submersible Officer. He notes several important operations he took part in during his time posted to HMCS Cormorant, including the recovery of a downed F-18 and T-33 aircraft, the recovery of drugs from a sunken smuggling vessel, and the environmental maintenance work done on the sunken barge Irving Whale. L(N) Cripps also reflects on the role of submersibles in the RCN, and on his time in the Navy overall. 0:00 – 0:44 – Introductions 0:44 – 3:10 – Life before joining the Navy, experiences as a Sea Cadet. 3:10 – 6:48 – First involvement with diving operations and experience as a Ship’s Diving Officer on HMCS Athabaskan; roles and responsibilities of Ship’s Divers. 6:48 – 8:48 – Description of Ship’s Diver training. 8:48 – 10:33 – Description of ranks in diving operations; impact of education on rank. 10:33 – 11:47 – Experience as a Ship’s Diving officer on HMCS Athabaskan, continued. 11:47 – 24:00 – Experiences in, and descriptions of, Clearance Diver preliminary training and training courses. 24:00 – 24:46 and 26:59 – 27:30 – Brief posting as Commanding Officer of YDT-12. 24:46 – 26:59 – Experiences on HMCS Cormorant. 25:17 – 26:59 and 30:16 – 31:02 – Recovery of downed F-18 aircraft using Pisces IV submersible. 27:30 – 28:53 – Reflections on Navy experience. 28:53 – 45:33 – Experiences on HMCS Cormorant, continued. 31:31 – 36:26 – Operation Herald, drug recovery off the coast of Newfoundland. 36:26 – 39:36 and 44:25 – 44:47 – Environmental maintenance work on the barge Irving Whale using SDL-1 submersible. 39:58 – 44:03 – Recovery of downed T-33 aircraft using SDL-1 submersible. 45:33 – 1:00:59 – Discussion of submersibles, Submersible Officer training. 1:00:59 – 1:03:50 and 1:04:12 – 1:07:21 – Experience on exchange in Portsmouth, England, Fleet Diving Unit 2 and 3. 1:03:50 – 1:04:12 and 1:07:21 – 1:11:10 – Posting as Executive Officer of Fleet Diving Unit Pacific. 1:11:10 – 1:14:14 – Life after leaving the Navy, and reflections on career. 1:14:14 – Reflections on changing technologies and changing attitudes in diving, role of diving operations in the Navy moving forward. 1:19:40 – 1:22:16 – Closing remarks.
- In Collection:
- Interview #SC141_CS_920
- Salvage operations
- Fleet Diving Units
- Officer, Clearance Diving
- Officer, Submersible
- Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic
- Officer, Ship’s Diving
- Clearance Diver
- Pisces IV
- Submersibles, Remote Operated
- SDL-1
- Environmental operation
- HMCS Cormorant
- HMCS Athabaskan
- Submersibles, Manned
- Submersibles
- Ship’s Diver
- Drug recovery
- Fleet Diving Unit Pacific
- 01:22:16
- Exploring the Roles and Responsibilities of Clearance Divers in the Royal Canadian Navy
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- Accession Number: 2025-002; Series 6; Item: 920
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2024. Recorded in digital format by interviewer. Keywords supplied by interviewer. Metadata by KD.
- 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