Chadwick, Ernest Maurice: my Navy recollections (January 10, 1986, and January 13, 1989)
PublicDownloadable Content
Download PDFRank: Commander.
Interviewee: Chadwick, Ernest Maurice
ABSTRACT: Cmdr. E. Maurice Chadwick Royal Canadian Navy Cmdr. Chadwick stood the Civil Service exam in 1938. Passed - passage to Liverpool - uniforms at Gieves then to the old monitor HMS Erebus for about three months. In January 1939 to the training cruiser HMS Vindictive for two cruises. To HMS Revenge (battleship) in August 1939 as the fleet was being mobilized. Promoted to Midshipman in Sept. '39. Carried gold bullion to Halifax and returned escorting the 1st Cdn. Division and later the 2nd Cdn. Division. Recounts the sinking of a gate vessel by Revenge in Halifax harbour. In 1940 Revenge bombarded the docks in Cherbourg. Chadwick participated in the takeover of French naval vessels in Plymouth (describes). Sub-lieutenant courses taken at Rhodene (former girl's school) and was returned to Canada on leave. Appointed to HMCS Skeena on convoy escort to Iceland. Took part in the sinking of U-588 with the corvette HMCS Wetaskiwin. Appointed to HMCS Gatineau as a Lieutenant - a relatively quiet time. Appointed to the newly commissioned HMCS Uganda (cruiser) in Charleston, N.C. Some conflict between RCN senior officers and seamen (reservists) who never served in a large ship before and to some extent found the routine objectionable. Sailed for Halifax, then the UK to repair certain items not correctly carried out in the U.S. shipyard. Sent to the Far East where the ship joined the British Pacific Fleet in Australia. Joined the Americans in Task Force 57 during the bombardment of Sakishima. Uganda spent much time in the anti-aircraft role. Bombarded the island of Truk. Volunteering for the war in the Pacific. Only a few said that they did not want to stay in the ship but naval headquarters wanted to hear specifically from those that did want to stay. Chadwick and Lawrence agree that this was the wrong thing, particularly when the crew was informed that anybody who wanted to quit was, in fact, a quitter. This offended much of the crew - so a majority decided they wanted to go home! The RCN in particular considered the whole matter a gross insult. Uganda returned to Esquimalt and Chadwick became part of New Entry Training there. Cmdr. Chadwick returns to the time of his subs courses and his short training in RM submarines. Later he was considered for command of the first post war Cdn. submarine - which did not materialize.
An interview/narrative of Ernest Maurice Chadwick's experiences during World War II. Commander Chadwick served with the Royal Canadian Navy. Interview took place on January 10, 1986 and January 13, 1989.
Interviewer: Lawrence, Hal
- In Collection:
- 1 transcript (30 pages)
- 44.6464, -63.57291
- 49.63984, -1.61636
- 35.68536, 139.75309
- 50.37153, -4.14305
- No audio recording held.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- CEM_286
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/hal-lawrence-collection
- Technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Migration metadata by KD and MT. PDF. Technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. 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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