Davis, James Sinclair: my Navy recollections (April 21, and 28, 1983)
Interviewer: Lawrence, Hal
ABSTRACT: Commander James S. Davis Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (Cassette 1, Side 1) Cmdr. Davis joined the Navy in the fall of 1939 (HMCS York). In January 1940 he joined the Stone Frigate (at RMC) in Kingston. The first two classes went to the "mouse traps" in Halifax (Jr. officers accommodation), but his class went to the West Coast. He was appointed to the HMCS Wolf (armed yacht), as first lieutenant. Comment on the vagaries of Wolf, including poor stability and erratic gun practice. Carried stokers under training as far as Comox. The Captain of Wolf took Davis with him when he was appointed Captain of HMCS Quesnel - the first corvette built by Victoria Machinery Depot at Bay Street. Work-ups to Prince Rupert in the spring of 1941. Returns to some comments on his time with Stone Frigate. Mine sweeping training for Royal Roads. Took the Long N course in Halifax. Anecdote about blowing up a house in France (JW Colby). Made unsuccessful efforts to get to the war. Refers to a Japanese submarine with small aeroplane, which took air photos of the strait and even Bremerton, Washington (pre-Dec. 7, 1941). After the Long N course he was appointed to Q060 (Fairmile) working out of Halifax - describes three patrol loops they undertook. Experiences in HMCS Charney (patrol vessel), particularly her grounding and re-floating. Returning to his account of Fairmiles, now in Sydney, NS and later in Newfoundland. Initially in the North then around St. John's. (Cassette 1, Side 2) Describes heavy winter clothing and the cold. He was appointed as captain of HMCS Malbaie (corvette) to sail for Londonderry (12 February 1943) after meeting a convoy at the West Ocean Meeting Point (WESTOMP). Describes the course, initially steering 000! Returns to his first experience in taking a corvette out of a port (St. John's). Remarks on pilots directing the ship at Loch Foyle and his experiences with them. Anecdotes on training exercises. An account of a destroyer seriously damaging her propellers on ice. Convoy anecdotes. Appointed as the captain of HMCS Royalmount (frigate) in 1944, describes Christmas celebrations aboard. In total he escorted 22 convoys. Comments on the training and great expansion the Canadian Navy experienced. Describes the sinking of the Foundation Franklin (merchant ship) while he had her undertow in the Malbaie (Cassette 2, Side 1) Davis recounts the rescue of the crew. He speaks of his brother who was torpedoed in HMCS Greysborough (Bangor minesweeper), but survived. Describes his old uniform with gold up to the elbow and rows of "medal" ribbons made from striped material, including old pyjamas. He had a gold earring in his left ear. Returns to a tale of the Wolf and HMCS Sans Peur (armed yacht). Anecdote about decommissioning ships at war's end. Comments on Cmdr. Trigger Wadds (and how he got his nickname) and Lieutenant Howard Quinn. When Davis was in command of Royalmount he was quickly taken off to be senior officer on a convoy to the UK, sailing in HMCS Hallowell (frigate) - just after VE day. (Cassette 2, Side 2) Discussion of the gap between the officers and the captain - especially when at sea - and what characters some were. In Royalmount Davis was part of the largest convoy to cross the Atlantic, 153 ships, and ten and a half miles wide, side to side. Possible fuel shortages in the North Atlantic due to the amount of time it took to cross. Comments on storms and the damage that they could do to a ship. Remarks on the Halifax Riot in May 1945. Issued rum to the crew on VJ Day, with him first in line! Neither Davis nor Lawrence were hesitant to sign their "volunteer" forms for the Pacific War. After joining the RCN and after his leave, he was appointed to HMCS Venerable (light fleet carrier) in Australia. Davis makes unfavourable remarks about the Admiral, Sir Philip Vian, efficient but not pleasant. Tells anecdotes of his time with the RN- Hong Kong, Singapore, Ceylon, UK and later in HMCS Magnificent and once again went to the UK (in Venerable). All of the Chinese staff were disembarked prior to joining another ship. (Cassette 3, Side 1) Story of passing through the Suez Canal. Docking in Malta was an event. Returned to the Clyde and eventually Plymouth. Appointed to HMCS Iroquois (destroyer) in the reserve fleet. Recalls the collision by HMCS Micmac as the reason the Iroquois was reactivated. Took Iroquois out for speed trials. Later appointed to HMCS Athabaskan (II) (destroyer). Second interview, same side and cassette; In command of Athabaskan in 1948, sailed with the destroyers Cayuga and Crescent to Prince Rupert, exercising along the way. They sailed to Honolulu in company with HMCS Ontario (cruiser). Taken ill, lost his command and spent two months in the Naval Hospital at Pearl Harbour. Eventually reached Esquimalt and then to the Queen Mary Hospital in Montreal for three months (1949). In the spring of 1950 Davis returned to Esquimalt as commander of the Dockyard, Kings Harbour Master, CO of HMCS Rockcliffe (minesweeper) and senior officer for ships in reserve. To staff college in Toronto, then worked for Flag Officer Naval Divisions. Speaks of summer training (including Hal Lawrence). Went to Ottawa to the Directorate of Inter-service Development; a very boring position with little to do. Davis retired in 1959. He reminisces about the night the Knights of Columbus Hall burned down in St. John's (1942), believed to have been set by a Fifth Columnist (sabotage). Interesting story of a convoy escort that found and picked up a man in the sea who was the subject of an attempted murder and the resulting account. Next, a tale of a tanker in convoy. "Fifth Columnist" killed the Captain in his bunk and set fire to the ship. The fire was extinguished and the Captain was buried at sea - thus destroying all the evidence of murder! Anecdote of a corvette going to D-Day. Ends with a birthday party for a little girl.
Interviewee: Davis, James Sinclair
An interview/narrative of James Sinclair Davis' experiences during World War II. Commander Davis served in the Royal Canadian Navy. Interview took place on April 21 and 28, 1983.
- In Collection:
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Contributor
Subject
- Military history
- World War (1914-1918)
- Naval history
- Operation Overlord
- World War (1939-1945)
- Canada. Royal Canadian Navy
- 6 sound recordings (MP3)
- 45.50884, -73.58781
- 48.4359, -123.35155
- Three sound cassette copies (ca. 270 min.) in Special Collections.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- DJS_287
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/hal-lawrence-collection
- March 1, 2012
- 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 2012. 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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