Canadian brass...well some of it is.

[Laurence Strong]

Found a Service Corps hat badge to go along with my solitary collar dog

[Chris B.]

Hi Lawrence, thanks for the Ontario Regiment history. The hat badge is spot on, and the Armoury my son trains out of is called the Maclaughlin Armoury. Small world. Dallaire's book is called "Shake Hands with the Devil". I'd like to check it out even though it will be a sad and depressing read. Cheers, Chris B.

[Laurence Strong]

Hi Lawrence, thanks for the Ontario Regiment history. The hat badge is spot on, and the Armoury my son trains out of is called the Maclaughlin Armoury. Small world. Dallaire's book is called "Shake Hands with the Devil". I'd like to check it out even though it will be a sad and depressing read. Cheers, Chris B.

Hi Chris

You are right, it is a sad and depressing read, and an eye opener on the inefficiency of the UN, I can't find the copy of my book, I think my son has it, I had the opportunity to listen to Gen Dallaire speak when he gave a presentation at the Red Deer College.

[Laurence Strong]

Well I found an extermely rare set of wings today.

Once upon a time the Royal Canadian Navy had a venerable old lady called "The Bonnie" HMCS Bonaventure (CVL 22)

Edited October 30, 2006 by Laurence Strong

[Laurence Strong]

Among the aircraft were the CS2F-3 Trackers with naval observers on board.

Edited October 30, 2006 by Laurence Strong

[Laurence Strong]

So here they are, a set of Royal Canadian Navy Observer wings. I have never seen a set of these before

[Laurence Strong]

Love the embroidery, and the detail on the fouled anchor is super. the reverse

[Laurence Strong]

Just to clarify the fore runner of the AESOp trade was the Observer's Mate, the Observer trade was the officer equivilant which was phased out of the RCN with the reitrement of the Avenger. The Tracker and early Sea King were crewed by pilots and Observer's Mates. An Observer in the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal New Zealand Navy, is an officer trade basically equilivant to a TACCO. This is why the Royal Navy Exchange Officer at 443 (MH) Sqn is an Observer who fills a TACCO position and Canadian TACCO on exchange with the RN fills a Observer position.

[Laurence Strong]

Here's a photo of the Observers Mates (EM) badge, now I have to hunt one down We won't even go into RCN pilots wings.

[Laurence Strong]

And the current wings:

Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator Badge. Upon successful

qualification to Qualification Level (QL) 5A of Occupational Specification

(OS) 081, a member is eligible for the award of the airborne electronic

sensor operator badge.

[peter monahan]

I'm dating myself here, but I recall when the "Bonnie" was finally retired - with impeccable gov't logic, very shortly after she underwent a multi-million dollar refit. Forget who bought her but I don't think she went to the wreckers, just to an even porrer navy than ours!

The brother of a school mate used to fly Trackers off Bonnie and told us once of "sneaking up on" the infamous Russian "trawlers" - actually electronic intelligence gathering ships which used to dog the NATO fleets wherever they went. Our boys would choose a windy night, throttle back at 5 miles out from a trawler and glide in over her then, as they crossed her bows, switch on the million-candlepower searchlights some of the Trackers had mounted in the nose. Or that's the story!

[Laurence Strong]

Hi Peter

I remember that day also. She was sent to India, and I don't recall if they used here for a while or just went to the wrecking part.

Yeah the logic that refurbished the CF-5's prior to sale....refurbished the Chinooks that we need now prior to selling them to the Dutch...

That woulod be a rude awakening in the middle of a stormy night.

Jessup was with 426 and I will be posting shortly, taking awhil;e to get thru all that pile.

[Laurence Strong]

It would appear as I was wrong.

from Wikipeadia:

The retirement of the Banshees in 1962, allowed in 1964 new Sea King helicopters to be added to Bonaventure's arsenal, and in 1966 she docked in Quebec for a "mid-life" refit. This second refit took eighteen months and costs escalated to $11 million. Post 1968 unification of the Canadian Armed Forces the Bonaventure was de-commissioned in Halifax on 3 July 1970 (only three years after her refit) and was scrapped in Taiwan in 1971.

[Laurence Strong]

A couple of new items found today. Along the naval lines, current issue Canadian Forces Maritime Command badge:

Canadian Forces Maritime Command (MARCOM) is the naval service of the Canadian Forces, and as such, it is also the senior service of the Canadian Forces, following the tradition that comes from the Royal Navy. MARCOM participates in various mission with the Royal Navy and the United States Navy. MARCOM is the descendant of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) which was Canada's naval service from the navy's foundation in 1910 until 1 February 1968. Prior to 1910, the Royal Navy provided naval protection for Canada. After 1968, the RCN was merged with the army and air force to form the Canadian Armed Forces. MARCOM's ships still bear the acronym HMCS as they did before 1968.

MARCOM is currently headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario with the Atlantic headquarters (MARLANTHQ) based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Pacific headquarters (MARPACHQ) based in Esquimalt, British Columbia. The headquarters of the Naval Reserve is based in Quebec City, Quebec.

[Laurence Strong]

Next a King Crown Pilots wings