Who Don "Buster" Brown Submarines Served In HMS Grampus ~ HMS Andrew ~ HMS Anchorite HMS Alliance ~ HMS Aeneas ~ HMCS Ojibwa, HMCS Onondaga ~ HMCS Okanagan 1962 ~ 1981 Where Today Herring Cove, N.S. Doing What Retired

HMCS Fortune Bay Class Minesweeper By 1954, I joined the sea cadets and within the 4 years that followed I was going to Comox for summer training, training as an Armourer's Mate in Naden and going to sea in the Bay Class sweeper Fortune and by 1958, was fortunate to be on a four month trip to the Far East aboard HMCS Crescent.

That exposure to the RCN had convinced me of what I wanted to do with myself. Because I was short of a year's education, I was denied the opportunity of going ERA apprentice so I opted for the next obvious, and signed on as a stoker. After Cornwallis, it was an awakening to find that my next trip to sea was aboard Micmac on the east coast, a hammock- slinging 'Tribal'' whose only near similarities to the bunk fitted Crescent, was the machinery, the shape of her hull, and the cockroaches. By 1962, I had completed a Trade Group 2 course in Stad and by the time the course was over, there were a few things I had been witness to that instilled another lure.

 

I had met a number of lads from the old "sixth Squadron" in Halifax where immediately I found something in common in that many of them were "townies" that came from "good ole" London town. They talked about their experiences at three hundred feet and I was inspired. They stunk of engines and oil and jargoned on nuts, bolts, pistons and spray valves, telemeter systems and tot times and all the while, I sensed a foregoing of discipline at the expense of hard work, a strong regard for safety and precaution, and most of all, each other as mess mates.

HMCS Micmac

And when it was time to play, it paralleled with that same equality. There was also a uniqueness attached to it if you were in the RCN. On rare occasions, I would meet a few Canadian exchange submariners who seemed to come out of nowhere and they'd talk about S-boats, T's and A's, and Faslane, Malta, Singapore and Australia. I was fascinated. I wanted to be a submariner. P Class After training, I spent a little time in Grampus, the fuelling jetty in Dolphin and then landed on a block draft to join Andrew in SM VII, Singapore. Two years out there were to be the most memorable of all my time in the navy. It was at a time when the Indonesian crisis was at its height. All boats in the squadron had deck guns fitted. Often we'd go on "sneak-ies" and land bootnecks from 40 or 42 Commando, (SBS). Conditions at sea in the equatorial far east seemed no better the the books about RN submarines that went to war in the same areas in WWII because A- boats were of similar vintage as the old S's and T's. Along with a few other Canadians..names like Selka, Griffin, Bechtel, Jones, Watson, Watt, Ross, Donovan, Olsen, Dutnall.... didn't make you long to want to go home.

We did a lot of switching around for many patrols and so I got "pier- headed" over to Anchorite and eventually to Alliance, to sail her back to YewKay via the Suez in 1965.  Soapy Watson and Roy Donovan were there too). Everybody would agree that the time in the 'far Flung'' was probably the best years that anybody had spent in the navy, let alone submarines.

                   HMS Andrew, HMS Amphion, HMS Ambush alongside HMS Medway in Singapore
 

YewKay via the Suez in 1965.  Soapy Watson and Roy Donovan were there too). Everybody would agree that the time in the 'far Flung'' was probably the best years that anybody had spent in the navy, let alone submarines. And through all of this time, my energy to remain in submarines was steadily expanding. The life, the challenge, and the camaraderie had grown on me, and unconsciously, an element of dedication developed within that would keep me in "boats'' for years to come.

I then joined newly refitted Aeneas in the "Pompey Squadron''. It was at the time when Ojibwa had just commissioned and was destined to Faslane for work ups. I just missed that one by a hair as "Spud'' Murphy, a 3 badge killick stoker, was landed for a hernia operation. Instead, LSEM Dave Brocklebank joined O-Jay and I remained in Aeneas. By 1967, I had now sailed in a few boats and there was no turning back. After a TG3 course back in Stad, 1 fully anticipated a return to Aeneas but a certain squadron Commander decided that a submarine requalification program was more in order aboard Onondaga, fresh from commissioning and work ups and was now in Halifax. I couldn't understand whether it was a diversionary tactic or a more acceptable, dire need in response to shortage of personnel. In keeping with the

HMS Alliance Doing 420 rev's in the Malacca Straits (Note the deck gun and camouflage)

way the divisional system worked in that questionable period though, was never explained.  And through all of this time, my energy to remain in submarines was steadily expanding. The life, the challenge, and the camaraderie had grown on me, and unconsciously, an element of dedication developed within that would keep me in "boats'' for years to come. After a quick trip down south to ''Springboard'' I got my ticket punched and then the need for people to join Okanagan arose. She was still building in Chatham yard and so without hesitation, I slapped in to go. What I didn't know is that it meant that for the next twelve years, I would breathe,

eat, and live Okanagan and eventually end up as Chief Tif. Now I finally knew why 1 signed on as a ("stoker'' instead of an apprentice'' I would never have had a chance to clean lube oil separators, swing on mufflers, wipe out D.O.T's (to make them safe for the chemist to certify the tanks gas free'') or even get to ditch the donk shop gash. She was a grand sparkling boat in all of that time seeing as many as fourteen skippers and as many as what to seem like a thousand guys go through her turnstiles in all of that time.

 

There were scary times like hitting bottom, 'julie'' bombs, floods, a battery fire, getting hit by Argus practice fish, and of course the infamous underwater prang with the oiler Grey Rover 1973....that through the story-telling in the years to follow, there must have been a crew of over 500 guys on board. Along with 72 and 73, the three submarines from the sixties to the seventies enjoyed some keen competition with each other too.

Labelled, the ('Go-boat'' the "No-boat'' and the "Show-boat'' respectively, it was that s**t chuckin fun that compensated and held us together for some of the leaner and not-so-glad times that we all experienced. As time drew on and the other two boats kept cr-pin' out, one boat spent a lot of time on the wall fixing defects while the other got re-labeled: "Test Weight For the Synchro lift'' Albeit, I was surrounded with the best submariners I ever had the pleasure of serving with.

By 1981 as Sqdn. Chief Tiff, I was suddenly disheartened. It was time to move on at the hue and cry of the career mangler. He was confronted by a shortage of Chief ERA's aboard the skimmers who had reached their ''25"'. The naval engineering Manual had among much mechanical literature, a passage that described the responsibilities of a charge certificate. ''...qualifies the holder in taking charge of propulsion systems in ships or submarines''..."so where's the argument?'' the career manager in his own right, insisted.  Much to my dismay, I was fired back up to the roof aboard Nipigon to learn how to steam in greyhounds. Once I got my feet wet, I took over as Chief Tiff in Skeena.  I did so with apprehension, all the while encouraging myself in fully appreciating that we weren't a big navy nor had we a mammoth flotilla of submarines.

HMCS Skeena

It was a time to realize that with trade qualification and seniority in rank, the choice of opportunities was very slim and you just couldn't pick and chose. It was very emotional for me, however, just over a few weeks aboard a ship where everybody spoke French, the boilers were busted, and the engineer was pushed ashore because of an ailing back I began to enjoy it immensely. The difference being that because of my experience in submarines, I had been multi exposed to the many aspects of marine systems that we all know. That versatility sure made me adaptable and because I was surrounded with plenty

of manpower resource, it came more of a job in directing trifle. An example was that without an engineer officer, Skeena had to dock down in Dartmouth Slips. It became a challenge to get her trimmed 21''  by the stem for entry onto the shipway and by using my familiarity from submarine dockings as an outside wrecker, Skeena successfully ''sued on'' through the inter-action of dock master Jerry Prouse and the ship's representative to the C.O....the Chief ERA. I didn't have it all cased though. ("Went to deep shelter stations one day and almost suffocated when I donned a gas mask. Didn't know about the canister plug...did I?  When asked, ('What do you do in a nuclear fall-out in submarines Buster?'' l replied,"we whip down to 400 feet and turn on the movie projector!''

Late in 1983, after returning from a NATO trip, I was roped ashore in a staff job to assist in the implementation of the very unpopular MORPS programme. I still maintain to this day that MORPS placed a lot of demands upon the navy and in particular, the people in it. There was a lot to "hoist in" in such a short time and implementation would take over five years. How ever distasteful new policy became, people resisted and to this day, I maintain that had the career managers and a lot of the old "die hards" got in step with the programme, the navy and its training system would have been better off in meeting the future...the future of new construction, high tech equipment and the challenges that were inevitably presented through the start of cut-backs that began in 1991. One thing bothered me all the time though is that in submarines, we were already doing the things that MORPS required and there were lessons to be learnt here by our skimmer counter-parts. However, surface ship traditions prevailed and the uninformed majority in that right naturally resisted the new policies. In l985, another challenge came my way. I became the first east coast Chief ERA to join the sea training staff, a staff that did not include a Chief ET, and combined them, placed heavy demands on damage control through an already present E.O. and a Chief HT. Again, my submarine instincts came in handy and in the course of the next two years, I participated in fourteen ship work up programmes. Whether it was gas turbine, steam power, AOR's, the Cormorant, RTU vessels, or good old diesel generators, standing vigil over the safety principals of work ups in the machinery spaces or on the main switchboards. It came with relative ease. I wasn't there to operate the gear..the crew was. My job was to see that it was done safely. And when it came to damage control monitoring, the experience of submarines prevailed in almost every application. In surface ships, was it ever easy to curb or ventilate smoke, manage 100 psi fire main pressures, or deal with wimpy HP air burst of only l500 psi on missile systems. I think the myriads of damage control teams that I monitored enjoyed these otherwise fresh and new ideas. After those two years, I was put in charge of FMG machine shops for about 6 months. It seemed that everybody in "gens" traditionally went through FMG at one time or other, but now I was right next door to SM1 in the dockyard and the joy and presence of old acquaintances returned. As brief as it was, I had now been a C1 for 9 years and the prospects of going Chief Tiff for the 5th time became somewhat of a redundant reality. I had to try something that would give recognition to Chief ERA's and indeed the Mar Eng branch as capable and worthy in the executive department.

HMCS Protecteur

I took over as coxswain aboard Protecteur and became a 'tanker-wanker'. Again, submarine principles applied in my role, and I am often reminded today that because of it, the Captain. the XO, and the entire ship's company relished in the way we did things. Hard work, get stuck in long hours, have fun doing it.. And play hard. Although I only spent a year in the Protecteur, I had it that when I joined her, the "pusser" still owed me 62 tons of fresh water that I hadn't otherwise used in taking 'bird-baths' in submarines.

When l went ashore, I managed to have it whittled down to 41 . I didn't leave her because of incompetence I hope, but there was a need for volunteers...and being one to begin with in 1962, l was finally, and proudly, returning to boats. Canadian submarines were about to embark in conducting their own work up programmes...something that I always felt we had the capability of doing many years before hand. I didn't leave her because of incompetence I hope, but there was a need for volunteers...and being one to begin with in 1962, I was finally, and proudly, returning to boats.

Canadian submarines were about to embark in conducting their own work up programmes... something that I always felt we had the capability of doing many years before hand. Nevertheless there came an urgent need to do it in anticipation of the R.N. 's near redundancy in conventional submarines and new submarine acquisition in Canada. We all remember CASAP. I was to combine in a 6 man staff forming the Submarine Sea Training Group (SSTG). It was headed by an Aussie named LCDR John Diercks, a prince of a man, and I would now gleefully re-unite with two individuals named Jim "Lucky"' Gordon and Brian "Ben" Hills. Lucky of course had been "swain" in a couple of boats, in Squadron, as well as at the present, in Iroquois. He like me, gave the nod as well. Ben, as the incumbent surface sea training Chief ET, who by the way is renowned for having sailed in all 5 submarines from Grilse to Rainbow...and a lot of other things too, brought with him, a mound of knowhow...with a lot of crazy personality. What a mass of experience we maintained.

Our job was to construct a seven week work up programme that concentrated on 4 weeks of safety and 3 weeks of ops. This came a special challenge and doubled responsibility for we had to convince the admiral no less, as well as submariners themselves, that the Canadian submarine service had the ability and infra-structure in co-ordinating our own work up programmes to meet the future.

We did so in such a way that we were to meet a fleet standard...not the captains's...and the methods by which we conducted evolutions and action scenarios that were certainly to be more realistic than those that the RN had provided. That, we were further reminded, when we rode with ST at Faslane during a deep water clearance trial in Opossum. We worked hard, spent long hours, had a lot of fun...and played hard too. That's when Brian inherited the name ("Ben" after the infamous Johnson of the Olympics in Seoul. He "caved in" as well...but I won't get into that one at all. A little scratchy we were at first as a result of a little bit of intimidation from a few seniors who thumbed their noses and were discreetly critical of the emergence of those so called "rusty ex submariners"...that didn't last long. The outcome within a year proved successful, the Admiral awarded his "Commendation" to the SSTG, which now 11 years later I suspect, successfully thrives in preparation for the "Upholders". There was an additional highlight while being in SSTG.  The Gulf War had been piped and all sea trainers were to spread themselves thin throughout the three ship task force. I was to work up Terra Nova across the pond, among a staff of only four "trainers".    HMCS Terra Nova Our work was certainly cut out and not having an engineer officer to answer to, submarine principals were quickly applied. Smoke curtains, escape routes, flooding compartments, bulkhead shut-downs, air bursts, steering failures, sleeping with your lagging on, water conservation...all those things that came natural to some were now seen as significant among those general service sailors.  Our Cl Freddie Childs was the ship's 'swain' and naturally like an ex submariner, he to made it all very easy to deal with. When I jackstayed off in the Med, I was last to leave in saying good luck to Freddie in the middle of the night. When we finally  got aboard Fraser. Up to the bridge I went to find the C.O. was none other than Jay Plante! By golly...another one! Submariners were taking over the Navy. In l 991, I became the Command Chief Petty Officer. It was very enjoyable, an honour, and it was one hell of a challenge. It wasn't easy to instil morale. The navy was about to undergo mass change. There was re-organization, total force, dramatic and constant changes and the growing need for attitudes to accept the ever changing changes. There was lots of grumbling as we entered the period of personnel reductions, unknown job security, budget cuts, and ever increasing p**s-off factors. From that period in l991 until I retired in 1995, an example of the instability that we were encountering was also displayed in the constant juggling in the senior leadership roles throughout the CF. Not only were we going through MND's and CDS's at one per year, but in nearly 5 years as CCPO, I had served under 5 different admirals, two of whom were, our own " Peter", and Vice Admiral 'Larry Murray...the guy who missed his calling and "should've been a submariner" . Through that period as the Command Chief I still worked hard, spent long hours, had fun...and played hard. I left the navy satisfied that I had a pretty good "kick at the cat". Foremost were the people that were in it and today, my own life seems richer for having had their friendship. The Sullivans, the McVarnocks, the Wilsons, the Camerons, the Webbs, the MacEacherns, the Wards, the Dalys, the Frawleys, the Madisons, the Goddards, the Chambers, the Schatzes.. .and so it goes. My turning point in adjusting came at the time the navy's first did. For that I thank Keith Nesbit, Sherm Embree.  And Terry Wyss who on one day in l 974 said, ''Stand by for heavy rolling on that WOQC course Buster! : ..there, I did it... editors footnote:  it took a great deal of persuasion to get Buster to put this together for us, hence the "there I did it!"

 

	Buster is an active member of Submariner's Association of Canada, Submariner's Association (Canadian Branch), Canadian Tribal Class Association and Royal Canadian Legion Buster can be contacted by Email
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