Glad you enjoyed the post Paul - in turn, I enjoyed hearing about your brother. As you know, I love to put the personal touches in the tales of genealogy and history. You just added a lovely personal touch. Thanks so much. On Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 11:19 PM, Paul Robins <robins0379@rogers.com> wrote: > THANKS, Deborah ............ I have an intimate connection with the > Canadian Minesweeper Fleet, of 1944-45. By brother Jim, who was > discharged, in 1946, as a Chief Petty Officer WRITER , ASSIGNED IN FEBRUARY > 1944 , to the H.M.C.S.THUNDER, the flagship of the Canadian Minesweeper > Fleet. We referred to Jim as the Captain's Private SECRETARY, BUT recently, > I found out that it was his sole job to report the activities of the > Canadian Minesweeper Fleet, which are now part of the Archives. > They swept the Channel, prior to the 1944 Landings, were present > on D-Day, and later swept the Harbour of BREST, France, before > the American Battleships went in an levelled the German Defences. > I saw a couple of decommissioned Minesweepers, at anchor, in > KINGSTON, Ontario, in the 1960's. They were so small, I would have had > reservations about going out on them, on LAKE SIMCOE !!!!!! > > Thanks, again, FOR YOUR INPUT ........... > > Paul Robins > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Deborah Crawford" <deborahc8@gmail.com> > Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2010 5:22 PM > To: <can-ont-simcoe@rootsweb.com> > Subject: [CAN-ONT-SIMCOE] World War II articles > > > Good day listers. Quiet of late - guess everybody's laying low trying > > desperately to stay cool. So, for your reading pleasure I thought I'd > > present a few tales relevant to the Penetanguishene area during the years > > of > > 1939 - 1945 - World War II. I came upon these articles while sourcing > out > > some other relevant information and though these contain no specific > > genealogical information, they do add to the picture of our world during > a > > memorable time in history. I will post a short story for now - a couple > > others are a bit longer and if the readers don't wish to see them, let me > > know and I'll not continue. Here is story #1 - from the Globe and Mail, > > April 20 1944. "Midland April 19 - Six wooden minesweepers are to be > > built > > for the Canadian Government, two each in Midland, Penetanguishene and > > Honey > > Harbor. Contracts have been awarded to the Midland Boat Works, the Grew > > Boat Co Penetanguishene and the Port Carling Boat Works Honey Harbor, the > > biggest war contracts these firms have yet received. Skilled technicians > > will be in charge of installation of the intricate electrical equipment > > which minesweepers carry in time of war, as the job is a highly technical > > one. The keels of British Columbia fir have already been laid and > > progress > > is being made on the framework. The ships will be launched as soon as > the > > hulls are completed and the finishing touches given the boats when in the > > water. They should be completed before ice forms next fall. The > > minesweepers are of such design that after the war they can be easily > > converted into fishing trawlers." > > > > I wonder how many of our cousins, uncles and grandfathers worked in these > > shipyards, or served on the ships? Or did the ships even make it into > > service as a minesweeper seeing as how they weren't due to be completed > > until the fall of 1945? Perhaps they served as fishing trawlers and > never > > saw service as a minesweeper. > > > > Anyway - hope you enjoy this peek into the past. Stay cool. > > > > Deborah > > ***************** > > Ten People All Genealogists Should Follow On Twitter: http://tr.im/hBAy > > > > Simcoe Co. GenWeb at http://www.waynecook.com/simcoe.shtml > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > CAN-ONT-SIMCOE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ***************** > Ten People All Genealogists Should Follow On Twitter: http://tr.im/hBAy > > Simcoe Co. GenWeb at http://www.waynecook.com/simcoe.shtml > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CAN-ONT-SIMCOE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >