Esquimalt community commemorates a dark chapter in local naval history

Esquimalt Legion Sgt-at-Arms Sean Guadet lays a wreath during the service. Photo: Master Sailor Valerie LeClair, MARPAC Imaging Services.

Peter Mallett, 
Staff Writer 
— 
On a bright spring day, Esquimalt’s military community paused to commemorate one of its darkest moments – the sinking of its namesake vessel and those who perished aboard.

Captain (Navy) Kevin Whiteside, CFB Esquimalt Base Commander, attended the Apr. 16 ceremony at Esquimalt’s Memorial Park, organized by the Base Commander’s Office.

During his address at the memorial service, he said the fate and sacrifice of those aboard is one of the cruellest imaginable for a sailor succumbing to the freezing water and waves. At the same time, the promise of safety and the Halifax Harbour beckoned just out of reach on the horizon.

“The loss of HMCS Esquimalt ripples across many lives, nearly eight decades and two coasts,” Capt(N) Whiteside said. “Few losses in Canadian history so poignantly and heartbreakingly illustrate that link between the gap of sea and shore.”

Capt(N) Whiteside attended the ceremony along with Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class (CPO2) Jason Tucker, Assistant Base Chief Petty Officer, and Barbara Desjardins, Mayor of Esquimalt. Capt(N) Whiteside and Mayor Desjardins joined in an Act of Remembrance and laid wreaths and flowers at the HMCS Esquimalt cairn, along with Sean Gaudet, Sergeant of Arms of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 172.

Lieutenant-Commander (ret’d) Gerald Pash, the event’s emcee, noted the constant threat posed by enemy submarines during the Battle of the Atlantic and praised the wartime legacy of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve.

“They were ordinary men from all walks of life but who did extraordinary things in time of national crisis,” said Pash. “With grateful hearts we must never forget the sacrifice of those who gave their today for our tomorrow.”

The service was also attended by approximately 20 uniformed members from CFB Esquimalt and an ensemble of the Naden Band who played O Canada, Last Post, and Rouse under the direction of CPO2 Dan Keels.

HMCS Esquimalt tragedy

HMCS Esquimalt, a Royal Canadian Navy Bangor-class minesweeper, sank just three weeks before the end of the Second World War. The ship was attacked by the German U-Boat 190 while on anti-submarine patrol near Halifax Harbour on Apr. 16, 1945, resulting in the loss of 44 crew members.

Lieutenant-Commander Robert MacMillan was commanding the ship when an acoustic-homing torpedo significantly damaged the starboard quarter. Crew members below deck were thrown violently to the deck, and those who survived had to navigate through dark, tilting passageways as water filled the ship. 

Once on the surface, they entered the icy water and reached four Carley floats. The tragedy claimed the lives of 28 sailors during the torpedo attack and sinking, which happened in less than four minutes, while an additional 16 perished during the six hours before rescue.

Capt(N) Whiteside addresses the audience during the HMCS Esquimalt Memorial Service on Apr. 16 at Esquimalt’s Memorial Park. Photo: Master Sailor Valerie LeClair, MARPAC Imaging Services