HMCS Brandon reservists receive milestone patch

Sailor Second Class (S2) Isiah Laxamana, a Boatswain currently posted to HMCS Brandon, became the Pacific Fleet’s first recipient of a morale patch celebrating the Centennial of Canada’s Naval Reserve.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer — Sailor Second Class (S2) Isiah Laxamana, a Boatswain currently posted to HMCS Brandon, became the Pacific Fleet’s first recipient of a morale patch celebrating the Centennial of Canada’s Naval Reserve.

Commodore (Cmdre) David Mazur personally presented the morale patch on Brandon’s forecastle on Feb. 21 to 12 crew members who hail from reserve divisions across the country.

“We have one navy team that includes regular force and reservists, full and part-time,” Cmdre Mazur said. “Our [Kingston-class] vessels like Brandon were at one time 100 per cent crewed by reservists, so it was very important to recognize the reservists who do important jobs aboard the ship today and present them the first morale patches [in the Pacific Fleet].”

The morale patch features silhouettes of a male sailor and a Woman’s Royal Canadian Naval Service member from the Second World War, and a male and female sailor of today’s Naval Reserve. It was designed by Sailor First Class (S1) Joseph Dimayuga, a former reservist with HMCS Discovery, who has since become a regular force member. The patch will be distributed to reservists in Esquimalt and further afield in the coming weeks.

S2 Laxamana, of Calgary Naval Reserve Unit HMCS Tecumseh, said he was delighted to be the first recipient.

“I have been a reservist for quite a while, so it feels nice to be part of a historic moment and honour and continue the Naval Reserve’s traditions,” he said.

The Naval Reserve will celebrate its milestone with commemorative events throughout the year. On Sept. 23, Canadians will witness formal celebrations when 4,000 sailors will be on parade at its 24 Naval Reserve Divisions across the country.

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The Government of Canada authorized the organization of a force to be called the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) on Jan. 31, 1923.

The beginnings of the Naval Reserve are credited to the vision of Rear-Admiral Walter Hose, a Royal Navy officer who transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), and had served with the Royal Navy reservists from Newfoundland during the First World War. The RCNVR grew into a formidable fighting force during the Second World War and included six ocean-going ships and 3,500 sailors.

“From helping to win the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War to coming to the aid of Canadians during natural disasters, to deploying with the RCN across the full spectrum of operations, naval reservists continue to have a lasting impact on our nation,” said Chief Petty Officer First Class (CPO1) Patty Bouthat, the Centennial’s Project Coordinator.