Derek Law's Bibliography

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ID Description Categories
3362 LITTLER, John Caldecott. Sea Fever. [xii], 316, [16]p., illus., index. Victoria, B.C.: Kiwi, 1995. ISBN: 0968037003.

Littler qualified as a Master Mariner in 1937 and his merchant career occupies the first half of this memoir. In 1940 he joined the RCNVR and in mid-1941 took command of the new corvette Brandon. After two arduous years in the Atlantic he moved to the sea training base at Pictou. In April 1944 he joined Belfast for D-Day then went as Navigating Officer to Uganda where he saw out the war before continuing a distinguished career in the RCN ending in 1962.

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3363 LYNCH, Mack. Salty Dips, Vol. 1: When We Were Young and in Our Prime. vi, 209p. Ottawa: Ottawa Branch Naval Officers' Association of Canada, 1983. ISBN: 0969134207.

A series of transcripts of reminiscences taped in the mess and covering all aspects of the sea war. A lovely dip with everything from essays to jokes. It covers Atlantic corvettes like Rimouski, training at King Alfred, patrols in Sealion and P 556, Spiteful in the Far East, DEMS, radar officer on Prince of Wales in the Bismarck chase and her own sinking in the Far East, Fairmiles off Halifax, minesweeping off Tobruk, the sinking of Coventry, MTBs in the North Sea and Mediterranean, the Fleet Air Arm on Unicorn, Striker, and Khedive.

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3364 LYNCH, Mack. Salty Dips, Vol. 2: And All Our Joints Were Limber. viii, 208p. Ottawa: Ottawa Branch Naval Officers' Association of Canada, 1985. ISBN: 0969134223.

This volume covers the same broad span of corvettes, destroyers, and AMCs; memories of the fall of France and the Dunkirk evacuation; Berwick in 1939–40; RCAF/RCN cooperation; naval intelligence, the WRCNS, and an LCI at Normandy. Very enjoyable.

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3365 LYNCH, Mack. Salty Dips, Vol. 3: Did We Say All? viii, 240p. Ottawa: Ottawa Branch Naval Officers' Association of Canada, 1988. ISBN: 0969134231.

More transcribed oral history. This volume includes material on Fraser and Assiniboine, on Barham in 1939–40, on the sinking of Margaree, on life aboard Annapolis and Columbia, on MTBs in the Mediterranean, on Victorious in the later part of the war and a long section on merchant and naval prisoners of war.

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3366 LYNCH, Mack. Salty Dips, Vol. 4:. . . .Well All But One. vi, 98p. Ottawa: Ottawa Branch Naval Officers' Association of Canada, 1992. ISBN: 096913424X.

This volume consists of 27 of the 31 Niobe Newsletters published by the Navy Office of Canada in London between June 1942 and December 1944.

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3367 LYNCH, Thomas G. Fading Memories: Canadian Sailors and the Battle of the Atlantic. 224p., illus. Halifax, N.S.: Atlantic Chief and Petty Officers' Association, 1993. ISBN: 0969783809.

In 1993 a one-day conference was held in Halifax to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. The recollections were all from the lower deck and there are some overview papers. This unvarnished oral history is arranged by ship type.

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3368 LYNCH, Thomas G., & LAMB, James B. Gunshield Graffiti: Unofficial Badges of Canada's Wartime Navy. 144p., illus., index. Halifax, N.S.: Nimbus, 1984. ISBN: 0920852270.

An illustrated guide to the semi-official and quite unofficial artwork of the RCN.

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3369 MACBETH, Jack. Ready Aye Ready: An Illustrated History of the Royal Canadian Navy. 176p., illus. Toronto: Key Porter Books, 1989. ISBN: 1550131214.

A general history of the RCN which is profusely illustrated with contemporary art and photographs.

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3370 MADGWICK, Edward. Tribal Captain. [vi], 154p., illus. Helston: Blue Island, 2003. ISBN: 0954503309.

He joined the RCN as a cadet in 1934. By 1939 he was serving on Restigouche but in summer 1940 joined Ottawa, which soon transferred to the UK. He was appointed to the 1941 Long Course at Excellent. After a period as Gunnery Officer at Halifax he was appointed First of the new Tribal Iroquois, which commissioned in November 1942. She was not a happy ship and famously mutinied in July 1943. After a busy time, in April 1944 he transferred to Ontario as Gunnery Officer, although she did not complete until 1945, when he was quickly recalled to Ottawa. An enjoyable and engaging account with some interesting perspectives.

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3371 MAYNE, Richard O. Betrayed: Scandal, Politics and Canadian Naval Leadership. xii, 279p., bibliog., illus., index. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2008. ISBN: 0774812958.

A well written account of the power struggle between the regular navy men and reservists which led to Admiral Nelles removal as head of the RCN in 1944.

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3372 MILNER, Marc. Canada's Navy: The First Century. xiii, 356p., bibliog., illus., index. Toronto: University of Toronto, 1999. ISBN: 0802042813.

A satisfyingly rich account of the development of the RCN. A second edition was published in 2010 (ISBN: 0802096042).

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3373 MILNER, Marc. Canadian Naval Force Requirements in the Second World War (ORAE Extramural Paper, no. 20). vi, 113p., illus. Ottawa: Department of National Defence; Operational Research and Analysis Establishment, 1981.

An early work of analysis by the noted Canadian historian

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3374 NOLAN, Brian, & STREET, Brian Jeffrey. Champagne Navy: Canada's Small Boat Raiders of the Second World War. xi, 260p., bibliog., illus., index. Toronto: Random House of Canada, 1991. ISBN: 0394221419.

A popular account of the role of Canadians in Coastal Forces and, more fully, the exploits of the two Canadian flotillas in the Channel and the Canadian-commanded flotilla in the Mediterranean. There is a full account of the tragic fire at Ostend in February 1945 which killed 73 and in which a dozen MTBs were lost.

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3375 O'CONNOR, Edward. The Corvette Years: The Lower Deck Story. 191p., illus., index. Vancouver, B.C.: Cordillera, 1995. ISBN: 1895590078.

Anecdotes recalled, vividly capturing life at sea.

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3376 O'NEILL, E. C. The Canadian Raleighites: Ordinary Seamen and Officers at War, 1940–1945. xv, 267p., illus., index. Waterloo, Ont.: Canadian Raleighite Publishing Project, 1988. ISBN: 0969324901.

Some 150 Canadians were sent to train in the UK at HMS Raleigh. They proved a brave and distinguished group.

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3377 PEDERSEN, Dorothy. Convoys of World War II: Dangerous Missions on the North Atlantic.119p. Canmore: Altitude, 2005. ISBN: 1554390028.

Nine Canadians tell their stories of action and excitement.

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3378 PERKINS, J. David. The Canadian Wartime Submariners. 40p., bibliog., illus. Boutiliers Point: Seaboot, 1994. ISBN: 096990021X.

Covers both World Wars. For WWII, looks at the careers of the 24 Canadian submariners who served with the RN.

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3379 PERRY, Bill. The Lower Deck: Memoirs of a Wartime Sailor. 203p., illus. Victoria, B.C.: Associated Publishing, 2005.

He recalls his naval career from signing on in a former neighbourhood police station across the street from the Calgary Fair Grounds, to his discharge as a petty officer telegraphist at war's end. During the war, he was crewman in two auxiliary vessels, a Fairmile and four corvettes. Focuses on lower deck life.

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3380 POPP, Carol. The Gumboot Navy: Memories of the Men Who Served in the Fishermen's Reserve - a Special Naval Unit Formed to Patrol the Coast of British Columbia during World War II. 159p., illus. Lantzville, B.C.: Oolichan Books, 1988. ISBN: 0889820910.

Interesting reminiscences collected long after the event in an effort to record a little-known aspect of the war.

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3381 PUGSLEY, William H. Sailor Remember. iv, 185p., illus. Toronto: Collins, 1948.

A photo-essay which attempts to evoke a rather sanitised and rose-tinted view of wartime service in the RCN.

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