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6 Volume 73 Number 1
15 February 2021
and prohibited, of course. day; coming home we found it; so we had two
Wednesday in a row. During my year on board I
For the next 18 months my life was centered in was promoted to LSMA2, a step towards a non-
RCNH, the naval hospital, where we (there were commissioned officer. The Ontario was primarily a
seven new MA’s, as we were called) received hammock ship; “Lash up and stow” was the
classroom instruction and practical application. morning command. We soon learned to keep sick
We were rotated through all the different depart- people to a minimal, so we could sleep in the
ments until we began to be useful. We were swinging cots. After a year aboard the Ontario I
steadily exposed to tests and exams, at which I was drafted to a frigate, # 318, HMCS Jonquiere,
did fairly well (I got 100% on my anatomy exam!) 300 feet long, 2,400 tons, crew of 185. I was now
I was now promoted to Able Seaman trade group the only medic on board, in charge of a two bunk
2, (ABMA2) and detached from the group for fur- sick bay and the general health of the crew. This
ther training, called Independent Duty. One seg- was the most responsibly job I ever had in my
ment I liked life. I was now
was the 4 pm acting
to midnight P2MA.The ship
shift in the ER. mostly did anti
You got to go -submarine
screaming out patrols up near
into the night Alaska. After
in one of two six months I
1952 Cadillac was drafted
ambulances, back ashore to
painted navy the Operating
blue of course. Room of RCNH,
They used ci- where I was
vilian drivers, part of the sur-
and I briefly gical team for
dated one of the next 18
their daugh- months. Along
ters, Janet, a the way, in
Scottish girl. June, 1955, I
In April, 1954, got married to
I was drafted to Len’s caption reads 54 Rolls Royce. We are not sure if this is Len or the Marylyn Anne
the 10,000 ton vehicle but things are looking up. Cockburn, in
cruiser HMCS Nanaimo. So, I
Ontario, # 32, about to sail for a six month tour now took on the job of being a husband and pro-
of the South Pacific, with a crew of about 950 vider. Eventually, March, 1957 rolled around, and
souls. after five years, I was released from the RCN.
The modest medical department consisted of an 8 From March, 1957 to present day.
bed sick bay, a compact operating room, and sev- I had acquired a new VW in June, 1955. We left
en medics: a Surgeon Commander (also an anes- Victoria for Vancouver, checking into a Kingsway
thetist), a CPO4 X-ray technician, a P2MA2 Lab motel for a few days while we perused the papers
man, a surgical assistant (ME !), a Leading Sea- for suites for rent. There were plenty available,
man MA, another ABMA and an OSMA1. The 8 and we selected a basement suite near 49th and
bunks were hung from the deck head by a ball & Fraser, Mr. & Mrs. Jakob Dyck, landlords. As to
socket arrangement; no matter the weather, they work, this was a golden age, all sorts of opportu-
remained still and level. One of my jobs was to nities. One went into the nearest Labour Ex-
keep the daily log and look after all the medical change, studied the cards pinned to a board
records. You would be surprised how much paper which described the job and the pay; selected
work there is in running a medical department. As one, took it to a clerk, who took down your partic-
log keeper I twice dealt with the IDL ulars and then gave you the address of the poten-
(International Date Line). Going one way, we lost tial employer. There were more choices if you had
a day forever, jumping from Tuesday to Thurs-
your own car.
http://www.noabc.com/
