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This is the inside of Algonquin's Christmas card from December 25th, 1944. On the front was the ship's badge (see Badge Section). Cards like this were produced for use by the crew by individuals in ship's company. Due to wartime censorship, only the simplest of greetings could be passed to loved ones. (Provided by Ken Garrett)
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Many RCN sailors who served on convoy duty on the Murmansk run invariably acquired some Russian currency. This Russian banknote, bearing the portrait of Lenin, has managed to survive since 1944 and is now worth about $50 to a numismatist. (Courtesy Ken Garrett).Leave in a Russian port could be a dismal experience. In that part of the world it got dark quickly. There was hardly any place to go and a sailor had to be back on ship by 18:00. The rules were as follows. Canadian sailors could not trade money or gifts with Russian soldiers or civilians. They were not to get involved with Russian women and above all when stopped by a Russian soldier one had to be polite and co-operative otherwise they would be placed in jail. Since the British and Canadian authorities had no control here, anyone who landed in jail would be written off as missing in action. In spite of being our Allies, the Russians were almost as bad as the Germans with their authority.
The Red Army Clubs intentionally limited access to Canadian sailors on leave. There were skating rinks, where Russian hockey teams squared off against the Yanks or Canadians. The Russians also had a game that used a big air filled ball about six feet in diameter. With a team of six on each side the object was to charge on the ball and have a team keep it as high in the air as possible. At dances, the Russians would spin like tops, jump into the air and and come down hard on their knees. There was usually one movie theatre in town sometimes having a capacity to seat upwards of 400 people. In one instance there was no heat in the theatre. One could not hear the sound track because the audience were stamping their feet in an effort to keep warm. Such was life so far away from home. (Currency provided by Ken Garrett)
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Examples of artwork found on the gunshields of Corvettes. In the left image, a huge bull moose is charging after Hitler. On the right, the girl in a puddle of water, represents HMCS Wetaskiwin, fondly known "Wet Ass Queen". (Photos taken by Ken Garrett).
Rear and front of 1953 Christmas Day Menu
Inside of 1953 Christmas Menu Submitted by Jerry Sigrist
 This
is a hand drawn certificate by Latham "Yoggi" Jensen, a gifted artist who
specializes in drawing actual sailing vessels and was also a former Executive
Officer aboard ALGONQUIN. All former ship's company who attended
the Royal Canadian Naval Association Reunion in Digby, Nova Scotia , May
2000 received this certificate as a momento of their attendance. (Click
on image to enlarge). |
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Besides the bell, this is all that is left of a once, proud, mighty ship - the ship's name board. Algonquin's name board used to be on display aboard HMCS HAIDA. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
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| HMCS Algonquin is coming to the aid of HMS Nabob
and HMS Bickerton. Ken Garrett recalls. "We were lucky that day, since
we were escorting the Nabob on her Starboard quarter. We took over 200
men off the carrier to lighten
her, plus a lot of meat and milk, sugar and some other goodies (rum). There were three bulk heads damaged and if the forth bulk head failed, the ship would have sunk. Crew even pushed a number of aircraft over the side in an effort to off load extra weight. We had a stressful situation on our hands. With the extra seaman, there was no place for them to sit except in the open mess deck. It took a long time to walk twenty feet with the ship rolling and stepping between the men laying on the deck". The scene on that day was captured on 16x20" acrylic on canvas by John Greaves of Airdrie, Alberta . (Image courtesy John Greaves Art . e-mail: info(at)johngreavesart.com) |
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June 10/06
