In 1945, I was based in The Action Room in the dockyard at Stadacona. I worked with a glass topped table (6' by 6') where I could track whether crew members had hit the target in practice.

While I was stationed there, the HMCS Esquimalt was torpedoed while on anti- submarine patrol, just a mile out from the Sambro light. The date was April 16, 1945, only 22 days before the war ended. The Esquimalt was a Bangor class warship used as a minesweeper, and she was the last Canadian ship sunk during the war.

ASDIC was the British invention used by our corvettes and minesweepers to detect a ping from a sub- and not a whale! Apparently the Esquimalt's sonar had not picked up the German submarine. But the German U- Boat had heard their sonar pings and fired a homing torpedo.

The Esquimalt sank in four minutes, and only 27 of 71 sailors survived to be picked up by her sister ship the HMCS Sarnia.

The rescued crew was brought to the hospital at Stadacona where I was undergoing treatment for my eyes. I went with Joan Graves (Greaves?) to pass out chocolates to the rescued sailors.

This German U-Boat surrendered to the RCN off Newfoundland in early May 1945.

( Read Jack Morrison's story about the surrendering U-boats)