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| I went to HMCS CORNWALLIS, ( Then Canada's largest new entry training base) Nova Scotia for three months of land training and then was sent to HMCS NADEN, British Columbia for another three months of basic entry training. I learned semaphore, morse code, gunnery, navigation and basic seamanship which included knots, anchors and securing alongside. FRANK HACHEY |
| 1950 |
| 1949 |
| "I felt I was born to be a sailor though I had never been to sea yet. But I "shore" had my doubts about joining up when I crossed the BAY OF FUNDY to report for Basic Entry Training and was green with seasickness the entire way. I wondered 'what did I get myself into?'. I had just signed up for an entire five years." FRANK HACHEY |
| WORLD WAR II WAS OVER AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY WAS GROWING RAPIDLY. FEAR OF A THIRD WORLD WAR WAS IN THE AIR. ALONG WITH OTHER NATIONS, CANADA WOULD BE READY. HOLDING TRUE TO THEIR MOTTO "READY AYE READY". NATO WAS ESTABLISHED ON APRIL 4TH, 1949 TO DEFEND THE ATLANTIC FROM SOVIET ATTACK. CANADA'S ROLE IN NATO WAS ANTI SUBMARINE, ANTI MINE AND CONVOY DUTIES. |
| "FOR THE LOVE OF MY COUNTRY" |
| JUNE 25, 1950 COMMUNIST NORTH KOREA INVADED SOUTH KOREA AND THUS THE KOREAN WAR BEGAN. NATO WOULD TRY TO RESTORE PEACE IN KOREA - (UNITED NATIONS COMMAND KOREA - UNCK). ALSO, CANADIAN COASTAL WATERS WERE INTENSLY PROTECTED FROM INVASION. THE NAVY WAS GROWING IN BOTH SHIPS AND MANPOWER. CANADA'S ANTI SUBMARINE SHIPS WERE INCREASED FROM 3 TO 7. |
| THE HMCS ONTARIO IS A CRUISER OF THE SWIFTSURE CLASS (TODAY IT'S BELL IS DISPLAYED AT QUEENS PARK TORONTO). THE CRUISER BEING A LARGE ARMED VESSEL IS USED MOSTLY FOR CONVOY ESCORTS. THIS ONE WAS PART OF CANADA'S WEST COAST NAVY (MARPAC). CANADA'S EAST COAST NAVY (MARLANT) HAD A SIMILAR CRUISER, HMCS UGANDA/QUEBEC . |
| ABLE SEAMAN FRANK HACHEY READY FOR COOK TRAINING, SIR |
| "Back to Vancouver we went. A letter from my sister was waiting about my Mom who was very sick. The 'Old Man' (meaning our Captain) refused to let me go home. We went to Alaska instead. When we reached Alaska the dreaded message came that my mother had died. The letter was waiting for me in Alaska and was delivered before I could even go ashore. The "Old Man" then gave me permission to go home. The guys were so nice. They took up a collection of $120. That was a lot of money at that time. I went home compliments of the THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE. The plane we were on caught on fire. Flames were coming from the plane's wing. I saw my life pass before my eyes. One of the Air Force guys went right out on the wing and put it out as if it were nothing. I was impressed. So we had to land in Edmonton and wait 12 hours for another plane. I landed in Montreal and took a train to Bathurst. I had to walk through a very dark black forest at night before meeting my Dad who drove me to the cemetary to see Mom. I was very unhappy that I did not get to see her before she died. FRANK HACHEY |
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| July14, 1951 I became a Father for the first time. A wonderful baby boy. My wife and son were in Halifax and I was stationed across the country in British Columbia. FRANK HACHEY |
| FRANK HACHEY'S NAVY DAYS |
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| "Everyone was talking about the action in Korea. Some mates didn't know where Korea was until the war broke out. I knew about Korea since my brother had been a prisoner of war during WWII. Still in training when the war broke out in 1950, I would not see Korea until later. For now, I was assigned to HMCS NADEN for cook training. I had to leave for ROYAL ROADS COLLEGE in British Columbia." FRANK HACHEY |
| DESTROYERS LEAVING VANCOUVER FOR KOREA |
| ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY MY NAVY DAYS 1949 - 1959 VOLUME I |
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| I was now on a 30 day leave and met a girl named Adeline Boudreau in Halifax. We were married on October 7, 1950 at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Halifax. FRANK HACHEY |
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| ROYAL ROADS HMCS NADEN, B.C. |
| (THE BAY OF FUNDY'S MINAS BASIN HAS THE HIGHEST TIDES IN THE WORLD AND ACTUALLY MOVES THE ENTIRE NOVA SCOTIA COUNTRYSIDE WITH IT'S FORCE. QUITE THE ORIENTATION FOR A NEW RECRUIT) |
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| "February 20, 1950 to June 28, 1950 was my first assignment at sea. We went from British Columbia to Hawaii. (I found my sea legs). My Mother was very sick down home in New Brunswick and she was always on my mind. I got my tatoo that says "mother/ Hawaii". From Hawaii we went to California. We were able to go ashore in both places. We saw so many sights including; Hollywood Boulevard, Greta Gables famous footprints and even houla dancers. FRANK HACHEY |
| We travelled through the Panama Canal to the Gulf of Mexico.. Here I saw very poor people with animals living in their homes. We also saw where the great whales go to spawn. FRANK HACHEY |
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| HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA |
| PANAMA CANAL |
| GULF OF MEXICO |
| On January 5, 1950 I passed Basic Entry Training. February I was drafted to the HMCS ONTARIO (stationed in British Columbia) for extensive ship training. FRANK HACHEY |
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| TRAINING DRILLS |
| LINES FOR OUR MEALS |
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| HAWAII |
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