HMCS Athabaskan

Following on writing about HMS Campbeltown, my wife and I went on a look around the Canadian Navy flagship HMCS Athabaskan. Unfortunately I forgot to put the memory card in my camera and the batteries ran out by the time I got back which meant the photos were lost. Differences between HMCS Athabaskan and HMS … Continue reading “HMCS Athabaskan”

Following on writing about HMS Campbeltown, my wife and I went on a look around the Canadian Navy flagship HMCS Athabaskan. Unfortunately I forgot to put the memory card in my camera and the batteries ran out by the time I got back which meant the photos were lost.

Differences between HMCS Athabaskan and HMS Campbeltown

If I remember correctly with the Royal Navy frigate people could just walk straight on and there was one route you followed around the ship coming off off a gangplank at the other end. Also the Royal Navy was using it as a recruitment exercise/good PR (although the ship was on its way to the scrapyard). Most Royal Navy events I’ve been too have been run well.

With the HMCS Athabaskan (perhaps as it was better publicised) people were asked to queue on the dock and shown on about a dozen at a time. It had two flags (in addition to others), a Canadian flag at one end and a flag at the other with a Canadian flag in the corner and the emblems of the First Nation people in the other three quarters. The badge or emblem of this ship was a First Nation brave on a pony with a bow and arrow. The motto was “We fight as one”.

It was a much older ship than the Campbeltown. Unlike the Campbeltown it could carry two helicopters at a time (the Campbeltown can but only in wartime). Unlike the Campbeltown which was built locally in Birkenhead, this ship was built in Quebec. The crew were friendly and welcoming and my wife (being from Canada) was interested.

Birkenhead, Merseyside, UK

Author: John Brace

New media journalist from Birkenhead, England who writes about Wirral Council. Published and promoted by John Brace, 134 Boundary Road, Bidston, CH43 7PH. Printed by UK Webhosting Ltd t/a Tsohost, 113-114 Buckingham Avenue, Slough, Berkshire, England, SL1 4PF.

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