Tribal Class Destroyers of the Royal Canadian Navy 1942-1963

About the Book

No warships ever evoked the vision of beauty, speed and grace quite like the Tribal Class destroyers. These ships inspired awe in all who saw them; and those who sailed in them never forgot the experience. Nor did they forget the pride taken in being a member of the select few who became members of the ship's company of one of these greyhounds of the sea.

Of the three services that used the ships the Royal Canadian Navy took them to the pinnacle of perfection through improvements and modifications to all aspects of armament and living standards.

This book relates the history, background and progression of the class through their two decades of service.

About the Author

Born in Saskatoon, SK in October 1931 the author called three provinces home before joining the RCN in April 1949. During eleven years in Canada's Armed Forces he served five years in the RCN spending almost four years aboard operational ships. He joined HMCS Cayuga, one of the most modern of Canada's Tribal Class destroyers, weeks before the Korean War erupted. His two years in Korean waters provided him with the inspiration for his first book, Thunder in the Morning Calm: The RCN in Korea 1950-55 published in 1991. He served from 1956-61 in the RCAF engaged mainly in flying duties with 426 Squadron on UN assignments to the Middle East and elsewhere.

Upon leaving the military he joined the Government of Ontario as a Driver Improvement Counselor. In 1992 he and his wife, Maureen, retired and eventually settled in Victoria, BC. Now a widower he devotes most of his time to writing historical research.

The author has two sons. One is the manager of a major Community TV station in Ontario and the other is an Intelligence Officer in the G2 section of the CAF. He is also the doting grandfather of two terrific grandchildren but insists he does not spoil them - except maybe a little during his annual visits.

Besides Thunder in the Morning Calm the author has also written Basic Bush Survival, a common-sense approach to surviving in the wilderness. Other publications include Children of the Thunderbird: Legends and Myths of the West Coast and Totem Tales: Stories From the Rainforest. Several upcoming manuscripts deal with naval history. Others deal with the Old West, both American and Canadian.