Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Bob Haden was born in Slave Lake, Alberta, on 14 January 1924. His father was a Swedish immigrant and told countless stories of the ocean voyage, intriguing the land locked prairie boy. He worked at a garage in Chisholm Mills, Alberta, as a teen and later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, to search for work. There, he found employment at a logging camp as a signalman. While living on the West Coast, he met many sailors and was intrigued by the Navy life. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve at the Vancouver facility, HMCS Discovery, on 2 February 1943.
Bob attended basic training in Victoria, British Columbia, and then trained as a gunner. He was later sent to Comox where he became a commando. He received elite training designed to prepare him for amphibious landings. His training also included instruction in the art of killing. The combined operations course was rigorous. He recalled an exercise which involved crawling beneath barbed wire as the fire of live machine guns cracked overhead. Bob was also trained as a motor mechanic during his time with the commandos due to his former experience working on engines in Alberta.
In Spring 1944, Bob’s unit was posted to the United Kingdom. They travelled to Halifax in preparation for the voyage across the Atlantic. While en route to Halifax, Bob fell ill and was sent to the hospital. By the time he recovered, the unit had already left, and it was too late to join them. Unfortunately, base accommodations in Halifax were full. He was given an extra allowance to find private accommodations in the area. Bob found accommodation with a few other sailors while he waited for reassignment.
On 10 August 1944, Bob was posted to Fairmile ML Q087. The ship was constructed in Toronto and was one of 129 Fairmile B motor launch ships in service with the Royal Canadian Navy. Fairmile class ships were small 112-foot wooden boats with crews of just 15, and could be extensively modified to suit their operation. Bob recalls the two skippers he served under, Lt (N) Chew and Lt (N) Finlay. The Fairmile had two V6 Engines which utilised a dangerous high-octane fuel. Bob remembered an unlucky Fairmile anchored in Sydney, Nova Scotia, that had an explosion due to fuel vapours. The accident resulted in the deaths of three sailors and major damage to the vessel.
While operating with Fairmile ML Q087, the crew was tasked with anti-submarine operations off the coast of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. They used their speed to patrol ahead of convoys and search for enemy submarines. When they were not leading convoys, the ship patrolled the coastline and harbours.
On one occasion while patrolling the coast of Newfoundland, the ASDIC (sonar) aboard Fairmile ML-Q087 picked up a U-Boat. Bob had just come off watch in the engine room as action stations were sounded. He grabbed a flak vest and helmet and quickly proceeded to the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. Another sailor stood next to him, ready to feed ammunition into the cannon while an officer supervised the situation. Despite being a Motor Mechanic, sailors on Fairmiles were proficient in all systems of the ship due to the small crew size. Bob remained on the gun as temperatures dropped well below freezing. Eventually, the submarine escaped, and he was relieved from his station. Bob returned to the mess to warm up and was too cold to speak.
The U-boat threat was constantly looming, and the invisible killer was always on a sailor’s mind. Bob was fortunate enough to be granted leave towards the end of the war. He returned to Nova Scotia from Newfoundland on a British ocean liner that had just completed a transatlantic voyage from the United Kingdom. First, he stayed in a tent, one of many which had been set up on the upper decks to accommodate service personnel. During the transit, Bob was able to secure a bunk within the ship, a small luxury. The ship was suddenly brought to emergency stations during the voyage due to a suspected U-boat threat. He made his way to the upper decks, where he saw an allied corvette warship headed towards the liner at full speed. As the ship drew closer, it began to launch depth charges to combat the U-boat. After launching its full volley of charges and ensuring the threat had gone, the Corvette sped off and was not seen again. The liner was practically unarmed, equipped with nothing but a single deck gun. They were extremely fortunate that the presence of the Corvette had scared off the enemy submarine.
Bob was transferred off ML Q087 on 10 June 1945 and was posted to a signal station in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. His job was to maintain the base’s generators, allowing the station to relay vital communications domestically and overseas.
At the end of the war, Bob had signed an additional two-year contract with the Navy. On 13 May 1945, German submarine U-889 surrendered to the Royal Canadian Navy and was brought to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The vessel was commissioned into service with the Royal Canadian Navy for eight months before being turned over to the Americans. Bob was posted onto the captured Submarine on 7 December 1945 as a Stoker-Mechanic. Although never submerging fully in the captured vessel, at the time Bob was one of just a few Canadians who could say they had served aboard a submarine, let alone a German U-boat. In January 1946, he sailed with U-889 from Halifax to New Hampshire with a tug escort, where it was handed off to the Americans for experimentation and disposal.
After U-889 was given up, there was still time left on Bob’s contract. He was selected to serve as a stoker mechanic aboard the Tribal Class Destroyer, HMCS Micmac. He sailed with the Micmac to Bermuda, but diverted to aid a Landing Ship, Tank (LST) with engine trouble near the Canary Islands. Luckily for Bob, he had left the HMCS Micmac on 25 March 1946 before she collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Halifax on 16 July 1947.
Bob returned to Calgary and took his discharge on 30 August 1947. He faced a small embarrassment on the afternoon of his release when he saw a few officers walk into the post office, and Bob saluted despite not being in uniform, “Sorry, sir! I just left the Navy, it’s habit” and carried on his way.
Following Bob’s discharge, Veterans Affairs Canada organised an apprenticeship program for him at Jack Millar Custom, a tailor shop in Calgary. His mother was a dressmaker, so he had some experience sewing by hand and machine during his youth. Following the apprenticeship, he was out of work and unable to find a job as a tailor. He eventually accepted a job at a dry cleaner, where he remained until he relocated to Victoria with his newlywed wife in 1949.
Bob’s first job in Victoria was with a new tailor shop called Franz Tailors. The Austrian owner lived out of the country for a portion of the year, so he needed a tailor with experience. Bob was the perfect fit. Bob worked for Franz Tailors for two years before accepting a job at Jerry’s Tailor shop, where he learned the art of drafting and cutting. He also worked as a club bartender for a brief stint.
In 1961, Bob applied for the position of tailor at Canadian Forces’ Base Esquimalt, a Pacific coast naval base. He proudly beat out several other candidates with his high level of experience and service to secure the position. He rose to become the head tailor of the base and claims to have been a firm but fair boss. He worked as the base tailor for 26 years. Personnel from Seaman to Admiral had their uniforms tailored by Bob. He developed a multitude of hobbies during adulthood, including badge collecting and lantern collecting. He was an active member of the Canadian Naval Association and the Legion, where he served as a Sargent at Arms and as Poppy Chairman. At 101 years old, he speeds around town in his bright orange scooter, frequenting his favourite spots, such as the local casino and Tim Hortons. He lives with his son in Langford, British Columbia.
Click Bob’s ID card to view his service file.
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