HMCS Chippawa
Encyclopedia
HMCS Chippawa is a Canadian Naval Reserve division in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
.
The first Commanding Officer
of the division was Eustace Brock, the Assistant Secretary of the Great-West Life Assurance Company. In March 1923 the unit's first quarters were a small office and a classroom located in McGregor Armouries. Later, in the spring of 1924 the division moved into the Rat-Portage Lumber Company building in Norwood, which is still standing today as the Poulin's Exterminators building.
In the years following, the division moved to the old St Matthews Church on the corner of Sherbrook Street and Ellice Avenue, to a condemned fire hall on Gertrude Avenue just off Osborne Street (now demolished), to space at the Security Storage building on Ellice Avenue, and then in October 1942 to the old Winnipeg Winter Club located at 51 Smith Street.
into action against the Americans
at the Battle of Lake Erie
on 10 September 1813. The ship had been built by the Americans at Maumee
in 1810, was captured by the British
shortly after the war began, and renamed HM Schooner
Chippawa. The schooner
was 35-tonne and had a crew of fifteen. She was commanded by Frederic Rolette, a Provincial Marine Lieutenant. Her armament varied from two 8-inch howitzers to her final configuration on the day of battle of one 9-pounder mounted on a swivel. Chippawa was captured by the Americans during the battle, and was later destroyed at the capture of Buffalo
, 30 December 1813. The ship itself derived its name from the Indian
tribe which inhabited the area near the Sault
e at the west end of Lake Superior
.
) in the country, HMCS Chippawa became the third greatest source of naval personnel in Canada
, despite being the farthest inland.
and Assiniboine River
s overflowed their banks and threatened the very existence of Winnipeg
. Thousands of citizens had to be evacuated from their homes and sent to neighbouring towns and provinces. CHIPPAWA became the centre of flood-fighting activities and naval personnel, both Regular and Reserve, were sent to Winnipeg
from all over the country and lived on board CHIPPAWA for several weeks. The Ship's galley was activated and within 48 hours was serving 1,500 meals a day to the flood fighters. CHIPPAWA's Main Drill Deck served as a marshaling area for motor boats and other marine craft used during the flood.
In the early 50s a polio epidemic hit the city and CHIPPAWA's facilities were once again pressed into service. CHIPPAWA's heated swimming pool was used for therapy for polio victims for close to two years following the epidemic.
During the sixties CHIPPAWA participated with pride in Canada's Centennial by building an authentic York boat
on the drill deck of CHIPPAWA, and later launched and named her CHIPPAWA II. In 1968, CHIPPAWA provided facilities and support for the Pan-American Games hosted by Winnipeg
. It was during this decade that HMCS CHIPPAWA grew to be the largest of all the 21 Naval Reserve divisions with more than 300 members of Ship's Company, comprising all ranks.
to commission and man the new ships. This has caused challenges to the recruiting system, to replace these people as fast as they depart.
And of course, in the spring of 1997, Manitoba
endured another disastrous flood. CHIPPAWA became the home for nearly 200 Naval Reservists from units across Canada
. Again, CHIPPAWA's galley put out thousands of meals for the flood fighters, her classrooms became accommodations, and her main deck became a parking lot and repair area for boats of all shapes and sizes. The reserve sailors were tasked to flooded areas all across southern Manitoba
. Their finest performance was in the flooded areas just south of Winnipeg
where they were instrumental in saving many homes in the area of Grande Pointe and South St. Mary's Road. At the end of the emergency the Commander of Maritime Operations Group Four, Captain Forcier, told all reserves in CHIPPAWA that in the areas just south of Winnipeg
"he had witnessed the finest example of seamanship he had ever seen, Regular Force or Reserve."
In summer of 1998, the old Winnipeg Winter Club building was demolished and a new building was built on the same site. While the building was being built the division paraded in Hangar 11 at 17 Wing Winnipeg. In November 1999, the new naval training building was completed and the division moved back to its downtown Winnipeg
headquarters.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Formation
The division was originally formed on 19 March 1923 as the Winnipeg Company, and later renamed The Winnipeg Division in 1936. In 1942, the division was renamed HMCS Chippawa, the name that it retains to the present.The first Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the division was Eustace Brock, the Assistant Secretary of the Great-West Life Assurance Company. In March 1923 the unit's first quarters were a small office and a classroom located in McGregor Armouries. Later, in the spring of 1924 the division moved into the Rat-Portage Lumber Company building in Norwood, which is still standing today as the Poulin's Exterminators building.
In the years following, the division moved to the old St Matthews Church on the corner of Sherbrook Street and Ellice Avenue, to a condemned fire hall on Gertrude Avenue just off Osborne Street (now demolished), to space at the Security Storage building on Ellice Avenue, and then in October 1942 to the old Winnipeg Winter Club located at 51 Smith Street.
Naming
In November, 1941, the unit was commissioned as HMCS Chippawa. Chippawa is named after the vessel which led the line of Commander Robert Heriot BarclayRobert Heriot Barclay
Robert Heriot Barclay was a British naval officer who was engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, and its North American counterpart, the War of 1812....
into action against the Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
on 10 September 1813. The ship had been built by the Americans at Maumee
Maumee
Maumee may refer to:Places* Maumee, Indiana, an unincorporated community* Maumee, Ohio, a city in Lucas County* Maumee River, a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana, United StatesGeology* Lake Maumee, the ancestor of present-day Lake Erie...
in 1810, was captured by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
shortly after the war began, and renamed HM Schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Chippawa. The schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
was 35-tonne and had a crew of fifteen. She was commanded by Frederic Rolette, a Provincial Marine Lieutenant. Her armament varied from two 8-inch howitzers to her final configuration on the day of battle of one 9-pounder mounted on a swivel. Chippawa was captured by the Americans during the battle, and was later destroyed at the capture of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, 30 December 1813. The ship itself derived its name from the Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribe which inhabited the area near the Sault
Sault
Sault is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
e at the west end of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
.
Wartime
HMCS Chippawa made its greatest contribution during the Second World War. Chippawa recruited a total of 297 officers and 7,567 men, as well as the second-largest contingent of WRENS (Women's Royal Naval ServiceWomen's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
) in the country, HMCS Chippawa became the third greatest source of naval personnel in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, despite being the farthest inland.
Post-War
CHIPPAWA's tradition of service to community and country continued in the fifties. In the spring of 1950 the RedRed River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
and Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
s overflowed their banks and threatened the very existence of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. Thousands of citizens had to be evacuated from their homes and sent to neighbouring towns and provinces. CHIPPAWA became the centre of flood-fighting activities and naval personnel, both Regular and Reserve, were sent to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
from all over the country and lived on board CHIPPAWA for several weeks. The Ship's galley was activated and within 48 hours was serving 1,500 meals a day to the flood fighters. CHIPPAWA's Main Drill Deck served as a marshaling area for motor boats and other marine craft used during the flood.
In the early 50s a polio epidemic hit the city and CHIPPAWA's facilities were once again pressed into service. CHIPPAWA's heated swimming pool was used for therapy for polio victims for close to two years following the epidemic.
During the sixties CHIPPAWA participated with pride in Canada's Centennial by building an authentic York boat
York boat
The York boat was an inland boat used by the Hudson's Bay Company to carry furs and trade goods along inland waterways in Rupert's Land and the Columbia District. It was named after York Factory, the headquarters of the HBC, and modeled after Orkney Islands fishing boats...
on the drill deck of CHIPPAWA, and later launched and named her CHIPPAWA II. In 1968, CHIPPAWA provided facilities and support for the Pan-American Games hosted by Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. It was during this decade that HMCS CHIPPAWA grew to be the largest of all the 21 Naval Reserve divisions with more than 300 members of Ship's Company, comprising all ranks.
Present day
In more recent times CHIPPAWA's challenges have been many. A reorganization of Military bands has left the CHIPPAWA band as one of the few remaining official Naval Reserve bands in Canada. Lately, the manning of the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels has caused many of CHIPPAWA's trained personnel to leave WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
to commission and man the new ships. This has caused challenges to the recruiting system, to replace these people as fast as they depart.
And of course, in the spring of 1997, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
endured another disastrous flood. CHIPPAWA became the home for nearly 200 Naval Reservists from units across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Again, CHIPPAWA's galley put out thousands of meals for the flood fighters, her classrooms became accommodations, and her main deck became a parking lot and repair area for boats of all shapes and sizes. The reserve sailors were tasked to flooded areas all across southern Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Their finest performance was in the flooded areas just south of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
where they were instrumental in saving many homes in the area of Grande Pointe and South St. Mary's Road. At the end of the emergency the Commander of Maritime Operations Group Four, Captain Forcier, told all reserves in CHIPPAWA that in the areas just south of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
"he had witnessed the finest example of seamanship he had ever seen, Regular Force or Reserve."
In summer of 1998, the old Winnipeg Winter Club building was demolished and a new building was built on the same site. While the building was being built the division paraded in Hangar 11 at 17 Wing Winnipeg. In November 1999, the new naval training building was completed and the division moved back to its downtown Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
headquarters.
Noted members
Notable former members of HMCS CHIPPAWA:- Bill AllumBill AllumWilliam James Douglas Allum was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman and coach. He played two games in the National Hockey League, one each for the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks...
- Charles Goodeve
- Edward A. SellersEdward A. SellersEdward Alexander Sellers was the founding director of The Banting and Best Diabetes Centre. He was a naval war veteran and a prominent doctor in the fields of Pharmacology and Physiology, Military Research and Medical Research.-Biography:He was valedictorian at the University of Manitoba...
- Fred SheroFred SheroFrederick Alexander "The Fog" Shero was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager. He played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . However, he spent most of his playing career in the minor leagues...
- Waldron Fox-DecentWaldron Fox-DecentWaldron "Wally" Norman Fox-Decent, is a Canadian professor, mediator and advisor on constitutional issues and labour relations....