James D. Prentice
Encyclopedia
Captain James Douglas 'Chummy' Prentice was a Royal Navy
and Royal Canadian Navy
officer who served with distinction in the Battle of the Atlantic. In addition to being credited with the destruction of four U-boat
s while at sea, he also played a significant role ashore in training the often inexperienced recruits required by the RCN to fulfill its expanded wartime role.
Although born and raised in British Columbia, he decided to join the Royal Navy in 1912 when his father forbade him from joining the newly formed Royal Canadian Navy. He retired from the RN in 1934 as a Lieutenant Commander
when cutbacks during the Great Depression ended his possibility of promotion. He returned to British Columbia after his retirement from the RN and had been ranching for a living when war broke out in 1939.
After an initial period ashore in Sydney, Nova Scotia
Prentice was appointed Senior Officer, Canadian Corvettes under Commodore Leonard W. Murray
. This position gave him the dual responsibilities of developing tactical doctrine for all RCN corvettes
as well as being Captain of the HMCS Chambly
, part of the Newfoundland Escort Force
. It was in this latter capacity that Prentice scored the RCN's first U-boat kill, shared with HMCS Moosejaw
. This action would lead to Prentice receiving the DSO
.
After his time in corvettes, Prentice was assigned to develop training and doctrine for the new Canadian destroyers that entered into service in 1942. He received command of HMCS Ottawa and was appointed Senior Captain, Canadian Destroyers in 1943. After a time as senior officer of Escort Group C5 in the Mid-Atlantic, Prentice became senior officer of Escort Group 11 for Operation Overlord
. On 7 July Ottawa collaborated in the sinking of in the English Channel
. EG11 transferred to the Bay of Biscay
in August, where Prentice and Ottawa played a part in the sinkings of on the 18th and on the 20th. For these actions, Prentice was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
(DSC) on 28 November and bar a week later.
Prentice finished the war as a full Captain
. After a time as Aide-de-Camp
to the Governor General of Canada
, he retired in 1946. He died in British Columbia in 1979.
Royal Canadian Navy
Newfoundland Escort Force
HMCS Chambly (K116)
HMCS Moosejaw (K164)
Convoy SC 42
Leonard W. Murray
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
officer who served with distinction in the Battle of the Atlantic. In addition to being credited with the destruction of four U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s while at sea, he also played a significant role ashore in training the often inexperienced recruits required by the RCN to fulfill its expanded wartime role.
Although born and raised in British Columbia, he decided to join the Royal Navy in 1912 when his father forbade him from joining the newly formed Royal Canadian Navy. He retired from the RN in 1934 as a Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
when cutbacks during the Great Depression ended his possibility of promotion. He returned to British Columbia after his retirement from the RN and had been ranching for a living when war broke out in 1939.
After an initial period ashore in Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
Prentice was appointed Senior Officer, Canadian Corvettes under Commodore Leonard W. Murray
Leonard W. Murray
Rear Admiral Leonard Warren Murray, CB, CBE was a officer of the Royal Canadian Navy who played a significant role in the Battle of the Atlantic. He commanded the Newfoundland Escort Force from 1941–1943, and from 1943 to the end of the war was Commander-in-Chief, Canadian Northwest Atlantic...
. This position gave him the dual responsibilities of developing tactical doctrine for all RCN corvettes
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
as well as being Captain of the HMCS Chambly
HMCS Chambly (K116)
HMCS Chambly was a serving in the Royal Canadian Navy. She was ordered from Canadian Vickers Ltd. in Montreal, laid down on 20 February 1940, launched on 29 July, and commissioned on 18 December 1940, named after the city of Chambly, Quebec...
, part of the Newfoundland Escort Force
Newfoundland Escort Force
The Newfoundland Escort Force was an Allied formation of escort ships during the Battle of the Atlantic. Created in 1941, the force consisted of ships from the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and United States Navy under the command of Commodore Leonard W. Murray .In June 1941, the British decided...
. It was in this latter capacity that Prentice scored the RCN's first U-boat kill, shared with HMCS Moosejaw
HMCS Moosejaw (K164)
HMCS Moose Jaw was a Royal Canadian Navy which took part in convoy escort duties during World War II, and together with achieved the RCN's first U-boat kill of the war....
. This action would lead to Prentice receiving the DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
.
After his time in corvettes, Prentice was assigned to develop training and doctrine for the new Canadian destroyers that entered into service in 1942. He received command of HMCS Ottawa and was appointed Senior Captain, Canadian Destroyers in 1943. After a time as senior officer of Escort Group C5 in the Mid-Atlantic, Prentice became senior officer of Escort Group 11 for Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. On 7 July Ottawa collaborated in the sinking of in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. EG11 transferred to the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
in August, where Prentice and Ottawa played a part in the sinkings of on the 18th and on the 20th. For these actions, Prentice was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(DSC) on 28 November and bar a week later.
Prentice finished the war as a full Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
. After a time as Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, he retired in 1946. He died in British Columbia in 1979.
See also
Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
Newfoundland Escort Force
Newfoundland Escort Force
The Newfoundland Escort Force was an Allied formation of escort ships during the Battle of the Atlantic. Created in 1941, the force consisted of ships from the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and United States Navy under the command of Commodore Leonard W. Murray .In June 1941, the British decided...
HMCS Chambly (K116)
HMCS Chambly (K116)
HMCS Chambly was a serving in the Royal Canadian Navy. She was ordered from Canadian Vickers Ltd. in Montreal, laid down on 20 February 1940, launched on 29 July, and commissioned on 18 December 1940, named after the city of Chambly, Quebec...
HMCS Moosejaw (K164)
HMCS Moosejaw (K164)
HMCS Moose Jaw was a Royal Canadian Navy which took part in convoy escort duties during World War II, and together with achieved the RCN's first U-boat kill of the war....
Convoy SC 42
Leonard W. Murray
Leonard W. Murray
Rear Admiral Leonard Warren Murray, CB, CBE was a officer of the Royal Canadian Navy who played a significant role in the Battle of the Atlantic. He commanded the Newfoundland Escort Force from 1941–1943, and from 1943 to the end of the war was Commander-in-Chief, Canadian Northwest Atlantic...