For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

 

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar 

 

Douglas John Ford

 

Lieutenant-Commander, O-24400, RCN(R)

 

Born: 09 Aug 1917

 

Died: 18 May 1987, Calgary, Alberta

 

Ships served in:

CALGARY DIVISION RCNVR - A/SLt, Seniority 07 Sep 1939 (Navy List Mar 1940)

HMCS GIVENCHY

HMCS NORSAL

HMCS ALBERNI - Appointed to Alberni as a SLt, RCNVR (Navy List Mar 1941) note: no date of appointment listed

HMCS ST FRANCIS - Appointed to St. Francis 28 Jul 1941 as SLt, RCNVR (Navy List Aug 1941).  Appointed to Lt, RCNVR seniority 21 Sep 1941 (Navy List Oct 1941)

HMS VIXEN - Appointed to Vixen as a Lt, RCNVR (Navy List Feb 1944) note: no date of appointment listed

HMCS SIOUX - Appointed to Sioux 21 Feb 1944 as a Lt, RCNVR.  Commissioning crew  (Navy List Mar 1944)

HMCS WARRIOR - Served in Warrior during her transit from Halifax to Esquimalt via the Panama Canal.

HMCS NONSUCH - Appointed to Nonsuch 04 Feb 1947 as Lt, RCN(R) (Navy List Jan 1948)

RSCSS WARRIOR - Commanding Officer as LCdr

 

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(1) Douglas Ford on HMCS Sioux  (2) Letter from Dwight Eisenhower to the Allied Expeditionary Force  (3) Letter of Commendation for Lt Douglas Ford for jumping overboard at Gutter Sound attempting to save a sailor on 30 Dec 1944 while serving in HMCS Sioux. The sailor Lt Ford was trying to save was LS James Joseph William, who died that day, 30 Dec 1944, HMCS Sioux, Scapa Flow  (4) Statement of War Service Gratuity - Douglas Ford  (5) Base Divisions - date and place unknown (likely Esquimalt)  (6) Soldiers in unknown country  (7-8) SLt Douglas Ford ashore in an unknown country

 

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(9-12) The RCN on parade in Belfast, Ireland - 29 Nov 1940  (13) SS Lady Alexandra  (14-15) HMS Swift sinking after having struck a mine off Normandy - 24 Jun 1944. Photographer: S. Short, Fleet photographer  (16) Unknown officer. Written on back of photo GM.1670

 

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(17-19) D-Day / Normandy photos - photographer unknown

 


 

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DF21

DF22

DF23

DF24

(DF20-DF21) HMCS NORSAL

(DF22) Laundry day on HMCS NORSAL

(DF23) unidentified sailor on HMCS NORSAL

(DF24) Officer (SLt) on HMCS NORSAL. Written on back of photo - Stenning. Note that the ship's bell has been removed from the mast

 

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(DF25) Unknown vessel in BC coastal water. Photo taken from HMCS NORSAL

(DF26) Unknown vessel - in the right foreground is HMCS NORSAL.  Written on back of photo - Stenning

 

(DF27) Fishing vessels or possibly the Fisherman's Reserve. Photo taken from HMCS NORSAL

 


 

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(DF27) Officers of HMCS ALBERNI at San Pedro, California, with actress Mary Pickford and other Hollywood stars - On 17 Mar 1941, HMCS ALBERNI, HMCS AGASSIZ and HMCS WETASKIWIN departed Esquimalt for Halifax. Enroute they stopped at San Pedro where actress Mary Pickford and her husband Douglas Fairbanks organized a party for the crews of the Canadian ships. Lt D. Ford is in the front row, 3rd from right

(DF28) Autographed photo of Actress Mary Pickford. given to Douglas Ford during HMCS ALBERNI'S visit to San Pedro, California

(DF29) Two crew operating the paravane which on HMCS ALBERNI

(DF30) Petty Officer West holding HMCS ALBERNI'S mascot

 

Photos courtesy of Jay Ford

 


 

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