For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

 

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar

 

Terence Gordon (Terry) Sheard

 

Able Seaman, RCNVR

 

Born: 25 Feb 1925

 

Died: 30 May 2021, Toronto, Ontario

 

SHEARD, Terence Gordon (Terry) - passed away peacefully in his home in Toronto at the age of 96. Devoted husband of the late Judith Sheard (1928 - 2011), he is survived by his brother, D'Arcy, his children, Gordon, Robin and Susan, and his grandchildren, Terence, Edwin, Alex, and Stephanie, all of whom love him dearly and will miss him profoundly.

 

An ardent fan of jazz music since the late 1930s, when he began listening to works by Ellington, Goodman, and others, to many Terry is best known for his passion for, and support of, that music, especially as performed by its Canadian practitioners. He also harboured a lifelong love of the water, granite, and pines of the of the eastern Georgian Bay, where he enjoyed many summers over an 80-year span.

 

Terry spent most of his youth in Toronto, with relatively brief sojourns in Montreal and Ottawa, the family moving as required by the work of his father, Terence Sheard Sr. QC. In 1943, Terry joined the Royal Canadian Navy and saw active service on HMCS Barrie, among other vessels. In addition to serving him as a source of pride until the end of his life, his naval career furnished him with numerous stories, much-loved by family and friends.

 

Following WW II, Terry attended the University of Toronto, where he managed to receive some higher education while not courting Judith, the love of his life. His subsequent career in the investment world started at Dominion Securities, where he was made partner in 1950, followed by stints with, among others, the Eastern and Chartered Trust, Martin, Lucas and Co. (later Martin, Lucas and Sheard), and T. G. Sheard Investment Counsel, which merged in 1997 with Jarislowsky Fraser, where he remained until his retirement in 2010.

 

Terry often referred to himself as a "lucky guy" who benefited from the influence of a series of great people, including his mother, his grandparents, his wife, the mentors who guided him during his naval experience and early career, and his many friends. People who know Terry feel lucky to have had the privilege. A celebration of Terry's life will be held at a date and time to be announced. (Written by son Gord)

 

HMCS BARRIE

 

Memories of My Days on HMCS BARRIE - as dictated by Terry Sheard to his daughter Susan


I was an Able Seaman and by the end of the war slung my hammock in the eyes of the ship in the forecastle. In time, my action station was the starboard after-depth charge thrower. The D/C thrower was like a cannon, which instead of throwing a ball, threw a heavy D/C and its cradle some hundred yards from a corvette. There were two guns on each side of the ship, fore and aft. The ship attacked a sub with a pattern of at least six D/C's, four from each side, including at least two rolled off the stern. I remember the great Lt. Harry Magill, saying "Sheard, go back and put some shoes on."


HMCS BARRIE, on which I was destined to spend about a year and a half, was a happy ship, which I credit to First Lieutenant Harry Magill who was actually in charge of the Barrie from the time she was commissioned in 1941. For some reason he seemed to adopt her, and all efforts to promote him to a different command failed. It was well known that he had good friends in the Halifax drafting office, and if someone wasn't compatible, he was drafted off next time we reached Halifax. That was how I came to be drafted aboard her in September, when she came to Halifax after having a refit for extended forecastle, and doing work-ups in Bermuda.


Magill had a hand-picked crew. For example, our cook Whitey had been on the crack CNR transcontinental trains. Our two main petty officers were Howard English, the Coxswain, and Maxwell Martin, the bos'n or buffer. Both these guys had worked on Great Lakes freighters. Another officer I remember well was Lieutenant Donald Boxer who was greatly respected among the crew, since he was so chronically seasick that he had to bring a bucket on watch. It was a big moment for me when I was on the wheel one night and Lieutenant Boxer asked down the voice pipe "Who's on the wheel?" When the answer came "Sheard, sir", he said, "Well keep him there." I suspect he remembered I had grown up on the Georgian Bay, and so had learned how to keep "weather helm".


Of course, when the sea was particularly rough, Able Seaman "Newfie" Cox was always called to the wheelhouse. On my very first day on board, before reporting to the coxswain, I leaned my ditty bag up against the fuel oil overflow, which was a mistake. I then moved forward to the forecastle where I was confronted by an immense creature who I subsequently learned was "Newfie" Cox. He took one look at me and said, "I gets you tots, DOOEY! " So I saluted him several times and then moved up to the forecastle. "Newfie" Cox was the most experienced deep-water sailor on board, having been a helmsman for the Bluenose in her races.

 

 

HMCS BARRIE and her Sister-Ship HMCS SHAWINIGAN


Barrie was not only a happy ship; she was also a very lucky ship. In November 1944, we escorted a ship to Newfoundland, together with our sister corvette HMCS SHAWINIGAN (K136-we were K 138). We both tied up for the night and then were asked to produce a patrol south of Newfoundland the following night, and legend has it that our skipper won the toss. SHAWINIGAN was struck by an acoustic torpedo and only about six bodies were found, apparently, the upper deck watch in life jackets. The captain of the U-boat told the story quite clearly in his log as he survived the war. After that, we "streamed the C.A.T." (Counter Acoustic Torpedo). The new German torpedo was used on escorts near Halifax Harbour well into 1945.


1944 Rescue:


I remember well the day that the Barrie picked up fourteen survivors adrift in an open boat after their ship had been torpedoed. It was my first day at sea after joining the Barrie in Halifax, and we were escorting the CNR ship Lady Rodney to St Johns. Jack Sheedy and I had the afternoon bridge lookout watch--12:00 till 4:00. Perhaps because we were both young, green hands, the brass (officers) put us on bridge watch so they could keep an eye on us. Sheedy had the port side, looking toward land, and I had the starboard. Jack Sheedy, who was the youngest person aboard, spotted the lifeboat. The story was well written up in the newspaper, and two of BARRIE'S people got mentioned in dispatches. One was the Sick Bay Artificer, Mosher, and the other was the person who brought the doctor to us from Lady Rodney. It was so rough that he could not row, but had to use a paddle to move the rowboat. When we landed the survivors in St. Johns, the newspapers were there to cover the story. By the way, until I read the news story, I didn't know that both BARRIE and SHAWINIGAN had picked up submarine-like contacts!

 

 

An email from Terry to his children on March 30th, 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic:


Quite a scene on TV today as a big Navy hospital ship sailed into NY harbor. I have to tell you it reminded me of another dramatic scene when the small corvette BARRIE tore full-speed up New York's East River, under the bridges, on up the river, horn blowing and flags flying, to berth at the US Staten Island naval base. And the great treatment we got there: Strawberry ice cream!! Nothing like that in Canadian ports. I remember it almost 80 years later.

 

Terry Sheard aboard HMCS BARRIE

 

From the collection of Howard Samuel (Sandy) (Sam) Sanderson, CPO, RCNVR

 

 

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