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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
MILLER, Robert Neil - Robert's parents emigrated from Michigan in 1911 and staked a claim on a quarter section near the town of Pambrun, Sask. Robert was one of 12 children in the family. They were poor but always had food on the table. He had many stories to tell of those days. When asked why he choose to join the Navy he said that all his life was about dirt and mud so the Navy seemed like a good alternative since the army was all about mud and dirt in his view. Though things were pretty rough on the corvette it was no tougher than farm life! Except one episode where as soon he started a watch on deck and a wave broke over the bow and he was drenched. He stood the rest of his watch soaking wet on the North Atlantic in the middle of winter. Other than that he enjoyed his stint in the navy and saw some of the world as well. He went back to the farm for a year but his father convinced him that he could do better for himself than farming so he ended up in Vancouver, found work in sawmill construction, met his future wife, Marie Temple visiting from Morton, MB. They had 3 children - Patty, Neil and Kelly. He became the general manager of the construction company and lived a good life until his early demise for diabetes related causes.
Ships served in: HMCS EDMUNDSTON - Served in Edmundston 07 Feb 1942 - 30 Jan 1943 HMCS MALPEQUE - Served in Malpeque 08 Dec 1943 - 06 Jun 1945 HMCS CRESCENT - Served in Crescent 10 Sep 1945 - 15 Nov 1945
(RM01) Stoker Robert Miller
(RM09-RM10) Believed to be new recruits in Regina
Record of Service - Engine Room Branch - Robert Miller
(RM17) Navy Blimp. Likely USN (RM18) Possibly a Western Isle class trawler - location unknown (RM19) Aircraft making low level fly past
(RM20) Send-off (or welcome) at the train platform. (RM22-RM23) crossing the Rockies by train (RM24) Two unknown POs on train trestle
HMCS MALPEQUE
(RM25) HMCS MALPEQUE J148 (RM26) HMCS INGONISH J69 (RM27) Unknown sailors on HMCS MALPEQUE (RM28) Sailors in front of gunshield on HMCS MALPEQUE - rear right - Robert Miller; front left Enio Gerard. Note: on 31 Oct 1943, while serving in HMCS EDMUNDSTON, Enio had been washed overboard and was rescued by his shipmates (RM29) HMCS MALPEQUE
HMCS MALPEQUE - Minesweeping Operations
The photos below- RM30 - RM47 are official RCN photos on minesweeping operations taken on/from HMCS MALPEQUE. In a few photos censors blocked out the ship's pendant numbers and various antenna.
(RM30) Pendant number on lead ship partially visible. Possibly HMCS BLAIRMORE J314 (RM31) Pendant number or lead ship partially visible. Possibly HMCS CARAQUET J38
(RM39) Robert Miller on right hand side of photo with light coloured shirt
(RM46) LS Allan Still (of Toronto, ON)
HMCS EDMUNDSTON
(RM48-RM58) The rescue of the crew of the Fort Camosun on 20 Jun 1942. The Fort Camosun had been torpedoed by the Japanese sub I25 off the coast of Washington state.
HMCS EDMUNDSTON
(RM59-RM61) Unidentified corvettes (RM62-RM63) Unidentified allied sub
(RM64-RM68) Unknown sailors on HMCS EDMUNDSTON
(RM69) Robert Miller on HMCS EDMUNDSTON (RM70-RM72) Unknown sailors on HMCS EDMUNDSTON
(RM73-RM76) boat crew rowing to/from a seaplane while another circles overhead
(RM77-RM79) HMS WARSPITE, a Queen Elizabeth class battleship, appears out of the fog.
HMCS CRESCENT
(RM80) HMCS CRESCENT R16
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