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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
Austin William Hartley Chater's Story:
My father, Austin was born at 32 Clarence St. Kingston Ontario on 29th September 1924. His father, Hartley, joined The Canadian Army in Toronto 10th June 1919 and was sent to Kingston for training where he rented a small apartment. His mother, Blanche Lillian Leonard followed Hartley from Toronto by train and they were married 24th May 1920. Austin's sister, Grace Irene Lillian Chater Kennedy was born 30th June 1921. His other sister Evelyne Doreata May Chater Williams was born 14th July 1923. They all went to Macdonald School built 1911 at 170 Colborne St. and played in the alley between 32 and 34 Clarence St. In 1927 they moved to 56 Rideau St. which is now an empty lot and then on to 82 Patrick St. in 1929 where they stayed until 1938 when Hartley was transferred to Ottawa. They then lived at 21 Hickory St. and on 27th January 1940 Hartley was sent to England for WW2.
Austin was in sea cadets and on the 3rd February 1941, at age 16 he tried to join The Canadian Navy but was told he was too young so he reapplied 2nd June 1941 and was told to apply at age 17and a half which was the legal age then.
On 1st April 1942 he was accepted into The Royal Canadian Navy and was sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia for training and also trained in Cornwallis. After Cornwallis he was drafted to HMCS Elk, an Armed Yacht. On the 14th January 1944 he was sent with an HX Convoy to HMCS Niobe, a base in Greenock, Scotland, not far from Glasgow until the 3rd of April, when he was sent to Ferret Base in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. On the 4th he joined up with HMCS Waskesiu, a River Class Frigate which was getting ready for The Murmansk Run to Kola Inlet in Russia. Winston Churchill called it, The Suicide Run, because one of the convoys left with 35 merchant ships and arrived in Russia with only 11 after the German subs and planes sunk the rest. They left Londonderry on the15th April and stayed overnight at Moville, Ireland and arrived on the 18that Scapa Flow, which is a British Naval Base in the middle of the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland. The crew was not told where they were going until the next day but they knew something was up when they were all issued new parkas and fur lined boots. Here they joined up with a large escort group of aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, cruisers and merchant ships some of which were being given to the Russians so they could help fight the war. This was called The Lend Lease Programme, as the Russians had lots of men but very few planes, tanks, guns and ships. Their mission was to escort the ships to Russia and bring back another convoy of merchant ships that had just unloaded their cargo days before. They left Scapa Flow on the 19th and crossed the Arctic Circle on the 21st watching out for German subs, icebergs and 10 foot long mines in the cold rough sea while chipping ice from the rigging to avoid getting top heavy and capsizing. Waskesiu was senior among the Canadian ships on this run with 157 man crew and Austin, being trained as a gunner, was lead hand on a 4in gun. On the 22nd, Waskesiu had to send out a boat to rescue 3 crew from a search plane that landed in the ocean after the landing wire on the aircraft carrier snapped. Some German planes were seen that radio the subs on their location and after a long trip with cold dirty weather, they arrived in Kola Inlet on the evening of the 23rd of April 1944.
The people were pleasant but they were told to stay away from the Russian women. A couple of American sailors stopped to talk with some young girls and received a burst of Tommy gun fire at their feet. One sailor described the port as bleak, barren, and desolate and they traded warm sweaters the people wanted for souvenirs. They went to movie theaters and sledded down the hills near shore or just walked around town.1300 Americans that brought the ships for Russia were spread throughout the return convoy RA 59 along with 1400 Russian sailors that would bring the next convoy to Russia.
Convoy RA 59 consisted of 43 merchant ships and 24 escort ships that left Kola Inlet 28th April 1944 which was the last convoy until next winter as that is the safest time to run. On the 29th German spotter planes were seen and on the 30th they were attacked by a large U boat pack of 12 subs set 10 miles apart in a line parallel with the convoy. All ships scattered after the subs. Waskesiu had 10 torpedoes shot at her, two hit the Cat Gear or Foxer Gear that is chains and I-beams and all kinds of steel towed behind to attract the acoustic torpedoes. There was a huge explosion that shook Waskesiu, and another torpedo ran right down her side as sailors ran to the side of the ship to watch it go by. HMCS Grou had a torpedo go right across her bow. Bear Island is 186 miles north of Norway where Germany would hide their subs and in the fiords of Norway and come out when their planes spotted a convoy going past. Over the next 2 days 3 subs were sunk by depth charge patterns, hedgehog rounds and planes from the carriers that flew day and night in any weather. Only 1 merchant ship was lost, USS William S. Thayer. 150 Survivors were picked up. German subs continued attacks for the next 5 days but were fought off by escort ships and planes. Many German Junker 88's were shot down as well. The Waskesiu arrived back in Londonderry on 6th of May after a fierce battle with German subs, dive bombers and the Arctic Ocean itself. The crew was happy to be back in friendly waters even though in their young minds they wanted to be in the action.
After oiling and taking on new supplies, Waskesiu left Moville for Moelfre Bay, Anglesey Wales arriving 28th of May. While here they trained for D Day along with 40 other ships. On 5th of June1944 orders come in to leave Wales for the west end of The English Channel where they are to protect ships crossing the channel on D Day and through the summer. Aircraft are used to spot subs for Waskesiu and to fight off German planes. Many depth charges are dropped along with hedgehog attacks. In one hour 16 V1 rockets went overhead to London. Some ships in collision during the dark nights, killing men trapped below while other ships ran into sea mines. Waskesiu makes some trips to refuel at Derry and Plymouth and on 16thof Aug. they arrive at London shipyards for a 7 day boiler cleaning and repairs where Austin is able to contact his father, Hartley who is getting ready to cross the channel and go up the coast to Holland with his newly built rocket launchers called The Land Mattress. A photo of them was taken then which I used to make postage stamps.
After working the channel and doing some escorts to Loch Ewe, Waskesiu returned to Londonderry and at 8pm 13th of Sept. they left Group EG6 for Halifax Canada with Escort Group C-3, also called ONF-253, with a total of 64 ships arriving on 17th of Sept. 1944. Austin stayed with Waskesiu for refit in Shelburne NS until 19th Nov. and then served in HMCS Micmac, Iroquois, Cayuga, St. Stephen and La Hulloise.
Between 1950 and 1955 he was with HMCS Haida for the Korean War, working the coastal inlets to take out North Korean supply trains where Austin was lead hand on the 4 inch B Gun. The ships would compete to see who could hit the most trains and with Austin's marksmanship, Haida was one of the best.
In 1947 Austin married his wife Jane Snook and in 1951 they moved into Shannon Park Naval Base. He then spent 2 years on HMCS Fort Erie from 1956 to 1957 and in 1962 he was on HMCS Chaudiere for a year. Austin bought a small farm north of Halifax where we lived until he left the Navy on 8th of June 1966.He moved to Sarnia Ont. for 10 years and then moved to Toronto until his death on 15th Oct. 2000. (Submitted by Leonard Chater)
Ships served in: HMCS ELK - 02 Jul 1942 - 22 Sep 1943 HMS FERRET HMCS
WASKESIU - 15 Apr 1944 - 19 Nov 1944 HMCS ST STEPHEN - 27 Sep 1945 - 14 Oct 1947 HMCS
ST STEPHEN - 25 Oct 1945 - 23 Jul 1949 HMCS LA HULLOISE - 24 Jun 1949 - 12 Jan 1950 HMCS HAIDA - 13 Jan 1950 - 12 Apr 1950 HMCS HAIDA 18 Sep 1953 - 12 Jan 1955 HMCS TORONTO - 02 Sep 1955 - 13 Apr 1956 HMCS
FORT ERIE - 14 Apr 1956 - 04 Sep 1957
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