In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar

DENNING, Harry A. - was born on November 3, 1923 in Okotoks, but lived in the Turner Valley area most of his life. He went to the Lineham School. He went to the Olds School of Agriculture for a week’s short course in 1936, and then attended North Turner Valley High School from 1938 - 1941. He played on the baseball and hockey teams. He worked for his father for a year, as the Army postponed his entering the military because of agricultural work.  He then decided to join the Navy and ‘see the world’. He hitchhiked with two friends into Calgary and joined up. He was sent to Winnipeg for Basic Training, then on to Cornwallis, Nova Scotia for a gunnery course. After finishing his gunnery course, he was sent to Halifax where he was drafted onto a Fairmile Q87, with three officers and fourteen men. After the war, he returned to the Turner Valley area and bought land through the Veterans’ Land Act. In 1954, he married Florence McKellar. They had seven children. Harry was the trustee for the Turner Valley School Board, a fire warden, Vice-President, then President of the Turner Valley Legion, plus was involved in the swim and hockey clubs of the community.

“We went on the triangle, in the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, from Gaspe to Seven Isles and Rimouski. We were on that for two or three months, then we were sent to a fishing community on the Labrador coast, west of Newfoundland. The ice floe was so bad we never pulled up anchor for three weeks. When the ice cleared enough to sail, we were called back to to Halifax. There I was drafted off and sent to St. John’s, Newfoundland and put on HMCS Edmundston (six officers, 79 crew) on the overseas run from Newfie John’s to Londonderry, Ireland on escort duty, where I served until V-E Day, May 8, 1945. Our ship was in port at Londonderry on V-E Day and I was on duty so never got to celebrate it very much. We then came back to Sydney, NS and decommissioned our ship. After that we took the ship to Sorel, Quebec where the Gillette Razor Co. bought it. Going back to Halifax, I was a guard at Rock Head Hospital until fall when I was sent home on discharge,” wrote Harry, in "In the Light of the Flares."

Ships served in:

ML Q087

HMCS EDMUNDSTON

(HAD001) Seaman Harry Denning 

(HAD002) Harry was always a cowboy, and after the war returned to ranching

(HAD003) When Harry was about 16, he created this Victory Bonds poster for a contest and won 3rd place

Crossed the Bar Index

HOME PAGE     SHIP INDEX      CONTACT