Henry Stuart Salt - “The Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve)”
The Salt's
and
the Sea
and
the Sea
Henry Stuart Salt joined the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve on 22 April, 1940 in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the age of 38. While not as young as most volunteering at that time, his extensive experiences as a mariner and an engineer would serve him well until his release five years later in 1945. On enrollment into the RCN(R), HENRY STUART was commissioned to the rank of Acting-Lieutenant (E) and on 24 Sep 1940, after completion of four months of training at the Naval Officer Training Centre VENTURE, was posted to the newly commissioned “four-stacker” Town Class destroyer, HMCS ANNAPOLIS, as her first Engineering Officer.
HMCS ANNAPOLIS, one of fifty destroyers exchanged with the United States for the lease of strategic bases off the North American coast, arrived in Halifax on 20 September 1940 and was recommissioned four days later on the 24th, raising the pennant I-04. The ex-USS MACKENZIE, DD-175, was built by the Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California and was commissioned into the United States fleet on 25 July 1919. She was paid off on 27 May 1922 and remained in reserve until 6 November 1939 when she was recommissioned under the precautionary measures that the United States Government was taking.
On arrival in Halifax, ANNAPOLIS was refitted in order to make her more suitable for anti-submarine operations in the North Atlantic. Until 1944, she was employed on coastal escort duties, in the Halifax Escort Force and in the Western Local Escort Force which was based at Halifax and which covered the ocean convoy routes from the Western Ocean Meeting Point (WESTOMP) off St. John’s Newfoundland to New York. From April 1944 to April 1945, the ANNAPOLIS acted as a training vessel on the shore of the Annapolis Basic for New Entries. The ship was paid off in April 1945 and handed over to the War Assets Corporation on 4 June where she was subsequently scrapped by the Boston Iron and Metal Company.
Specs:
Length 314’ 4”
Displacement 1190 tons
Main Engines Curtis geared turbines (twin-screw)
Maximum Speed 28 knots
Endurance 2600 nm at 15 knots
Armament 3 x 4” guns
1 x 12 pdr gun
2 x triple torpedo tubes
54 x Depth Charges
Length 314’ 4”
Displacement 1190 tons
Main Engines Curtis geared turbines (twin-screw)
Maximum Speed 28 knots
Endurance 2600 nm at 15 knots
Armament 3 x 4” guns
1 x 12 pdr gun
2 x triple torpedo tubes
54 x Depth Charges
No Glamour Girl ...
The Naval Message to the left is just one of many examples of the types of duties that fell upon the ANNAPOLIS during her time in the commission of the RCN. In this particular instance, the ship sustained damage while trying to steam through drifting ice towards the position of a downed aircraft, Canso 9781, just North East of Belle Isle on the 4th of February, 1944. The crew were eventually forced to abandon their aircraft and take to dinghies and would be “rescued” by the US weather ship, the CONIFER.
The time spent refitting her for anti-submarine (A/S) work was not wasted though. The ship’s records note numerous attacks on submarines and she was present on the evening the HMCS OTTAWA I was torpedoed in 1942. The following excerpt, taken from a letter written by the ANNAPOLIS Commanding Officer, describes that fateful evening.
“The convoy which the first OTTAWA was escorting had been under heavy attack for about three days, and the ship was running very low in fuel. Consequently, ANNAPOLIS and the RN destroyer WITCH were sent out to relieve her. We had just arrived on the scene and were in the process of taking over, when a torpedo fired, I think at ANNAPOLIS, struck OTTAWA who was passing down my port side at the time. It was a very dark night, quite rough, and raining hard. I was instructed to take two corvettes under my orders and pick up the OTTAWA survivors. This we did with the aid of the light from a burning tanker which was torpedoed about ten minutes after OTTAWA was sunk.”
Like many of her consorts in the RCN, HMCS ANNAPOLIS was no “glamour girl”. It was not her destiny to participate in U-boat kills nor to engage in dramatic convoy battles. Though her record was rather colourless compared to that of say the ST CROIX, her role was never the less an important one. It was only by the dogged patrol and escort duties of ships such as she that made it possible in the end to drive every last U-boat from the sea.
“The Later Years (1940 – 1958)”
HENRY STUART would spend the next 18 years serving in various units including war and peace-time service in the RCN(R). He would see duty in Her Majesty’s Canadian (HMC) Dockyard, Stadacona during the last years of the 2nd World War and would eventually continue his service as a Reservist, after a short respite, in Naval Reserve units in Toronto, Kingston, Montreal and St. John’s until reaching the age of 56 years.
During his time in HMC Dockyard, he would be promoted twice; to Acting Lieutenant-Commander(E) on New Years day in 1943 and eventually to his final rank of Lieutenant-Commander(E) six months later. HENRY STUART was honourably discharged from active service on 18 June 1945 and received the following decorations in recognition of his service to his country:
During his time in HMC Dockyard, he would be promoted twice; to Acting Lieutenant-Commander(E) on New Years day in 1943 and eventually to his final rank of Lieutenant-Commander(E) six months later. HENRY STUART was honourably discharged from active service on 18 June 1945 and received the following decorations in recognition of his service to his country:
Lieutenant Commander(E)
Henry Stuart Salt
Henry Stuart Salt
Click on the individual medals to learn about each one
Upon his discharge from active service, HENRY STUART would return to civilian employment but would also continue, from 1950-58, to don the uniform that he so proudly wore during the Second World War during service with a number of reserve units.
During his years with the Department of Transport he was appointed as Divisional Supervisor in St. John’s at the time of Newfoundland’s confederation with Canada and played a major roll in the reconciliation of safety standards in the Newfoundland coastal fleet with the standards of the International Safety Convention which had been put into force on Canadian vessels. HENRY STUART was also instrumental in the formation of the Newfoundland Section of the Marine Institute at St. John’s in which he acted as a member and later as local Vice-President.
During his years with the Department of Transport he was appointed as Divisional Supervisor in St. John’s at the time of Newfoundland’s confederation with Canada and played a major roll in the reconciliation of safety standards in the Newfoundland coastal fleet with the standards of the International Safety Convention which had been put into force on Canadian vessels. HENRY STUART was also instrumental in the formation of the Newfoundland Section of the Marine Institute at St. John’s in which he acted as a member and later as local Vice-President.
“Full Ahead”, “Stand by” and “Stop”
After more than forty years as a professional mariner and with an unknown number of revolutions under his control, HENRY STUART SALT passed away at his home in Halifax on the 6th of December, 1963. His obituary presents an engineer whose qualities, in all fields, were well known by many, however, it is the personal tributes that stand out the most.
An appreciation by Commander J.S. Osburn, C.D., R.C.N.
The passing of Henry Stuart Salt cannot be accepted without this meagre effort of tribute to a man who was without a doubt one of the most ardent, and loyal members of the Canadian Division of the Institute of Marine Engineers. His qualities as an engineer in all fields are well known by many, but the outstanding tribute that could be given Mr. Salt was his contribution to the improvement of the knowledge of his fellow men, his intense interest in helping anyone, whether to improve their engineering knowledge, to help an orphaned child, or to travel over miles of snowbound roads in the middle of the night because of a friend's need. No matter what the time of day or night, the problems of the moment (and they were most serious on many occasions) during both war and peace, Stuart would always have the ability to put everyone at ease, to crack a joke at the right time, to smile and praise when praise was due. The profound and unfailing interest in Marine Engineering is exemplified by the family tradition of the Salts, appropriate as the name, with four successive generations following the profession of marine engineering, including two sons, marine engineers with the Canadian Department of Transport, all upholding the fine tradition started so many years ago from the heart of England's marine engineering the "Tynes ide".
Often his charming wife would say if there had been a daughter she would have been a Chief Stewardess or possibly the first female Chief Engineer in the Canadian Merchant Service. There were only three positions on Stuart Salt's telegraph of life, "Full Ahead ", "Stand by" and" Stop ", there was no astern, the "full ahead" was the way he faced and lived his life, with no regrets or retreats the" stand by" was always there in his thoughtfulness and helping hand for his fellow man, the "stop" came once and it was a clear ring with no regrets, he left this life as he shut down his machinery many times with his log book up to date and no outstanding defects. As one who was privileged to know Mr. Salt for most of his adult life and one who has been helped by him, lived ashore with him, sailed at sea with him, and shared many of his triumphs and heartaches, it is impossible to have known anyone so dedicated to his profession and to the welfare of his fellow man no matter what his station. If there is a special section above for marine engineers you will surely find Henry Stuart Salt standing there with his hand on the shining throttle, his eyes atwinkle and looking for some one to whom he can pass a helping hand, with sincerity and affection.
The passing of Henry Stuart Salt cannot be accepted without this meagre effort of tribute to a man who was without a doubt one of the most ardent, and loyal members of the Canadian Division of the Institute of Marine Engineers. His qualities as an engineer in all fields are well known by many, but the outstanding tribute that could be given Mr. Salt was his contribution to the improvement of the knowledge of his fellow men, his intense interest in helping anyone, whether to improve their engineering knowledge, to help an orphaned child, or to travel over miles of snowbound roads in the middle of the night because of a friend's need. No matter what the time of day or night, the problems of the moment (and they were most serious on many occasions) during both war and peace, Stuart would always have the ability to put everyone at ease, to crack a joke at the right time, to smile and praise when praise was due. The profound and unfailing interest in Marine Engineering is exemplified by the family tradition of the Salts, appropriate as the name, with four successive generations following the profession of marine engineering, including two sons, marine engineers with the Canadian Department of Transport, all upholding the fine tradition started so many years ago from the heart of England's marine engineering the "Tynes ide".
Often his charming wife would say if there had been a daughter she would have been a Chief Stewardess or possibly the first female Chief Engineer in the Canadian Merchant Service. There were only three positions on Stuart Salt's telegraph of life, "Full Ahead ", "Stand by" and" Stop ", there was no astern, the "full ahead" was the way he faced and lived his life, with no regrets or retreats the" stand by" was always there in his thoughtfulness and helping hand for his fellow man, the "stop" came once and it was a clear ring with no regrets, he left this life as he shut down his machinery many times with his log book up to date and no outstanding defects. As one who was privileged to know Mr. Salt for most of his adult life and one who has been helped by him, lived ashore with him, sailed at sea with him, and shared many of his triumphs and heartaches, it is impossible to have known anyone so dedicated to his profession and to the welfare of his fellow man no matter what his station. If there is a special section above for marine engineers you will surely find Henry Stuart Salt standing there with his hand on the shining throttle, his eyes atwinkle and looking for some one to whom he can pass a helping hand, with sincerity and affection.
The ashes of HENRY STUART were committed to the sea from HMCS RESOLUTE off of the approaches to Halifax Harbour on the 20th of December. Approximate position 44 31.1N/063 29.9W