Comforts for Toronto's Boys: Schooner Days DCXXXIX (639)

by C. H. J. Snider

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BEFORE going on about the original H.M.C.S. Toronto, built in 1799, and why we have reason to believe that fragments of her may yet be found on the shore of Toronto Island, let us get clear about comforts for the crew of H.M.C.S. Toronto, 1944.

Hundreds have already responded, but there are so many "comforts" — what you and I consider necessities — needed in a frigate and not provided by the naval department — that there will always be room for more contributions while H.M.C.S. Toronto floats.

The gallant way H.M.C.S. Athabaskan went out with her guns blazing has stimulated interest in H.M.C.S. Toronto's crew, so many of the Athabaskan's boys being Toronto lads. The keelson of comforts has not been the generosity of the big shots nor of the City Council, although both have done splendidly, but the six or seven hundred Toronto men and women who started with a dollar down and did not hesitate to raise the ante. The Comforts Committee and the Toronto's captain and the Toronto's crew are particularly grateful to them.

They are grateful, too, to the ladies of the Toronto Active Service Music Depot who sent the twelve albums of gramophone records this week.

R.C.N.V.R., Ladies' Auxiliary of H.M.C.S. York has provided woollies for 150 men, and is being asked for "reserves" for 30 men, to meet reissue needs. H.M.C.S. Toronto will have from 130 to 150 ratings and from 9 to 12 officers, or a ship's company of 162.

The Daughters of the Empire have very handsomely come across with a fine lot of books, and they are new copies of best sellers, not refugees ; from the attic and the junk pile either. The ship's library is no collection of shilling shockers. The library has to be stocked and kept up-to-date with the best technical books and brightest magazines and periodicals, as well as fiction, to be a real comfort to the Toronto's tars. Through H.M.C.S. Toronto Comforts Committee it is possible to avoid duplications, especially in magazine subscriptions.

Then there are stop watches. One stop watch is all the ship has, and all the department will provide for her. The first nautical duty of any stop watch comes when the noon observation is being taken to determine the ship's position, and for this two or more watches may well be needed on the bridge. But a stop watch may be required in the engine room at the same time, and others on the bridge and on deck for fire control, and another for torpedo timings, and another for manual training. A ship like the Toronto needs five more stop watches than she has or is likely to get; she could use any given number. The number has to be "given," one way or another, for few new stop watches are being made. These with sweep hands are the kind wanted.

Perhaps you can stand a little more about the lady with the bicycle — you know, the first to respond to the appeal for comforts for this city's name ship?

She is Mrs. Lambert Parry, 6 Swanwick ave., and she says gaily that she talked her husband into giving his bicycle to H.M.C.S. Toronto, "and I didn't have much talking to do that." He had bought the wheel a few months ago, thinking it would be a handy thing for "the boys" to use when they got home from the war.

"But we'd rather the H.M.C.S. Toronto lads had it now to use to get their mail." said Mrs. Parry. "As the mother of two boys in the navy, I know how important mail is, and how far the ship's postman has to go for it."

The sons are A.B. George Parry, 21, on an L.C.I. (landing craft, infantry), who has been two years in the navy and participated in the Sicily and Italy landings; and Stoker I. Robert Parry, 28, who has just completed his training at H.M.C.S. Cornwallis and is awaiting posting.

Mr. and Mrs. Parry's son-in-law, husband of their daughter Maebelle, is in Italy. He is Lance-Cpl. William Duane, and he has been overseas nearly five years. Mrs. Duane and her two children, Teddy, 8, and Nancy, 6.

"They're not at the bicycle age yet," said Mrs. Parry. "Tricycles are the order of the day for them."

Mrs. Parry does not enjoy the best of health, but in between her household duties she finds time to do war work through the Women's Voluntary Services when volunteers are called for to issue ration books and help in Red Cross campaigns.

The bicycle is one case where "kind" was better than "cash." And ship's clocks, the kind that strike the bells, are another. You can't buy them new, now—but you can give one if you have it to spare.

The committee came into being with the approval, indeed on the suggestion of, Mayor Conboy and the Board of Control and City Council, who are sponsoring the ship for the citizens of her nametown. Much of the equipment required is already placed on board and the formal ship sponsoring ceremony will take place soon.

LOOKS AS THOUGH THEY COULD DO WITH SOME!

These official Navy photographs of STOKER JOHNNY WALLACE, Toronto, and ORDINARY SEAMAN BRUCE PRICE, of Peterboro, on a frostbite "yachting" cruise last winter in one of His Majesty's Canadian Ships indicate that the toughening process is not neglected in our new navy. H.M.C.S. Toronto's crew will not be spoiled by all the comfort they can get.