Royal Canadian Navy : HMCS Ontario,
Recovery of the Oiler Wave King, 1945.
Two paragraphs from the official report of proceedings, written by Captain H.T.W. Grant, DSO, RCN, explain the following photographs.
" On 1st October, all ships present in Hong Kong were ordered to sea as a precautionary measure, against an approaching typhoon. Whilst at sea, Ontario was ordered to the assistance of the crippled Admiralty Oiler, Wave King then in tow from Okinawa to Hong Kong, and now in further need of help owing to weather damage to her tug's steering gear and main engine.
" Ontario arrived on the scene in the forenoon of 3rd October, but the weather was too heavy either to cast off the tow or pass a new line, and this was not attempted until the following day. The first line was passed in forty minutes, but unfortunately parted after two hours steaming. A second tow, which took two hours hard work to pass owing to the increasingly rough sea, held satisfactorily and speeds of six to eight knots were maintained until the ships arrived off Hong Kong on 5th October. "
Negative #ON-0113: Storm waves on HMCS Ontario.
Negative #ON-0113-1: Storm waves on HMCS Ontario.
Negative #ON-0114-2: Storm waves on HMCS Ontario.
Negative #ON-0115: Throwing a tow line to the oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0115-1: Throwing a tow line to the oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0115-2: Throwing a tow line to the oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0116: Oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0117: Passing the tow rope from or to the Oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0117-1: Passing the tow rope from or to the Oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0117-2: Passing the tow rope from or to the Oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0117-3: Passing the tow rope from or to the Oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0118: Crew watching the recovery of the Oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0118-1: Crew watching the recovery of the Oiler Wave King.
Negative #ON-0118-6: Oiler Wave King under tow.
See the complete photo collection of HMCS Ontario's first voyage.
Many thanks to Robert Ferris for sending me these photos from the collection of his father, Edmund Ferris.
Can you provide names, details or corrections?
Please email Charlie Dobie.