Royal Canadian Navy : HMCS Skeena, 1934
This photo is shown in six sections so the men are easily visible. A link to the complete, very wide, group photo is shown at the bottom. So far, the Commanding Officer, Cdr George Clarence Jones, the Engineer Officer, Lt-Cdr A.C.M. Davy, Petty Officer Ernest Harold Massick, ABQR1 David H Freeman, and Edgar Morris (rank uncertain) and are the only men identified. HMCS Skeena was commissioned June 10, 1931. She was based in Esquimalt from August, 1931 to January, 1935. She served with distinction in WW 2, until October 25, 1944, when she was wrecked in a storm off Iceland, with the loss of 15 of her crew. See the For Posterity's Sake website for more information. See also the very moving The story of the original HMCS Skeena, by Lt. Chris Barker.
Photo 1: The group photo is shown left-to-right, in six overlapping sections.
Photo 2: The officer sitting immediately to the left of the trophy table (his three stripes are clearly visible only in the
full-size panorama) is
Cdr George Clarence Jones, who was ship's commanding officer from 25 May 1932 to 14 May 1934. Sitting next to, and to the right of the tropy table
is Lt. Cdr (E) A.C.M. Davy, the engineer officer. Standing immediately behind Lt. Cdr Davy is
Petty Officer Ernest Harold Massick.
Some of the faces are clearer in the scan below.
Photo 3: This scan is a bit clearer than the one above and PO Massick's face is sharper.
Photo 4: Unfortunately, the ship's name is washed out, and only the bottom of the letters are visible on the lifebuoy.
Photo 5.
Photo 6 : Back row, 2nd from the right is Edgar Morris. A nephew of Edgar Morris says:
" . . .
I believe he was a Stationary Engineer on the ship. He was on the ship during WW2, was in sick bay in Halifax
due to illness when the ship was at sea and was sunk . . . .
he was born in England in 1909 and past away in Toronto in 1985. "
Front row, 3rd from the right is ABQR1 David H Freeman.
CLICK HERE TO SEE A FULL SIZE COPY OF THE PHOTO.
Email Michele Massick.
Can you provide names, details or corrections?
Please email Charlie Dobie.