Royal Canadian Navy : HMCS Ste Therese, 1944-45
The late Steve Monahan's photos were sent to me by his nephew, Michael Monahan, who lives in Ireland. At that time Steve lived in Montreal. Michael said: "My father was one of the soldiers who decided not to return to Canada after WW2."
Michael forwarded me an email from Steve which says in part: " . . . . I wonder if the pub I used to go to, through the world's darkest blackout, still operates. And also if the dog races are still run the same way, with a donkey to pull the gunny sack, which served as a hare, slowly around the track, and if the favorite was fed a steak to slow him down in one race a session, and the trick was to hang around the kennels to find out which race it was going to be, but the locals used to try to mislead us, but it was fun, and I wonder what became of my girlfriend (who knew I was a Catholic by my name, ingrained it is, I suppose) is still OK, and if she still goes to those stage shows (what are they called? Damn fading memory!) where I couldn't get any of the jokes because of the accents, but laughed anyway because everyone else laughed so hard.
Coming up the Foyle was always interesting, what with the cormorants on the buoys, and even more interesting at night with lights, lights, for God's sake, on in Donnegal, but one of our ships following us began following lights of cars on shore instead of our tail light, and went on the rocks, and we laughed and laughed, and they got three weeks off in drydock, and so who had the last laugh? "
January 21, 2020: Another email from Michael Monahan: "Sadly Steve passed away last Saturday at about 96 years of age. He is survived by his three daughters and a son. He has two surviving sisters, one of whom must be one of Canada's oldest veterans at 100 years. She was a radio operator in the RCAF during the war.
"The family's WW2 record is interesting. Two of Steve's three sisters were married to airmen and the other married an artilleryman. His brother was also in the artillery.
"Sending the pictures of Steve and the St. Therese to your website had a very pleasant outcome. I was greeted one morning by an email from Brad Evans who is the son of Ken Evans who is in the photographs. He had been trying to find out something about his father's war service and among other things said "I can't tell you how happy I was to see a photo of my father, Ken Evans in one of your photos. He used to say he was the youngest man on the ship, from the looks of the picture, he may have been right. He never talked too much about the war and did not have many pictures, so I was really happy to see the photos you contributed". I think your website was the hero in this case. Well done on the good work.
"I live in Ireland and did not see Steve that often but Skypped him quite a bit. He was a really good man, a very interesting person and was witty and amusing. When he visited Ireland it was hard to get anywhere with him because he chatted to strangers and made friends as he walked up the street!
"We will miss him."
Steve Monahan (left) and Paul Byron on HMCS Ste Therese, somewhere between Derry and Halifax.
Back Row, L to R: George Alexander, Ken Evans, Lorne Thiffault, P.O. Birchmore.
Front Row, L to R: Dyment, Steve Monahan, Dick Bryson.
Back Row, L to R: G. Portington, Vancouver; Lorne Chase, Prince Rupert, BC; Andy Boomer, Winnipeg;
Dick Easterbrooke, Vancouver.
Front Row, L to R: George Williams, Montreal; Knobby Clarke, Hull, QC; Steve Monahan.
Steve Monahan back in Canada in 1945, decked out in a Sub-Lieutenant's uniform.
Thanks to Stephen and Michael Monahan for these photos.
Can you provide missing names, details or corrections?
Please email Charlie Dobie.