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By How ard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF M omentum is build­ ing fast and furious as the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Corps (RCSCC) Oakville moves toward its commissioning. Recent news stories, word of mouth and some historical sleuthing have met with success in finding valuable arti­ facts and veterans and have provided some tantalizing leads to the location of others. Particularly prized are relics off the HMCS Oakville - a Flower Class corvette with distinguished service in World War II - from which Corps takes its name. Progress is even being made to determine the fate of the vessel itself. One lucky find involves the HMCS Oakville's "white ensign," a flag con­ taining the Union Jack and given to the ship by the Town, which was located in the Esquim alt M useum in British Columbia. According to Linda Gignac, the Corps' historian and public rela­ tions person, the museum recently for­ warded the ensign to Oakville. The Corps will be named in honour of the HMCS Oakville, which was launched in November 1941 and is best known for sinking a German U-boat. RCSCC Oakville - now a stand-alone Corps and no longer attached to the RCSCC #65 Iron Duke (Burlington) - has the same number as the ship itself, #178. The HMCS Oakville was bought by the Venezuelan Navy in October 1945 and renamed "Patria." (All Canadian artifacts were stripped from the vessel before the sale.) It remained in service until 1962 but now its exact fate and condition remain unknown. Talks with the Venezuelan government through its embassy in Ottawa are continuing. Gignac explained that the Venezuelans are being asked about the ship's present state and whether it is on land or in water and if they have a pic­ ture of it. A request has also been made to provide the Corps with any piece of the vessel. The Oakville Historical Society has numerous artifacts associated with the HMCS Oakville, such as the original ship's clock donated by the Marlatt family, but much remains missing. This includes the ship's bell. According to navy protocol, ships' bells are supposed to be given back to the communities for which they were named. This appears to have been done (retired Oakville Parks and Recreation employee Bud Brown has confirmed the bell was here at the old Town Hall) but so far the whereabouts of the HMCS Oakville's bell remains unknown. A recent article in the Oakville Beaver has rewarded Gignac with a number of calls from interested resi­ dents which have led her to a number of crew members who served aboard the HMCS Oakville. These include John McKeown of Cheticamp, Nova Scotia - who was the ship's cook for several years - and Joseph Smyth of Burlington who served on the ship in 1943. McKeown is now 80 years old and owns two whalers and a business called the Lauriei's Motel and Diner. Smyth is the man responsible for helping erect the Naval M onument in Burlington. Both men plan to send Gignac pictures and lists of names. Unfortunately, says Gignac, many more of their shipm ates are deceased. Lt. Hal Law rence and Stoker Petty Officer Art Powell, who both jumped on the German U-boat before its sinking, passed away about three years ago. On the upside, the M aritim e Command Museum in Nova Scotia has sent inform ation including a document regarding the medals that six crew members received for the sinking of the submarine. The Canadian Legion magazine has also confirm ed that it will put an item in its "Lost Trails" section on the search for HMCS crew members. Anyone else with information can contact the RCSCC Oakville website at w w w.dove.ca//cadets. It has determ ined that the crest designed for the HMCS Oakville by RMC Cornwallis for the Corvette Committee is not official. According to Gignac - who had hoped to use the design as-is for the RCSCC Oakville - many corvettes did this to signify their namesake towns only. She explained that for new Corps, there are many heraldic rules which must .be adhered to in the design of their crests so a new version is now being designed. Two o f the 30"-by-36" crests adorned the ship's gun shields while a third - also missing - hung in O akville's council chamber. The plan is to formally "stand-up" the Corps on May 28, 2000, starting with a cerem ony at the Oakville Curling Club. From there, cadets will parade along Lakeshore Road to Navy Street and then down to Lakeside Park. Once there, the guns of the HMCS York and HMCS Star will be fired off the pier. http://www.dove.ca//cadets By Howard Mozel