A nostalgic trip back to HMC Dockyard
Stephanie Burr
Staff writer
February 25, 2008
Stephanie Burr
Lookout
Norman Rattray stands on A-jetty where his ship. HMCS Prince Robert left for the South Pacific 63 years ago. He is amazed at how much the face of dockyard has changed since he was stationed inside its gates in 1945.
The face of HMC Dockyard was barely recognizable for 81-year-old Norman Rattray, who toured his old haunt on Feb. 13.
The last time Rattray visited dockyard was during the Second World War when he was waiting for his ship, HMCS Prince Robert, to deploy.
As he stood on A-Jetty and looked out across Esquimalt Harbour he reminisced about how much things had changed since 1945.
“Some of the buildings look familiar, and I remember little bits about the base, but it has grown tremendously since then,” he says. “I was only 17 when I was here, but I remember it was a beautiful base even then.”
Rattray was in dockyard for only a couple of weeks while he waited for Prince Robert to leave for the South Pacific. He was a Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve and the South Pacific was going to be his first deployment. The West Coast scenery was a big change for Rattray who, growing up in Ontario, had spent little time near the ocean.
“I joined the navy at 17, and I just couldn’t wait to get on the water,” he says. “It was a chance for me to see the world, and Victoria was the first stop.”
Rattray smiles as he scans the old brick buildings that encircle A-jetty.
“This was a very impressive place for a 17- year-old to find himself staying,” he says. “And I have to say it’s even more grand to see it now.”
Rattray and his wife Joan live in Ontario and this is the first time he has been able to share his naval past with her.
“He always talks about his time in the navy and speaks so fondly about dockyard,” she says. “I don’t think he thought he would ever see it again, so this is a treat for both of us.”
While aboard Prince Robert, Rattray travelled throughout the South Pacific, and was a 100 miles off the coast of Japan when the atomic bomb was dropped. Despite all the places the navy took him, he says his strongest desire was to revisit CFB Halifax and CFB Esquimalt.
“I thought CFB Esquimalt was one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen. There are quite a few fond memories attached to this place,” he says. “Because we were awaiting deployment we were allowed to go into town and we had a great time exploring parts of the city, but I never felt like I had seen enough.”
Rattray remained with the navy for two years as the world began to recover from the war.
“Because we never had to fight outright, I have mostly fond memories of my time overseas. There were tough times but the navy offered a great beginning for someone just starting out,” he says.
As his tour of dockyard came to an end, he said he felt like he had come full-circle.
“It’s a strange sensation being inside the gates again. While it’s very different now, and the base has obviously grown, it still gives me a very proud feeling.”
