Veteran delighted by Commander’s kindness

Howard Lake, 102, from Grand Bank, NFLD, reads a card sent to him by Cdr Michele Tessier while wearing his new HMCS Margaret Brooke baseball hat. Lake served in the Second World War and, along with nursing sister Margaret Brooke, survived a torpedo attack while transiting aboard passenger ferry SS Caribou from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland in 1942. Brooke was later honoured for her heroic effort to save a fellow nursing sister. The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels are named for courageous Canadians such as Brooke. Photo credit: Carl Rose

Peter Mallett
Staff Writer
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A kind act by a Royal Canadian Navy Commander has left a Second World War veteran grinning from ear-to-ear.

The source of jubilation for 102-year-old Hedley Lake was a hand-delivered card and a baseball cap embroidered with HMCS Margaret Brooke – a future Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV). AOPVs are named after courageous Canadians.

Lake was on board passenger ferry SS Caribou with Margaret Brooke when it was torpedoed by a German U-Boat on Oct. 14, 1942, 75 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland. They both survived, but 137 people did not. She was honoured for her courageous attempt to keep fellow nursing sister SLt Agnes Wilkie alive as they clung to the side of a capsized and partially destroyed lifeboat. SLt Wilkie eventually succumbed to hypothermia and was swept away by ocean currents never to be seen again.

“It’s incredible to connect with someone who sailed with Margaret Brooke, who our new navy vessel is named for,” says Cdr Michele Tessier, who sent the items. “It just seemed like the right thing to do and to be honest, I am really at a loss for words of the gratitude I feel to these great citizens of our country who served in the Second World War.”

The gifts were delivered Jan. 28 to Lake’s Grand Bank retirement home by Cdr Tessier’s father Jim, and his close friend Carl Rose, with a note from the naval officer, who is also Commander of the future HMCS Margaret Brooke.

“I had heard of your story before and then we saw a story about you in the news that included a picture of you wearing an HMCS Montreal ball cap. On behalf of the crew of my ship HMCS Margaret Brooke, we’d like you to have one of our hats as well,” the note read.

Cdr Tessier first heard about Lake a year ago during a meeting with students at her former high school in Grand Bank. While discussing the new AOPV Margaret Brooke, a student revealed her great-grandfather was on SS Caribou when it sank.

“I immediately thought that since this man is from my neck of the woods in Newfoundland, he surely deserves to have a hat from the new vessel named after Margaret Brooke since they were both on the vessel and both served during the Second World War,” says Cdr Tessier. “I wanted to let him know we are aware of his story and extremely grateful of his service.”

The future HMCS Margaret Brooke is the second of four Harry DeWolf-class vessels and is expected to be delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy later this year. The 103-metre diesel-electric propulsion vessel will have a compliment of 65 personnel.

Following an upcoming Change of Command ceremony, Cdr Nicole Robichaud will assume command of the ship from Cdr Tessier.

Margaret Brooke died Jan. 9, 2016, in Victoria, B.C. She was 100.

Cdr Michele Tessier

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