1962-1964
Cadet of the Year Mr. John Walker and Mr. G.R. Hayden of the Navy League of Canada and LCdr. W.A. Somerville are shown here at the presentation of the 'Cadet of the Year' award to Petty Officer J. Lightbody in 1963. |
Rear Admiral Patrick D. Budge, chief of naval personnel, visited Winnipeg in February of 1962 to attend the R.C.S.C.C. John Travers Cornwell V.C. father and son banquet. Admiral Budge was accompanied by Commander F.C. Aggett of Toronto, president of the Navy League of Canada.
In his speech to the four hundred persons attending the banquet, Admiral Budge stated that he had always been interested in sea cadets and recalled a previous visit to the corps when he held the rank of captain in 1954. In conclusion he added, "Primarily, the sea cadet movement is not designed to provide officers and men for the navy, but there is no doubt about it; we profit by it - not only in men but in officers as well."
Another visitor to Winnipeg in 1962 was Rear Admiral J.V. Brock, vice chief of the naval staff. Admiral Brock, who was a cadet in R.C.S.C.C. John Travers Cornwell V.C. from 1927 to 1932, was making a tour of western Canada on behalf of the Navy League and their Navy Week activities.
The local Navy League week was concluded on Sunday, May 11th, with a mass rally at the Manitoba Legislative grounds. Over 1,100 cadets from the Manitoba sea cadet corps and the J.R.K. Millen Navy League cadet corps were inspected by Lieutenant-Governor E.F. Willis and Premier Duff Roblin. At the conclusion of the inspection the cadets, led by the R.C.S.C.C. John Travers Cornwell V.C. band, marched past the reviewing stand on the steps of the Legislative Building and returned to H.M.C.S. Chippawa.
In 1963 corps Petty Officer James W. Lightbody had the honor of being named "Cadet of the Year," by the Navy League of Canada. Petty Officer Lightbody was presented with the award by Mr. John Walker, President of the Manitoba division of the Navy League at a ceremony held aboard H.M.C.S. Chippawa. Others on the dias for the presentation were, Mr. G.R. Hayden, president of the Greater Winnipeg Branch of the Navy League and corps commanding officer Lt. Cdr. W.A. Somerville.
After leaving sea cadets Jim Lightbody attended university in Winnipeg where he was editor of the student newspaper and premier of the Tuxis Boys Parliament. Upon graduation from the University of Manitoba in 1966 with a B.A. he attended Carleton University where he attained his M.A. degree. He later completed the academic work on his doctorate in Political Science at Queen's University in Kingston. During this period he was national president of the Students Liberal Federation and in his last year at Queen's University he was proctor of the graduate students. Mr. Lightbody is presently a professor of Political Science at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
This period in the corps history brought the retirement of bandmaster Lt. E. Rigg. Lt. Rigg who had served as bandmaster for more than ten years, had developed and improved the band until it was to retain the prominence in the city that it held under bandmaster W.A. Cramp. The fine performance of the band was a tribute to the many years of hard work and patience of Lt. Rigg. The band was to miss the services of this devoted gentleman.
The first Sunday in May, in addition to marking the Battle of Atlantic services also marked the start of Navy Week across the nation, with activities under the auspices of the Navy League of Canada. G.R. Hayden, president of the Greater Winnipeg branch of the Navy League, announced that sea cadets would conduct their annual door to door sale of first aid kits. The target for the Metro area was $10,000. The funds raised by this and other Navy League and Woman's Auxiliary activities were to provide many additional benefits for Winnipeg Cadets throughout the year.
1964 brought to an end the three year term of Lt. Cdr. W.A. Somerville as R.C.S.C.C. John Travers Cornwell V.C. commanding officer. Lt. Cdr. Somerville, in his time as commanding officer, had applied his many years of sea cadet experience to maintain and improve the excellent reputation of the John Travers Cornwell unit. The corps was not to be deprived of Mr. Somerville's services however, since he was to remain as an officer in the corps.
Lt. Cdr. Somerville was replaced as commanding officer by Lt. Cdr. D. Wilkie. Lt. Cdr. Wilkie had served as a cadet in R.C.S.C.C. John Travers Cornwell V.C. during the war years and had returned to the corps as an officer in 1956. He expressed his pleasure at the appointment and promised he would devote his energies to carrying on the fine work of Mr. Somerville.
The photographs for 1962 to 1964 were kindly made available by Mr. W.D. Lightbody and Mr. W.A. Somerville of Winnipeg and H.M.C.S. Chippawa.
Red River Exhibition Parade 1962 |
| The R.C.S.C.C. John Travers Cornwell V.C. guard, band and color party are shown parading along Portage Avenue during the Red River Exhibition Parade in 1963. The officer is Sub. Lt. D. Hopkins. |
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Pages 85-87