HMCS Star
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HMCS ''Star'' is a
Canadian Forces Naval Reserve The Naval Reserve (NAVRES, french: link=no, Réserve navale) is the Primary Reserve component of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The primary mission of the NAVRES is to force generate sailors and teams for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations, in ...
Division (NRD) located in
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. Dubbed a
stone frigate A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land. "Stone frigate" is an informal term that has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a ' sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–04 ...
, HMCS ''Star'' is a land-based naval establishment for training part-time sailors as well as functioning as a local recruitment centre for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The second oldest of 24 naval reserve divisions located in major cities across
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, ''Star'' was stood up on 15 March 1923 as the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) Hamilton Half Company and then on 1 November 1941 as HMCS ''Star''.


Namesake

Named after HMS ''Lord Melville''/''Star'', the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
14-gun brig launched at
Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toro ...
, on 20 July 1813, the name ''Star'' honours the Royal Navy's presence on Lake Ontario and the defense of Canada during the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
.


History


Early history (1800s)

Naval activity in
Hamilton Harbour Hamilton Harbour, formerly known as Burlington Bay, lies on the western tip of Lake Ontario, bounded on the northwest by the City of Burlington, on the south by the City of Hamilton, and on the east by Hamilton Beach (south of the Burlington Ba ...
can be traced as far back as the late 18th and early 19th century when HMS ''Lord Melville'', later HMS ''Star'', of the British
Provincial Marine Provincial Marine was a coastal protection service in charge of the waters in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and parts of Lake Champlain under British control. While ships of the Provincial Marine were designated HMS, they were ope ...
and
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
plied Lake Ontario conducting coastal protection operations. During the
Rebellions of 1837 Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
, a naval militia from Hamilton led by Canadian loyalist Sir Allan McNab and Royal Navy Captain Andrew Drew, ignited a diplomatic crisis known as the ''Caroline'' Affair, when a group of Hamiltonians captured the Canadian rebel supply vessel, SS ''Caroline,'' allegedly killing an American crew member and then setting fire to the ship before sending it over
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
. The Caroline Affair led to the legal principle of the " ''Caroline'' test" which states that the necessity for elf-defensemust be "instant, overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation". Today, the "''Caroline'' test" remains a part of
customary international law Customary international law is an aspect of international law involving the principle of custom. Along with general principles of law and treaties, custom is considered by the International Court of Justice, jurists, the United Nations, and its ...
. The
Militia Act of 1855 The ''Militia Act of 1855'' was an Act passed by the Parliament of the Province of Canada that permitted the formation of an "Active Militia", which was later subdivided into the Permanent Active Militia and the Non-Permanent Active Militia, and ...
authorized the formation of Volunteer Marine Companies within the
Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British North America, British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham ...
. Fearing invasion from the United States, seven years later on 31 January 1862, the Hamilton Volunteer Naval Company was stood up under the command of Captain Thomas Harbottle and Lieutenant George P. Malcomson. With the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
ending, in 1866 the Hamilton Naval Brigade was called out on short periods of active duty guarding the city and manning steamboats in response to
Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicated ...
cross-border raids. For their service during the Fenian Raids, Hamilton's naval volunteers were awarded the
Canada General Service Medal The Canada General Service Medal was a campaign medal awarded by the Canadian Government to both Imperial and Canadian forces for duties related to the Fenian raids between 1866 and 1871. The medal was initially issued in 1899 and had to be ap ...
with the Fenian Raid 1866 bar. Two years later, with the passage of a Militia Act of 1868, the Naval Companies of Garden Island, Toronto, Hamilton,
Dunnville Dunnville is an unincorporated community located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada near the historic Talbot Trail. It was formerly an incorporated town encompassing the surrounding area with a total populat ...
and Port Stanley were requested to signal their intention to remain in active service. All the units, including Hamilton, failed to meet the February 1869 deadline and therefore Hamilton's first, formal naval reserve unit ceased to exist.


First World War (1914–1918)

When the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
was formed on 4 May 1910, there was no corresponding naval reserve until 1914 when the Royal Navy Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR) was stood up with minimal government support. Two years later, in 1916, the Hamilton Committee was formed to recruit sailors for the overseas division new RNCVR. The Committee included well known Hamiltonians, such as Hamilton city Alderman Captain George J. Guy and John H. Collinson, the first Headmaster of Highfield School for Boys.


Between the wars (1923–1939)

On 31 January 1923, Privy Council Order #139 established the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) and on 15 March 1923 Lieutenant Ralph H. Yeates was appointed as the first commanding officer of the Hamilton Half Company (RCNVR). The Half Company initially shared offices with the Navy League in the Imperial Building on the corner of Main Street East & Hughson Street South in Hamilton. On 2 November 1923, the Half Company moved into the W. Grant Sail Loft on the corner of Bay Street North and Burlington Streets, sharing its building with Sea Cadets who had been formed six years earlier. On 2 July 1935, the Hamilton Half Company moved to the Williamson & Company Vinegar Works building at 41 Stuart Street, between Bay & MacNab where it stayed until 1943.


Second World War (1939–1945)

On 1 November 1941, the Hamilton Half Company was commissioned as HMCS ''Star'' and became a major recruiting depot and wartime training barracks for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS). As late as 14 October 1941, the unit was considered to be called HMCS ''Brant'', but the name was changed, likely to avoid confusion with a recently launched corvette . On 7 May 1942 it was announced by the Navy that each major naval reserve unit would help meet the growing demand for technically skilled sailors within the fleet by training personnel in specialist skills. Shifting from a purely recruiting role and now to one of specialist training, ''Star'' was assigned to train new sailors in radio and electrical engineering. With that, 130 young men from across Canada were assigned to Hamilton and their training was divided between ''Star'', Westdale Technical School (radio work) and Hamilton Technical Institute (electrical engineering). Due to the large complement of sailors at ''Star'', a full medical and dental service was added to the unit. In the winter of 1942, the University Naval Training Division (UNTD) concept was introduced in Hamilton by Professor A. W. "Jack" Baker, when he stood up an experimental reserve training division at the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) in Guelph. Attached to HMCS ''Star'' for the school term, Baker aimed to establish other Naval Training Units at universities across Canada to secure recruits who will otherwise enter the army's Canadian Officers Training Corps (COTC) or the air force's University Air Training Plan (UATP).   In February 1943, with the success of the UNTD in Guelph, Professor Baker was brought into the RCNVR as an Acting Lieutenant Commander (SB) and appointed to the position of Staff Officer University Naval Training at
McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...
in Hamilton. Under Naval Order 2854 dated 19 June 1943, Baker set out across the country to establish 15 UNTDs. By the time the UNTD program was shut down in 1968, over 7,800 reserve officers were commissioned, of which 500 had trained at ''Star''; and of whom 53 lost their lives during the Second World War. On 1 February 1943, the
Department of National Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
purchased near Eastwood Park from the City of Hamilton to accommodate the growing unit. On 24 April 1943, the foundations were laid for a new HMCS ''Star'' building, with the opening occurring six months later. Intended as a prototype for Naval Reserve structures, the building demonstrated good craftsmanship and handling of materials. At this time, HMCS ''Star'' had a strength of approximately one thousand personnel with 681 in trades training, 281 undergoing basic training and 56 officers. Between 1941 and 1945, HMCS ''Star'' enlisted and trained 7,490 officers, men, and women for service during the Second World War and Hamilton sailors were to display dauntless courage and resourcefulness during the war. The
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...
was awarded to Chief Petty Officer Donald Portree, Torpedoman Dan Gearing and Signaller Eugine Tobin.


Cold War (1945–1989)

Following the Second World War, HMCS ''Star'' returned to a peacetime footing, reactivating in October 1946 as a reserve division. In June 1949, a party of sailors from the unit made a visit to former RCN corvettes being readied to be scrapped at Hamilton's steel mills. Their visit was to salvage whatever material would be of instructional value to the Division and to bring back memories to those that served on the ships during the war. In the same month the wardroom at ''Star'' was the first wardroom in the Royal Canadian Navy to be fitted with a television receiver, with programs coming in from as far as Buffalo, New York. In July 1949, a training programme for naval reserve air maintenance personnel was announced to be opened at HMCS ''Star.'' The program featured specialist training and instruction in naval aircraft maintenance for 100 personnel. Full training equipment, including
Supermarine Seafire The Supermarine Seafire is a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. It was analogous in concept to the Hawker Sea Hurricane, a navalised version of the Spitfire's stablemate, the Hawker Hurri ...
aircraft was provided by RCN Air Station, HMCS ''Shearwater'', with training being conducted in addition to the normal week-day drill. In August 1949, HMCS ''Star'' provided a Fairmile-B class motor launch, two harbour craft, a cutter and two whalers to Exercise "Operation Seahorse" carried out in the Burlington Beach area. This navy, army and air force reserve exercise included transferring
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps The Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) was an administrative and transport corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Army Service Corps was established in the Non-Permanent Active Militia in 1901 and in the Permanent Active Militia in 1903. ...
personnel and supplies from boats to amphibious
DUKW The DUKW (colloquially known as Duck) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious modification of the -ton CCKW trucks used by the U.S. military during World War II and the Korean War. Designed by a partnership under military auspices of Sparkman & Step ...
s and then to shore while under aerial attack. The ships from ''Star'' succeeded in landing the army force, while Air Force reserve pilots conducted low level strafing attack and flour bag "bombardment" on the attackers. Earlier that same year, HMCS ''Star'' personnel aboard HMCS ''Portage'' participated in a similar inter-service assault landing exercise at
Port Stanley Stanley (; also known as Port Stanley) is the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is located on the island of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2016 census, the city had a populat ...
, Ontario. In January 1950, the HMCS ''Star'' Boxing Club was formed from the ship's company and the Hamilton Sea Cadet corps. The club staged fights with bouts between the ''Star'' crew and fighters from the
Ontario Agricultural College The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto. Since 1964, it has become affili ...
of Guelph and Shamrock Athletic Club of Hamilton. During the same year, HMCS ''Star'' operationalized its first radar set conducting training and tracking ships entering and exiting Hamilton Harbour. In June 1950, the unit sent its Fairmile-B class motor launch, PTC 706, to partake in exercise "Operation Beaver", a tri-service reserve beach assault manoeuvre at Port Stanley, Ontario. The exercise involved land units, including the Elgin Regiment,
Kent Regiment The Kent Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. In 1954 it was amalgamated with The Essex Scottish Regiment to form The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment. Lineage The Kent Regiment * Originated on 1 January 1901, in Chatham ...
, Essex Fusiliers and the Windsor Essex Scottish Regiment; sea units, including PTC 779 from HMCS ''Prevost'', PTC 762 from HMCS ''Hunter'' and PTC 706 from HMCS ''Star;'' and 11 aircraft from the No. 420 City of London Auxiliary Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). During that same summer, PTC 706 spent weekends away from ''Star'' conducting various evolutions and making Ports of call to
Port Dalhousie Port Dalhousie is a community in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Known for its waterfront appeal, it is home to the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and is historically significant as the terminus for the first three (19th century) routes of th ...
,
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Youngstown Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, which ...
,
Cobourg Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is ...
, and
Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...
. In mid-August 1950, PTC 706 joined the minesweeper HMCS ''Portage'' and other Fairmiles from Toronto and Kingston for fleet manoeuvres off Presq'ile. In November 1950, when hurricane winds caused by the Great Appalachian Storm struck the head of Lake Ontario and waves washed away lake shore cottages from Van Wagners beach, approximately 50 officers and sailors from ''Star'' and UNTD Guelph were amongst the first to respond as rescue crews. The sailors filled and placed heavy sandbags on temporary dikes, rigged lifelines and helped in other ways. In the midst of the rescue operation, the sailors were recalled back to the unit to rescue three Fairmiles (PTC 706, PTC 721 and PTC 761), turned over to a Hamilton yard for winter storage, that had broken their lines. In 1951, a new reserve summer Great Lakes Training Scheme was set up to provide basic naval training on the Great Lakes for new recruits and officers. Administered by the commanding officer of HMCS ''Prevost'', Commander F.R.K. Naften, the program was conceived to provide seagoing experience for men of the RCN(R) who have not completed the six-month new entry training program. Before being sent to ships and fleet establishments, until they were considered sufficiently trained, the new scheme was intended to give new sailors the experience they needed on the Great Lakes. With six motor launches at his disposal, the new Reserve Training Commander Great Lakes called upon PTCs from HMCS ''Star, York, Cataraqui, Prevost, Hunter'' and ''Griffin'' to form the "Fairmile Flotilla". From 16 to 17 June, the flotilla conducted its first task, "Operation Beaver II", a 1,700 reserve troop tri-service amphibious landing and airdrop exercise at Erieau. Prior to the amphibious landing of nearly 500 army troops on three beaches from the Fairmiles, PTC 716 from York laid a smokescreen and paratroopers from the 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment captured an airfield at nearby Chatham to allow friendly air support. Buzzing the "enemy" craft and ground troops with flour bags, a squadron of Harvard and Mustang aircraft, from No. 420 City of London Auxiliary Squadron, RCAF took on the role of enemy air forces. After the successful exercise, the flotilla spent the rest of the summer conducting other sailing activities and evolutions on Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior before returning to their units. In 1954, HMCS ''Star,'' stood up a sub-unit (tender) located in Kitchener, Ontario for just over ten years from 1 June 1954 until 30 November 1964.  During its short existence, the tender's location moved from the former Canadian Women's Army Corps (CWAC) Training Base at Knollwood Park, then co-locating with the
Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada is a Primary Reserve light infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, with companies in Cambridge and Kitchener, and is an infantry sub-unit of 31 Canadian Brigade Group, headquartered in London, Ontario. The P ...
and finally to a fabric factory at 130 Weber Street West. Numbering 95 sailors in 1956, the detachment grew to 114 personnel by 1957. If the detachment was to become an actual Naval Reserve Division, discussions were that it would be named after the former World War II WRCNS training facility in
Galt Galt or GALT may refer to: Biology and biochemistry * Galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, an enzyme * Gut-associated lymphoid tissue, a subset of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue People and fictional characters * Galt (surname), a list o ...
, CONESTOGA. Reductions in defence spending resulted in the closing the Kitchener tender in 1964. In 1952, HMCS ''Star''s importance as a naval training facility was bolstered by the establishment of the Great Lakes Training Centre (Fleet School Hamilton), making Hamilton the summer home to thousands of naval reservists from all over Canada. In 1953, HMCS ''Star'' gained another neighbour, HMCS ''Patriot'', another
stone frigate A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land. "Stone frigate" is an informal term that has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a ' sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–04 ...
transplanted from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Established now in Hamilton, HMCS ''Patriot'' housed the Commanding Officer, Naval Divisions (COND), the forerunner to today's
Royal Canadian Naval Reserve The Naval Reserve (NAVRES, french: link=no, Réserve navale) is the Primary Reserve component of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The primary mission of the NAVRES is to force generate sailors and teams for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations, inc ...
Command Headquarters. Previously based in Toronto during the Second World War under the title Commanding Officer, Reserve Divisions (CORD), COND now supervised 21 naval divisions across Canada and directed the summer operations of the Great Lakes fleet reserve training ships, , , and former air force supply vessel , permanently stationed at HMCS ''Star'' for use by the reservists. In 1953, a Naval Reserve Air Squadron (No. 1 Training Air Group) was established at in Toronto sending HMCS ''Star'' one
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
and two
Supermarine Seafire The Supermarine Seafire is a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. It was analogous in concept to the Hawker Sea Hurricane, a navalised version of the Spitfire's stablemate, the Hawker Hurri ...
aircraft to be housed at
RCAF Station Hamilton RCAF Station Hamilton was an air force base of the Royal Canadian Air Force located in Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada, south of Hamilton. History World War II During the Second World War, it was a base for the British Commonwealth Air Training Pla ...
, now known as the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. Not given its own squadron, due to its close proximity to Toronto, the crew from HMCS ''Star'' maintained a support unit for ground crew and maintenance conducting joint training with HMCS ''York'' at
RCAF Station Downsview Canadian Forces Base Toronto (also CFB Toronto) is a former Canadian Forces base in Toronto, Ontario. The airfield is currently operated as Toronto / Downsview Airport. RCAF Station Downsview The Downsview Lands were part of an extensive land ...
in Toronto. With the
unification of the Canadian Armed Forces The unification of the Canadian Armed Forces took place on 1 February 1968, when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces. History A white paper was tabled in the Parliam ...
in the mid-1960s, significant changes came to HMCS ''Star.'' In 1964, The Great Lakes Training Centre was disbanded, as was the naval air arm maintenance unit. In 1967, The Hamilton Service Battalion and The Hamilton Medical Company, later renamed 23 Service Battalion and 23 Medical Company, took over HMCS ''Patriot /''COND building after the closure of their Burlington Street Armoury in September of that year. In 1969, the base now called Canadian Forces Reserve Barracks Hamilton was placed under control of
CFB Toronto Canadian Forces Base Toronto (also CFB Toronto) is a former Canadian Forces base in Toronto, Ontario. The airfield is currently operated as Toronto / Downsview Airport. RCAF Station Downsview The Downsview Lands were part of an extensive land p ...
.


Post Cold War (1990–present)

On 27 September 1997, HMCS ''Star'' officially opened their new building, replacing all of the original World War II-era buildings that had housed the Division since its commissioning in 1941. In 2003, HMCS ''Haida'', the destroyer known as “Canada's most fightingest ship” – now a National Historic Site run by Parks Canada – was moved to a site directly in front of HMCS ''Star'', now serving as a lasting memorial to the veterans of Canada's Navy, and a testament to the ongoing connection between Hamilton and this heritage. Today, HMCS ''Star'' is the home to over 200 naval reservists and generates trained individuals and teams for Royal Canadian Navy's domestic and international operations, while at the same time supporting the
Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
efforts to connect with Canadians through the maintenance of a broad national presence.


Tenders

HMCS ''Haidee (II)'' (1941–1942) – power cruiser HMCS ''Pathfinder'' (1941–1945) – training ship ''Listerville'' (YTS 578) (1945–1950) – boom defence tug HC 210/YFL 113 (1946–1970) – boom attendant vessel/harbour craft ''Beaver'' (PTC 706) (1948–1956) – Fairmile-B motor launch ''Cougar III'' (PTC 704) (1956) – Fairmile-B class motor launch ''Plainsville'' (W01/YTS 587) (Ville class) – tugboat HMCS ''Scatari'' (1957–1972) – power cruiser


Battle honours

* Dover, 1652 * Martinique, 1809 * Guadeloupe, 1810 For the bicentennial of the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, HMCS ''Star'' was presented with the Canadian Forces War of 1812 Commemorative Banner. The banner honours the contribution of HMS Lord Melville/''Star'' during the War of 1812.


Badge


Description

Azure an estoile Or charged with a maple leaf Gules.


Significance

The device used for the badge is an "
estoile In heraldry, the term star may refer to any star-shaped charge with any number of rays, which may appear straight or wavy, and may or may not be pierced. While there has been much confusion between the two due to their similar shape, a star with ...
" or heraldic star. The red maple leaf, an emblem of Canada, indicates that the "star" pertains to Canada.


Commanding officers

From 1923 to 2022, HMCS ''Star'' has had 37 commanding officers: * Lieutenant Commander Michael Di Berardo, CD (2022–present) * Lieutenant Commander Marie-Sonya Sowa, CD (2020–2022) * Commander Stephen Churm, CD (2016–2020) * Lieutenant Commander Glenn Woolfrey, MMM, CD (2012–2016) * Lieutenant Commander Shekhar Gothi, CD (2010–2012) * Lieutenant Commander Dana Baars, CD (2008–2010) * Lieutenant Commander Glenna Swing, CD (2005–2008)  * Lieutenant Commander Neil S. Bell, CD (2002–2005) * Lieutenant Commander Doug Martin, CD (1998–2002) * Lieutenant Commander Peter Duynstee, CD (1995–1998) * Commander Alaric Woodrow, CD (1991–1995) * Commander Douglas Yate Sen Mark, CD (1988–1991) * Commander Robert James “Bob” Williamson, CD (1985–1988) * Commander Douglas Stewart “Doug” Woodliffe, CD (1982–1985) * Commander Robert Hugh “Bob” Bowman, CD (1979–1982) * Commander Martin John “Marty” Pandzich, CD (1975–1979) * Commander Frederick Joseph Lee, CD (1971–1975) * Commander Colin DiCenzo, CD (1969–1971) * Commander Ross Taylor “Buck” Bennett, CMM, (1966–1969) * Commander Harry Tilbury (1964–1966) * Commander Bob Galbraith Wilson (1963–1964) * Commander Wilf Houghton (1958–1963) * Acting Commander John Henry Curtis (1953–1958) * Acting Commander George Holcombe Parke (1950–1953) * Commander Samuel Foster Ross (1946–1950) * Acting Lieutenant Commander William Hugh Adamson (1946–1946) * Acting Lieutenant Commander Robert Guy Baker (1946–1946) * Acting Commander Colin Stinson Glassco (1945–1946) * Acting Commander Reginald (Cowboy) Jackson (1944–1945) * Lieutenant John McFetrick (1941–1944) * Lieutenant Walter Herbert Bruce Thomson (1941–1941) * Lieutenant Frank Elwood Waterman (1940–1941) * Lieutenant William Morrison (1940–1940) * Acting Lieutenant John Cyril Hart (1937–1940) * Lieutenant Henry Lloyd George Westland (1934–1937) * Lieutenant William George Beaver (1929–1934) * Lieutenant Ralph Howard Yeates (1923–1929)


Notable former members

Rear Admiral Jennifer Bennett (1975–1979) – former commander of the Canadian Naval Reserve from 2007 to 2011 and named as one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women in 2011 Commodore Ross Bennett (1947, 1963, 1966–1969) – former judge of the Ontario Court of Justice (Provincial Division)
Gwynne Dyer Michael Gwynne Dyer (born 17 April 1943) is a British-Canadian military historian, author, professor, journalist, broadcaster, and retired naval officer. Dyer rose to prominence in the 1980s with the release of his television series ''War'' in 1 ...
(1959–1965) – former senior lecturer in war studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
-based independent Canadian journalist David Etchells (1955) – member of
Canadair CL-215 The Canadair CL-215 (Scooper) is the first model in a series of flying boat amphibious aircraft designed and built by Canadian aircraft manufacturer Canadair, and later produced by Bombardier. It is one of only a handful of large amphibious a ...
water bomber test team Waldron Fox-Decent (1961–1962) – former professor at
University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Workers Compensation Board Seth Grossmith (1952) – former
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
test pilot and fourth naval officer elected to
Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, based in The Hangar Flight Museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, commemorates and honours those whose accomplishments in aviation contributed so much to Canada's development as a nation. Founded in 1973, the Hall of ...
William Jarvis (1952) – former politician in the province of Ontario, Canada Joseph Kirkpatrick (1954–1961) – former Ontario Provincial Court judge Robert Nixon (1946–1950) – retired politician in the province of Ontario, Canada Morris Perozak (1951–1954) – former Ontario Provincial Court judge Graham Scott (1966) – former Ontario Deputy
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
, Deputy
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, and CEO of
Cancer Care Ontario Cancer Care Ontario was an agency of the provincial Government of Ontario that was responsible for improving cancer services. It was created by the government of Bob Rae in April 1995, and was formally launched in 1997. The agency was governed un ...
Donald Sheppard (1948) – Canada's only
F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contract ...
ace of the Second World War, and the first British Royal Navy
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
pilot of any nation to become an ace in the war against Japan


Gallery

File:Destruction of the American steamboat Caroline.JPG, Destruction of the American steamboat ''Caroline'' File:First Location of HMCS Star .jpg, First location of HMCS Star on Bay St. Hamilton, ON File:RNCVR Overseas recruiting ad C-095725.jpg, Recruiting advertisement for the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve, Overseas Division File:Hawker Hurricane Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum C-GCWH, YHM Hamilton, ON (Hamilton Airport), Canada PP1383218449.jpg, Hawker Hurricane at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum C-GCWH, YHM Hamilton, ON (John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport) File:Russian SBML 36-pounder Gun.jpg, Russian SBML 36-pounder Gun captured at Sevastopol in 1855, given to Hamilton by Queen Victoria in 1860 and mounted as a centennial project in 1967 outside HMCS ''Star''. File:HMCS Haida Hamilton Ontario 1.jpg, HMCS ''Haida'' berthed at Pier 9, on Hamilton Harbour, directly alongside HMCS ''Star'' File:HMCS STAR sailor on Naval Security Team workup 2017.png, HMCS ''Star'' sailor on Naval Security Team workup training prior to deployment in 2017 File:HMCS Star RHIB.jpg, HMCS Star sailors crane a RHIB during Exercise Wentworth Shield 2018


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:HMCS Star Organizations based in Hamilton, Ontario
Royal Canadian Naval Reserve The Naval Reserve (NAVRES, french: link=no, Réserve navale) is the Primary Reserve component of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The primary mission of the NAVRES is to force generate sailors and teams for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations, inc ...
Military units and formations of Canada in World War II