Presentation to Kootenay Fire Fighting Damage

Control School on the HMCS Kootenay Tragedy

by Cyril Johnston, October 22^nd 2010

I would like to thank the 1969 crew of Kootenay and the school for asking me to speak here today. I will try to keep my comments short but pertinent.

Forty-one years ago tomorrow the Canadian Navy experienced its worst peace time disaster in its 100^th year history. It happened at approximately 0820 hours off the south west coast of England. Eight sailors were killed in the fire and one more died on Bonaventure while on its way to Halifax. Over fifty suffered from smoke inhalation and bums. In my view all of us carry invisible scars to this day.

At the time of the explosion I was twenty-three years of age and a Sub Lieutenant. I was on board for watch keeping training and I was one of eight divers on board.

I am not going to talk about the fire since this has been well documented and discussed here before. Rather I am going to talk about the aftermath of the tragedy and how I feel it has affected the families and crew to this day.

Families

The Kootenay, like most naval ships, was manned by people from all across Canada. For example: John Montague comes from Ottawa. Dinger Bell comes from Ontario. Chris Legier comes from the Toronto area. My three cabin mates were from Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. I am from Cape Breton. A large number of the crew was married with young families living in the Halifax area. They were living here alone without the support of their extended families. It is probably the same way today.

Most families initially heard about the tragedy from radio broadcasts. My wife heard it from a neighbour who said the ship exploded. My elderly parents heard about it in Sydney on CBC radio. You can imagine their upset and the upset of all the other families on hearing this news.

Efforts to learn anything from the Navy proved futile. My wife was told that since she had not received a visit from the padre that I was probably not dead but other than that they could not tell her anything.

It took her two days to learn that I was okay. She got this news directly from me. Like everyone else I lined up with my own shillings in hand to call her from the one pay phone that was near our ship in Plymouth dockyard. iphones, ipads and texting were not in vogue at the time.

Widows

Since it was government policy at the time to bury military personnel in the country where they had fallen and since Plymouth was where the ship was towed, England would be the place of burial. Four were buried at the Commonwealth Cemetery outside of London. Four who had chosen burial at sea in their wills were buried off the coast of Plymouth.

One widow told me that it was government policy at the time that only one person could attend with the spouse of the deceased consequently, parents, children and other family members of a deceased sailor could not attend.

Again, you can imagine the grief and devastation of the affected families when they learned that their loved ones would not be returned to Canada for burial and that only two family members could attend the services in England, Apparently this regulation was a legacy from the great wars and had not been changed. Contrast this to the US policy at the time-All Vietnam dead were returned home. Despite protests from some of the families, this outdated policy stood and it was a very emotional experience to see these wives grieving at their husbands' funerals.

Controversy arose in the House of Commons and I learned from CBC radio reports last year on the Kootenay 40^th anniversary that the policy was quietly changed shortly after the Kootenay burials in England. That is why we now see the fallen Canadian soldiers from Afghanistan return home to Canada.

Sadly, the Kootenay widows and their families were not the beneficiaries of the policy that they have been instrumental in changing.

In addition, video accounts from surviving widows indicate that the families received minimal support from Navy officials after the death of their loved ones and they felt abandoned. It should be noted that eighteen children were left fatherless.

Alongside in Plymouth

The two to three week period we spent alongside in Plymouth seemed to be endless and was a very dark period. Some say it was as bad as the explosion. The crew and some junior officers, including myself, remained on board during this period. Kootenay was a burnt out toxic shell that reeked of various disgusting smells and the interior passageways were covered in a black oily sheen. Everything was smoked damaged. Our clothes smelled and we smelled. My memories of this time are a kaleidoscope of bad images: Sailors opening grieving for their shipmates; visibly upset widows arriving without their families from Canada to bury their loved ones; the burials on land and at sea; the injured in hospital. There was no operational reason to be left on the ship but that is the way it was. It definitely was not a place to be for Mind and Body.

Grief counseling as we know it now was not available and I don't believe anyone heard of post-traumatic stress. And the navy culture at the time was to "suck it up"; "move on" and "be silent". And that is exactly what we did - for forty years.

The only saving grace in this whole sorry mess was the kindness and openness of the people of Plymouth at all social levels - the nurses who cared for the injured sailors, the taxi drivers, the dockyard workers, the Lord Mayor of Plymouth and many others. When we returned for our Pilgrimage last fall to mark the fortieth anniversary they remembered us. And that was very healing.

Return to Canada

We were eventually flown home in two groups leaving the injured and the tow crew behind to bring the Kootenay back to Halifax. We were given leave to reintegrate with our families and then be posted to other ships and units.

Unfortunately the Kootenay tragedy did not end with our return home. Our navigation officer took his life and two other sailors died of suspected suicide although I do not know their official cause of death.

Currently members still have problems talking about this period and are experiencing post-traumatic stress symptoms. And some our suffering from serious medical issues including breathing and lung disorders. Some have been diagnosed or have died from cancer which is directly linked to asbestos exposure. And there was asbestos on the Kootenay.

Positive changes

But that was then and this is now. There have been many positive changes that have come about since this tragedy:

• Canada now has a repatriation policy for fallen service members and Canadians can now have their loved ones returned home.

• Changes have been made to ship design and fire fighting protocols (I understand we even have a "Kootenay Hatch" on warships.)

• Post-traumatic stress counseling is now part of the accepted protocols in the military.

• Family support services are in place and families are promptly notified about serious incidents at sea or other operational areas.

• Kootenay survivors are now beginning to talk about this difficult time and some are coming to terms with it with the help of professional counseling.

• The informal Kootenay social network is strengthening as a result of the 30^th memorial service in Halifax and the 40^th anniversary services in Plymouth and here in Halifax, as well as the annual services at this
school. There are monthly family brunches and there is a website by a deceased crew member's daughter which is very good. People are talking on the internet and phone. Dinger Bell is the main communication link. He spends countless unpaid hours on the telephone keeping in touch with everyone throughout the world. And his wife, Barb, is his assistant.

• And finally, we have this beautiful school which is named after our ship. If it had not been for the fire fighting training at the former facility here in this location, I don't think we would have saved the ship.

Thank you very much for your time.