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Basil Winter Charman served in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War. Read and listen to his testimony below.
Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
![Basil Charman]({"id":"d9d7b009-3056-4f1a-acd4-051b8b01daee","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"4260_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":971408,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T21:01:56.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T21:01:56.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #4260","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Basil Charman in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1943. He had graduated from St. Margaret's Sea Training, and was awaiting posting to his first ship.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4260 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4260_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4260_original.jpg","credit":"Basil Charman","pivot":{"mediable_id":"bbe487f2-4b04-4254-91ec-c417939da13e","media_id":"d9d7b009-3056-4f1a-acd4-051b8b01daee","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":1},"translations":[{"id":"bcf7319d-d3ff-4dec-8b41-de7168a41964","media_id":"d9d7b009-3056-4f1a-acd4-051b8b01daee","title":"Memory Project Image #4260","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Basil Charman in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1943. He had graduated from St. Margaret's Sea Training, and was awaiting posting to his first ship.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4260 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","locale":"en","credit":"Basil Charman"},{"id":"4e9f5b9d-48a3-44d4-bb19-973f88a8c46a","media_id":"d9d7b009-3056-4f1a-acd4-051b8b01daee","title":"Memory Project Image #4260","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Basil Charman \u00e0 Vancouver, Colombie-Britannique, en 1943. Il avait termin\u00e9 sa formation en mer de l'\u00e9cole Ste Margaret et \u00e9tait en train d'attendre d'\u00eatre envoy\u00e9 sur son premier navire.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4260 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","locale":"fr","credit":"Basil Charman"}]} "Memory Project Image #4260")
![Basil Charman]({"id":"1a2fce48-7cd1-4792-a181-fb3eb05dec52","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"4261_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":152237,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T21:01:59.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T21:01:59.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #4261","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"16-year-old cadet Basil Charman, left, with his mother and 21-year-old-brother Lionel, on the right, 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4261 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4261_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4261_original.jpg","credit":"Basil Charman","pivot":{"mediable_id":"bbe487f2-4b04-4254-91ec-c417939da13e","media_id":"1a2fce48-7cd1-4792-a181-fb3eb05dec52","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":2},"translations":[{"id":"70744cbd-e741-4328-bb05-5ba09db0a3da","media_id":"1a2fce48-7cd1-4792-a181-fb3eb05dec52","title":"Memory Project Image #4261","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"16-year-old cadet Basil Charman, left, with his mother and 21-year-old-brother Lionel, on the right, 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4261 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","locale":"en","credit":"Basil Charman"},{"id":"b22e4a0f-f2c5-4ed8-9338-b3e5e47cc505","media_id":"1a2fce48-7cd1-4792-a181-fb3eb05dec52","title":"Memory Project Image #4261","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Le cadet Basil Charman \u00e0 gauche, \u00e0 l'\u00e2ge de 16 ans, avec sa m\u00e8re et son fr\u00e8re Lionel, \u00e2g\u00e9 de 21 ans, \u00e0 droite, en 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4261 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","locale":"fr","credit":"Basil Charman"}]} "Memory Project Image #4261")
![Basil Charman]({"id":"9abbeceb-b1e3-4113-b8cd-90aad7cf4605","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"4264_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":6463592,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T21:03:15.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T21:03:15.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #4264","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Certificate of Training issued in June 1943.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4264 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4264_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4264_original.jpg","credit":"Basil Charman","pivot":{"mediable_id":"bbe487f2-4b04-4254-91ec-c417939da13e","media_id":"9abbeceb-b1e3-4113-b8cd-90aad7cf4605","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":3},"translations":[{"id":"7c102a68-2853-4862-8080-b4708195d4c0","media_id":"9abbeceb-b1e3-4113-b8cd-90aad7cf4605","title":"Memory Project Image #4264","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Certificate of Training issued in June 1943.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4264 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","locale":"en","credit":"Basil Charman"},{"id":"00e5845a-1b7f-45fa-a2a1-69e25de08a01","media_id":"9abbeceb-b1e3-4113-b8cd-90aad7cf4605","title":"Memory Project Image #4264","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Certificat de formation remis en juin 1943.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4264 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","locale":"fr","credit":"Basil Charman"}]} "Memory Project Image #4264")
![Vancouver Daily Province]({"id":"ceaeef10-2513-492b-a9be-e2f08b9b9b25","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"4262_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":3384755,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T21:02:10.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T21:02:10.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #4262","alt":"Vancouver Daily Province","caption":"Photo published in the <em>Vancouver Daily Province<\/em>, February 3, 1947, reporting on the SS Tecumseh's surviving the storm. The caption read: \r\"SS Tecumseh Park's deckplates cracked 800 miles off Halifax. Here, standing behind heavy cable which held the ship together for days are, from left: G. Santowski, Haney; E.M. Wademan, Abbotsford; D Radbourne, New Westminister; S. Tokaruk, 1165 Davie (holding ship's maskcot Patsy); N. Poole, Vancouver; J. Hearn, Victoria; radio operator Ben Spaner, 749 East Fourteenth, and third engineer Gordon Calderwood, Blamoral Hotel.\"","creator":"Memory Project Image #4262 - Veteran #3259","source":"Vancouver Daily Province","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4262_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4262_original.jpg","credit":"Vancouver Daily Province","pivot":{"mediable_id":"bbe487f2-4b04-4254-91ec-c417939da13e","media_id":"ceaeef10-2513-492b-a9be-e2f08b9b9b25","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":4},"translations":[{"id":"1b2bded9-dc5d-4b90-a9b9-996fe5709622","media_id":"ceaeef10-2513-492b-a9be-e2f08b9b9b25","title":"Memory Project Image #4262","alt":"Vancouver Daily Province","caption":"Photo published in the <em>Vancouver Daily Province<\/em>, February 3, 1947, reporting on the SS Tecumseh's surviving the storm. The caption read: \r\"SS Tecumseh Park's deckplates cracked 800 miles off Halifax. Here, standing behind heavy cable which held the ship together for days are, from left: G. Santowski, Haney; E.M. Wademan, Abbotsford; D Radbourne, New Westminister; S. Tokaruk, 1165 Davie (holding ship's maskcot Patsy); N. Poole, Vancouver; J. Hearn, Victoria; radio operator Ben Spaner, 749 East Fourteenth, and third engineer Gordon Calderwood, Blamoral Hotel.\"","creator":"Memory Project Image #4262 - Veteran #3259","source":"Vancouver Daily Province","locale":"en","credit":"Vancouver Daily Province"},{"id":"dbc92d33-e5a6-4372-a9d4-a2825fdec678","media_id":"ceaeef10-2513-492b-a9be-e2f08b9b9b25","title":"Memory Project Image #4262","alt":"Vancouver Daily Province","caption":"Photo publi\u00e9e dans le <em>Vancouver Daily Province<\/em>, le 3 f\u00e9vrier 1947, reportant que le SS Tecumseh a surv\u00e9cu \u00e0 une temp\u00eate. La l\u00e9gende dit:\r\"Le pontet du SS Tecumseh s'est fendu \u00e0 800 miles d'Halifax. ici se tenant debout devant le lourd c\u00e2ble qui a maintenu le navire pendant des jours sont: G. Santowski, Haney; E.M. Wademan, Abbotsford; D. Radbourne, New Westminster; S. Tokaruk, 1165 Davie (tenant Patsy, la mascotte du navire); N. Poole, Vancouver; J. Hearn, Victoria; l'op\u00e9rateur radio Ben Spaner, 749 quatorzi\u00e8me est, et le troisi\u00e8me ing\u00e9nieur Gordon Calderwood, Blamoral Hotel\".","creator":"Memory Project Image #4262 - Veteran #3259","source":"Vancouver Daily Province","locale":"fr","credit":"Vancouver Daily Province"}]} "Memory Project Image #4262")
![Basil Charman]({"id":"d2e34a18-e6fa-42b1-8cfb-cc991d7c0705","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"4263_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":1699443,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T21:02:28.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T21:02:28.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #4263","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Canada Merchant Marine Identification card for issued by the Department of Transportation, 1947.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4263 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4263_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/4263_original.jpg","credit":"Basil Charman","pivot":{"mediable_id":"bbe487f2-4b04-4254-91ec-c417939da13e","media_id":"d2e34a18-e6fa-42b1-8cfb-cc991d7c0705","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":5},"translations":[{"id":"bc39d697-df2e-4f84-91b2-a962aa80ef73","media_id":"d2e34a18-e6fa-42b1-8cfb-cc991d7c0705","title":"Memory Project Image #4263","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Canada Merchant Marine Identification card for issued by the Department of Transportation, 1947.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4263 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","locale":"en","credit":"Basil Charman"},{"id":"5ef42fc6-4bc3-44e0-9a7f-50783c1b5004","media_id":"d2e34a18-e6fa-42b1-8cfb-cc991d7c0705","title":"Memory Project Image #4263","alt":"Basil Charman","caption":"Carte d'identit\u00e9 de la Marine Marchande Canadienne remise par le d\u00e9partement des transports, 1947.","creator":"Memory Project Image #4263 - Veteran #3259","source":"Basil Charman","locale":"fr","credit":"Basil Charman"}]} "Memory Project Image #4263")
Transcript
I stayed with the merchant navy until 1947. Then we were sailing back and forth between England and Vancouver and after my time onboard the [SS] Tecumseh Park, that’s when we ran into bad weather. That was quite a trip. We left Cherbourg in France and were supposed to just go back to Halifax and get another cargo, I guess. And fuel in France at that time was quite scarce, so they just loaded enough fuel onboard the, it was supposed to be a two week trip to get back to Halifax. Then we ran into some bad weather, real bad weather. And we were running short of fuel because it was taking us so long to get there. Instead of two weeks, we ended up in Bermuda 26 days later. And in the process of the storm, the ship started to have some trouble [a crack appeared on the deck and it was feared that the ship] might break in half. And anyway, they shipped us to Bermuda for repairs and we had a wonderful time; we had about a month I think in Bermuda while the ship was being repaired. And we were sitting there collecting our pay and enjoying a holiday. At that time, all of the merchant ships had guns on them; they were built with them on. And they’d have a crew of usually 10 or 12 navy men who - they were to look after the guns, service them and so on. And teach the crew how to use them. We had a four-inch gun on the stern that could be used as anti-aircraft or surface. And we had 50-calibre machine guns and Oerlikon 20-caliber [cannons] for aircraft defense. But in the South Atlantic, we had very little reason to use them. As far as the actual war service goes, I never really saw any armed action. You know, not that I was in on it. Although it was a little bit disappointing when you think about it, [for a] young fellow that age. Not really disappointed, I guess; maybe thank the Lord that we didn’t get anything worse. But it would have been nice if we’d had a little more to talk about afterwards.
