A4 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 31, 2001 Naval historian has soft spot in h eart for story of the HMCS Oakville By Angela B lackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Fifty years ago, the HMCS Oakville was christened amid much pomp and circumstance offshore at Lakeside Park. And while the naval corvette saw extensive escort service in the Second World War, includ ing the sinking of a German U-Boat, its final fate remains a mystery. Following the war, it was sold to the Venezuelan navy, where it served as the patrol ship Patria, which served from 1946 to 1962. After that, she likely ended up on a scarp heap. On Thursday night, local naval historian Ed Stewart will profile the life of the HMCS Oakville tomorrow from 7 p.m. -9 p.m. at the Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate (on Navy Street). Doors open at 6 p.m. and Stewart's talk will kick off the HMCS Oakville Display showing from Nov. 1-22 in the upper level Education Room. The main level South Room will host view ings of Stewart's other pet project, a documen tary on the HMCS Athabaskan that aired on the History Channel and carries the name o f Stewart's book on the subject, Unlucky Lady: The Life and Death of HMCS Athabaskan, 1940-1944. The Athabaskan -- sunk off the coast of France on April 29, 1944 and never recovered -- was the sister ship of the HMCS Haida which now sits at Ontario Place. At 72, Stewart grew up during World War II, but was too young to fight. Three of his four brothers were in the navy and his eldest brother William, 23, was lost on the Athabaskan. Stewart's HMCS Oakville talk will be accompanied by others from World War II vet eran and HMCS Oakville radar operator Joe Smyth, of Burlington, as well as Oakville Navy League president and Oakville Sea Cadet Corps chair Ross Bint, and corps members. The HMCS Oakville was christened on Wed. Nov. 5,1941, -- amid the darkest days of World War . "What personally astounds me is the turnout when she came to Oakville. Lakeside Park was jammed with civilians. Even school children were in the parade," marveled Stewart. The Oakville's christening not only involved the then-mayor Murray Deans, but the nation's defence minister, a vice-admiral, Lady Mountbatten and the Oakville's first captain Lt. A C. Jones. After a parade of navy, army and air force units was reviewed from what is now Town Square on Lakeshore Road (then Colbome Street), the official party sailed out to the Oakville for her christening. "The highlight of her life was the sinking of a German U-boat," said Stewart. `T he Oakville was a corvette style ship. (Former British Prime Minister) Winston Churchill called corvettes `cheap and nasties'," said Stewart. That's because corvettes were cheap to make, had a turning radius that was shorter than that of a submarine and carried depth charges that Stewart described as "pretty effective." They also had benefit of highly effective ASDIC radar. "In World War II, three corvettes distin guished themselves and the Oakville was one of them," said Stewart. The Oakville was a smaller corvette (a flower class as opposed to the larger castle class) and was named, like so many others, after cities and towns. (See `Corvette' page A5) Photo by Riziero Vertolli Ed Stewart with poster that details heroic act by crew of HMCS Oakville following the ramming o f a German submarine in World War II. On 40 successful years in Downtown Oakville j r o m //o h Congratulations, Sean! /' m a n y a s s o c ia t e s in ( ) (/ s in e s s % M u g ra C m iqicM alum m 4 40 B M y e m w m Ho rst DUSSELDORF is proud to be associated w ith your team and wish you continued success HATHAWAY PROGRESS PACKAGING C o n g r a tu la te s S e a n G a r v e y fo r h is 4 0 y e a r s o f su ccess in D o w n to w n O a k v ille - Jim Hayes