# 23 Oct 1969 - HMCS Kootenay (merged)



## ENGINEERS WIFE (3 Oct 2009)

Families gather to remember HMCS Kootenay tragedy

By: CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Fri. Oct. 2 2009 9:07 PM ET

Family, friends and survivors gathered in England Friday, to honour a group of Canadian sailors who lost their lives not in war, but during a peace time disaster 40 years ago. 

They gathered at a cemetery near Plymouth to mark the anniversary of the explosion that took the lives of nine crew members on HMCS Kootenay off the coast of England in 1969. 

"We are here today to pay tribute to former shipmates who we had to leave behind," said survivor John Montague. 

The destroyer was on exercises 320 kilometres from Plymouth, when a gearbox overheated and caused the explosion. The rest of the ship filled with thick, oily smoke. 

It was the worst peace time accident in the Canadian Navy's history. 

There have been other memorials since the fire, but this is the first time people gathered in England at the cemetery where some of the dead are buried. 

Survivors who told their stories talked of the heroism of their colleagues, who fought their way through the flames to rescue victims who lay helplessly near death. 

"They exceeded any standard wanted for training and they had guts," said the ship's commanding officer Neil Norton. 

Al Kennedy survived the disaster but was one of 53 people who suffered severe burns. 

"I didn't know they were dead at that point," he said. 

"I just thought that I'd never see my wife and young son again." 

Military casualties were not repatriated back then, so five victims were buried at sea according to the wishes of their families. 

Four more were buried in the cemetery, surrounded by 2,400 other Canadians who died fighting for their country, many of them during the two world wars. 

"I have to remember my father, that's not a question," said Dan Boudreau, a son of one of the victims. He was just 10 years old when he lost his father. 

"All of these people are part of the family that was with my father, so I will remember with them," he said. 

They are remembering the crew as courageous sailors who left a lasting heroic legacy for future generations. 

What they did that day became part of navy training, as they saved a burning ship they refused to abandon. The ship was later repaired and had a lengthy naval career, being decommissioned in 1995. 

"A very old friend told me once 'you don't do that until you have a better place to go. There was no better place'," Norton said. 

-With a report from CTV's Tom Kennedy 


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091002/HMCS_Kootenay_091002/20091002?hub=Canada


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## mariomike (3 Oct 2009)

"Military casualties were not repatriated back then"

Apparently, that policy changed the next year:
http://www.thestar.com/article/125989


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## Pat in Halifax (11 Oct 2009)

Apparently there is some sort of 'event' at HMCS KOOTENAY, the east coast DCTF at Purcells Cove, NS around the 22nd or 23rd of this month.


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## MARS (22 Oct 2009)

Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversay of the fire onboard KOOTENAY.  CBC Radio's "The Current" just aired an excellent documentary that told the story in the survivors own words.  If anyone is interested, I highly recommend giving it a listen.  It should be uploaded on their website later this afternoon.

http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/

RIP to the 9 sailors who gave their lives.

MARS


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## Sailorwest (22 Oct 2009)

Worth remembering on Friday 23 Oct 2009, what happened 40 years ago. 
(copied from http://www.stokers.ca/hmcskootenay23october1969.htm with my thanks)

On 23 October 1969, Kootenay lost nine of her own in one of the worst peacetime disasters suffered by the Canadian Forces.  She was westbound out of the English Channel in a Task Group with Bonaventure, Terra Nova, Fraser, St-Laurent, Ottawa, Assiniboine, Margaree and Saguenay.  By today’s standards, it was a huge and powerful group.  The new Canadian Ensign, the Maple Leaf, flew at the mastheads. 
200 miles west of Plymouth, Kootenay and Saguenay were detached to conduct routine full power trials.  At 0810, the order “Full Speed Ahead Both Engines” was given, Kootenay surged forward.  
The Engineer Officer, Lt(N) Kennedy, had just come back down to the Engine Room after a quick visit to the Boiler Room.  The Chief ERA, CPO1 “Ski” Vaino A. Partanen, was on the deck plates with the watch.  The Engine Room I/C, CPO2 W.A. “Billy” Boudreau, was there too.  PO1 John MacKinnon was at the starboard throttle, PO1 Eric Harmon at the Port.  LS Pierre Bourret was recording at the console while AB Michael Hardy and AB Allen Bell were recording the Main Engine temperatures for the trial.  LS Gary Hutton had just taken the Torsion meter readings abaft the console while LS Tom Crabbe worked below on the Fire and Bilge pump.  
At 0821, eleven minutes after the “Full Speed Ahead” order was given, disaster struck.  A blast came from the after end of the Engine Room.  Instantly the Engine Room was engulfed in flames.  Kennedy and MacKinnon tried immediately to spin the throttles closed.  The choice was to evacuate the Engine Room immediately or die.  That first desperate effort would have an important effect.  It would be found that they had miraculously managed to close both throttles about three or four turns each.  
The fireball burst up through the after Engine Room hatch and filled Burma Road.  The Main and C&PO’s Cafeteria just above was also flooded with smoke almost immediately, trapping the Morning Watchmen still inside.  Some of those in the Main Cafeteria got out by vaulting the galley counter.  About fifteen of them, however remained there in the dense smoke until a Damage Control Party could get through to them.  In AB Nelson Galloway’s case this would come too late.  He would be found later, collapsed by the Main Cafeteria, PO Stringer, trapped in the galley, would make it out only to die later of smoke inhalation and his injuries.  
Kootenay was hurt, badly.  The Captain, Cdr Neil Norton, would later write that a less professional crew could easily have finished the day in life rafts.  The Chief ERA, was dead and too, was most of the Forenoon watch.  
So suddenly had the carnage struck that the Boiler Room crew, just forward, was unaware of the damage.  The Safety Valves had lifted briefly and the fires in the Starboard boiler were extinguished, but PO Bussiere immediately got them re-lit. Lacking any other orders, he kept his people close to the deck when the smoke came in, breathing through damp cloths as they maintained steam still driving the ship onwards at better than twenty knots.  At about 0900, forty minutes after the explosion, PO Bussiere tripped the Main Steam Stop Valves to the Engine Room.  Even then, they didn’t evacuate the space but continued to auxiliary steam to supply important steam driven alternators until they were assured that the diesel generators could take the load.  
The fireball burned and charred the flats.  A sizable bulge was now beginning to form in the ship’s starboard side where the intense heat in the Engine Room deformed the very metal of the hull.  In the Engine Room, the fire still raged.  
Kootenay’s crew was fighting.  CPO2 Hawkings got LS McLeod into a Chemox before diving down the hatch to start #1 diesel generator.  WO Gerald Gillingham rushed in to take part of the rescue effort, perilously close to the heat and flame.  The Cox’n had cleared the forward area of the ship and has heading aft.  Before collapsing, Lt(N) Kennedy made it clear to those on the bridge that it was imperative that the Emergency Shut-Offs in the flats had to be activated to stop the steam flow to the still charging engines.  
SLt Reiffenstien, the navigator, was sent to check the after magazine spray located behind the Engine Room.  When he returned, he asked if he could try to get to the Emergency Shut-Offs.  With diving tanks, he crawled down through the passageway to find the box that contained the handles.  In the heavy smoke, he couldn’t see the locking levers that prevent accidental opening of the valves and his attempts to activate them were thwarted.  But his bravery paid off, he found one man and got him forward to the wheelhouse and clear.  Two other divers, SLt Cyril Johnston and SLt John Montague went forward to the Boiler Room.  
The ship’s firefighting organization was now in full force with one attack from forward led by Lt(N) Schwartz and another led by Commissioned Officer Moffat from aft.  The sky was filled with helicopters bringing firefighting supplies and evacuating injured.  
At 1015, one team with C2HT Robert George, entered the Engine Room, but intense heat forced them back.  C2 George would stay in Chemox for several hours and keep fighting the fire until it was out and then help the removal of the casualties.  It would be another 45 minutes before they would gain entrance and remain.  At 1215, the Engine Room was finally cooled enough to allow for the grim assessment of the day’s terrible cost.  
When it was all over, the investigations determined probable cause to be a bearing that had been improperly assembled in the gearbox, robbing it of sufficient supply of oil to cool.  The board, impressed with the heroism shown, went so far as to state that “No evidence of improper engineering practice by those serving in HMCS Kootenay has been found.”


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## cupper (22 Oct 2011)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/10/22/ns-commander-memorial.html

Former Cmdr. Neil Norton, who faced Canada's worst peacetime accident in its naval history, was honoured by his colleagues in a moving burial at sea.

On Friday, in Halifax harbour, the crew of HMCS Kootenay gathered to say farewell to Norton, who died last year, and put his ashes out to sea.


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## wildman0101 (22 Oct 2011)

RIP Cmdr Norton  
Condolence's to Family,,Comrade's and friend's.
You will not be forgotten.  :yellow:
Scoty B


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## jollyjacktar (22 Oct 2011)

One of my young lads from work was seconded for the day to her.  I hope it went well for the Kootenays.


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## cupper (22 Oct 2011)

My dad was on board that day.

He was in the engine room just prior to the explosion, but was told to go up to the cafeteria and get a coffee about 5 minutes before it happened. Otherwise ....

They have several events planned this weekend including a memorial service at Point Pleasant Park tomorrow.


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## Civvymedic (29 Nov 2013)

A friend of mine who served on the Kootenay during the explosion along with some others are now interested in her location and the possibility of her recovery and return to Canada if she is still afloat.

I am looking for any info on her and have encouraged them to join this forum.

Thanks.

Rob.


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## Civvymedic (29 Nov 2013)

I am aware she was sold to Mexico for use as an artificial reef but have recently been told that she may not have been sunk yet. These veterans may be interested in bringing her back to Canada.


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## mariomike (29 Nov 2013)

Civvymedic said:
			
		

> I am looking for any info on her and have encouraged them to join this forum.



23 Oct 1969 - 40 years ago. 
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/89962.0

Families gather to remember HMCS Kootenay tragedy  
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/89558.0


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## d_edwards (29 Nov 2013)

Here is a link that seems to provide a lot of information on her.
http://www.forposterityssake.ca/Navy/HMCS%20KOOTENAY%20258.htm.

the trail does seem to run cold after 2003.  It seems her use as a reef ran into a few snags due to environmental, and navigation hazard reasons.  The artificial reef society washed its hands of the whole affair according to the article.


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## Pusser (29 Nov 2013)

I last saw KOOTENAY alongside a jetty in Manzanillo, Mexico around 2005.  She was being used as a power generating station.


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## Pat in Halifax (29 Nov 2013)

HazeGray website says sunk off Mexico in 2001.
I know him on another forum and will ask him.


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## Civvymedic (29 Nov 2013)

That's great Pat..thanks. There is a lot of different information out there.


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## Colin Parkinson (29 Nov 2013)

Pusser said:
			
		

> I last saw KOOTENAY alongside a jetty in Manzanillo, Mexico around 2005.  She was being used as a power generating station.



Interesting, the wiki page claims that it was not the Kootenay. However blurry GE imagery from 7/27/2003 shows a vessel that may be her, length and beam matches and upperworks I think as well.
19° 03' 19.45"N  104° 18' 49.42"W

by Dec 2005 she is gone


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## Pat in Halifax (29 Nov 2013)

Of course, then there is this off the above website. ("circa 2003")


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## ABRP23-10-69 (1 Dec 2013)

I am one of those who served in her in 69 and as stated, we are still trying to fine her.  Kootenay is not listed as being a reef although Restigouche is and we are still trying to find the ship (either afloat or sunk or scrapped).  It is a matter of closure for those of us who served in her.


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## Pat in Halifax (1 Dec 2013)

Sandy McClearn (hazegray.org - currently off line??)  is 'suggesting' it was indeed sunk as a reef and suspects there may be pics around with the holes cut which is done just prior to sinking.
I am intrigued and am continuing to look.

ABRP; If you are the same as the one on World Navy Ships forum, have you asked there yet? I am getting sporadic internet all day here for some reason or would check myself.

Pat


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## Gee Dub (1 Dec 2013)

There is one pic around reported to be Kootenay just prior to sinking which I have on my website ( http://www.forposterityssake.ca/Navy/HMCS%20KOOTENAY%20258.htm ) 

I believe this pic is actually Restigouche.  If you look at photos of Kootenay which were reported to be taken in 2003, you will notice she does not have her gun turret forward and she has both anchor pocket doors.  The pic reported of Kootenay just prior to sinking shows a ship with a turret but missing the Starboard anchor pocket door.

The Swiss divers association has a photo of resitgouche sinking - and the holes cut in the side match the ones on the pic reported to be Kootenay, plus the Starboard anchor picket door is missing on the one of Restigouche sinking.

Based on that, I will say the pic of "Kootenay" just prior to sinking is actually Restigouche.

I believe that at least up to 2003, Kootenay was still afloat at Monzanillo.  What has happened to her since is not known, but we are still searching for an answer.


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## ABRP23-10-69 (1 Dec 2013)

Pat, I am not on World Navy Ships forum.

Having done some searching, we find it odd that Restigouche is listed as being an artificial reef, but that there is no mention of Kootenay.  It does not make sense for one to be listed while the other is not, and we have not been able to confirm the supposed sinking.  As Gee Dub has stated we are still looking for an answer.


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## Stoker (1 Dec 2013)

ABRP23-10-69 said:
			
		

> Pat, I am not on World Navy Ships forum.
> 
> Having done some searching, we find it odd that Restigouche is listed as being an artificial reef, but that there is no mention of Kootenay.  It does not make sense for one to be listed while the other is not, and we have not been able to confirm the supposed sinking.  As Gee Dub has stated we are still looking for an answer.



It would be nice to find out what happened. I would say most likely it was towed out and sank, as it was becoming a burden to the Mexican authorities. The environmental laws in Mexico are pretty non existent.


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