CM The Canada Medal was an honour created in 1943 as part of an attempt to establish an indigenous honours system in Canada. It was meant to serve as the top award that could be awarded to civilians and military personnel. CD The Canadian Forces' Decoration is awarded to officers and Non-Commissioned Members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of service. The decoration is awarded to all ranks, who have a good record of conduct. |
The Thresher shark has the most lethal tail of any fish in the seas and ocean's. Unlike all other flesh eating sharks it kills its prey with its tail and not with its mouth/jaws. |
In that same sad year of 1963 (but happy at the birth of my first son Steven in the September) we had not long been back in Halifax after a small NATO exercise and a visit to Boston, and I was at home showering when I was recalled by telecon ready for an immediate sailing. The USN nuclear attack submarine USS Thresher (named after the Thresher shark) with a full crew plus dockyard workers totaling in all 129 men left Portsmouth Navy Yard New Hampshire after a dockyard overhaul. The CO was Lieutenant Commander John Harvey USN who had been an officer in the first USN nuclear submarine USS Nautilus during its Polar transit. Launched in 1960 then fitted out, fuelled and reactor going live, commissioned in August 1961, successful trials, and operational on task duty in her first commission, she sailed for a deep test dive off Boston near Cape Cod, Boston because of the tremendous bottom depth of 8,400 feet = 1.5 miles deep. Academically and for your general interest only scientists state that at 4000 metres (13123 feet) the pressure at that depth is a staggering 11,000 lbs psi. The pressure at the bottom of Thresher's deep dive of 8400' was approximately 3747 lbs psi. |
USS Thresher a crayon drawing by Bruce Harvey. “The young son of Lieutenant Commander John Harvey USN, CO of the Thresher, drew the boat on the ocean floor after hearing of its loss. Bruce’s father and 128 other men died when the submarine sank off the New England coast. |