[Guzzman]

Hi Bryan

I must admit that I have found all this very interesting. I was of course aware of HMCS Uganda and her being the ship that 'voted herself out of the war'. But reading your comments inspired me to find out more about her and her part in the war. Events following the vote to leave have tended to overshadow the gallant part that she played as part of the British Pacific Fleet and fail to reflect how highly she was regarded by the rest of the Fleet.

But one factor which really shines out of the events of 1945 is the growing sense of a distinctly 'Canadian' identity for the RCN. Uganda was the only Canadian warship serving with the BPF and one senses that the failure to recognise this (by the Canadian government as much as anyone else) played a large part in the events that ensued. The fact that the ship wasn't provided with a Canadian flag and that no maple leaf device was attached or painted on the funnel is incredible!

The subsequent adoption of distinctly Canadian naval badges instead of those used by the Royal Navy reflects this growing desire to establish a truly Canadian identity for the RCN. The part played by the events involving HMCS Uganda in 1945 should not be underestimated in establishing this identity. I can't help wondering if things would have happened as quickly as they did without HMCS Uganda.

Pete