whytewolf wrote:
Previously on "Scratch-building by a Dummy...."
The cox'n of SUMMERSIDE--Chief John Birks--invited us to stay aboard for lunch, and I have to say, compared to the rations we army boys received when I was serving...well, the navy makes one mean steak.
I presented her CO with a framed copy of this beauty shot shown below--which I am told will be hanging in the wardroom! I also got a larger copy signed by the CO and Chief Birks to hang on my wall here in Calgary.
It turns out that Chief Birks wife serves aboard HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN--the only other serving Canadian warship named for a PEI community--which at the time was serving off the coast of Libya in Operation MOBILE. CHARLOTTETOWN in fact has been the first Canadian warship to take and return hostile fire since the Korean war--so it's the Op MOBILE version I've decided I'll build of this now historic vessel--but I don't expect to be starting that project for a while yet. In 1/72 she'd be 6 feet long!
Sean,
Just wanted to weigh in to congratulate you on an outstanding build and offer my thanks as a serving member of the RCN for this outstanding tribute to the men and women who have served and will serve in SUMMERSIDE. I understand you won't be tackling CHARLOTTETOWN in the immediate future but I would like to offer my services in your aid when that time comes. I served as her Above Water Warfare Officer during our time off Libya last year and can provide a "modeller's perspective" of her fit at the time you intend portraying her.
A little known fact about CHA (one that hasn't been overtly published by a major media outlet at least) is that we received "credit" for three specific engagements that occurred during the Libya Campaign. Besides our direct role in enforcing the no fly-zone and countering the small boats attempting to mine the harbour approaches to Misratah we served as a targeting unit via direct observation and intelligence gathering. In that role we achieved what I consider to be our most important results; 270 of 600 enemy positions reported by CHA were struct by NATO airstrikes (artillery, main battle tanks, truck mounted rocket launchers, technical vehicles, ammo dumps and command centre targets were all that was recorded). In recognition of this, CHA was awarded credit for three specific instances were it was assessed that without CHA's participation in the targeting chain the engagement simply would not have happened (for clarification these three engagements were not against individual units, but large groups directly engaging the civilians trapped in the port). This unique honour was displayed as three "Mission Marks" in the shape of a GBU-12 that I had our hull technicians construct out of aluminum and bolt to each bridge wing during our port visit to the Grand Harbour in Malta. These were displayed for one year and are presently in the possession of the Maritime Command Museum in CFB Stadacona, I had painted the dates of the three events on the back of each shape, but I can't recall any besides April 26 2011 right now. Another unique feature you might try and incorporate into an OP Mobile CHA was her entitlement to wear two Canadian Forces Unit Commendations simultaneously. These are displayed as flags flown from the outer starboard yardarm and are flown for one year following the award. CHA's were awarded during our final port visit, in Palma de Mallorca. One award was for CHA's participation in the Persian Gulf in 2007/2008 and the second for her time in Libya 2011, it is the only time a unit has been awarded two simultaneously.
Anyway, when you do get around to her please feel free to look me up, I'll happily make myself available for any research you might need including photo requests of the ship itself, I'm posted to the base in Halifax so it is no problem for me.
I'll attempt to attach a photo of her in Souda Bay which shows the placement of the mission marks.
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