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A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project
They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
STUBBS, John Hamilton, LCdr, O-70990, RCN, killed - 29 Apr 1944, HMCS ATHABASKAN - Son of Major John Hamilton Stubbs and Dorothy Bessie Stubbs. Husband of Ruth Stubbs, of St. John's Wood, London, England.
LCdr Stubbs is buried in the Plouescat Communal Cemetery, Finistere, France. The province of British Columbia honoured LCdr John Hamilton Stubbs by naming Mount Stubbs in his honour.
Awards and Decorations: D.S.O., D.S.C., 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, 1939-45 War Medal.
Citation for Distinguished Service Order (DSO):
Awarded as per Canada Gazette of 12 December 1942 and London Gazette of 3 December 1942.
"For gallantry, devotion to duty and distinguished service under fire."
Citation for Distinguished Service Cross (DSC):
Awarded as per Canada Gazette of 9 September 1944 and London Gazette of 11 July 1944.
"For good service in action with enemy destroyers. For leadership, resolution and skill in His Majesty Ships Black Prince and Ashanti and His Majesty Canadian Ships Athabaskan, Haida and Huron in a successful action with enemy destroyers in the English Channel."
His best known success came in August that year when ASSINIBOINE caught U-210 on the surface in the Atlantic fog.
Naval historian G. N. Tucker, who witnessed the action from the destroyer's bridge, considered it "a masterpiece of tactical skill". Tucker observed that although ASSINIBOINE'S bridge "was deluged with machine gun bullets", Stubbs "never took his eye off the U-boat, and gave his orders as though he were talking to a friend at a garden party...".Finally, ASSINIBOINE, on fire amidships and riddled with shell holes, rammed U-210 twice and finished her off with depth charges.
Now promoted to Lieutenant-Commander, Stubbs left Assiniboine in October 1942. After a year of shore duty, he was appointed Commanding Officer of HMCS ATHABASKAN, a Tribal class vessel with a reputation as an unhappy ship. Stubbs is remembered as the quiet, laid-back man with a strong sense of humour who quickly restored morale, and ran an efficient yet relaxed ship.
ATHABASKAN was assigned to Plymouth Command to conduct offensive sweeps off the French coast. Stubbs's skills proved well-suited to the fast-paced night surface actions and he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his role in a battle in which ATHABASKAN and her sister-ship HMCS HAIDA played crucial roles in sinking the German destroyer T-29 on April 26, 1944.
Three nights later, ATHABASKAN and HAIDA, under Commander Harry De Wolf, were on patrol in mid-Channel when they were ordered to intercept two German destroyers (survivors of the earlier battle) heading westward along the French coast. ATHABASKAN'S radar soon detected the enemy ships; minutes later, the Tribal's opened fire, then altered course towards the enemy to 'comb' possible torpedoes (that is, turn parallel to incoming torpedoes). In spite of this maneuver, a torpedo found ATHABASKAN.
The hit caused such devastation that Stubbs ordered the crew to stand by in readiness to abandon ship. In the early hours of morning, her decks crowded with men, ATHABASKAN'S 4-inch magazine erupted in a massive blast. Most of those on the port side were killed, and many others were burned by searing oil that rained down on the upper deck. Survivors took to the cold waters of the English Channel as their ship began to sink beneath them.
Stubbs is said to have sung to his men while they waited in the freezing water, stanzas from a tune about naval volunteers called "The Wavy Navy" They were in the water for 30 minutes before HAIDA, having finished off one of the German destroyers, returned to rescue survivors. Although it was near dawn and the enemy coast was only five miles away, HAIDA lay stopped for 18 minutes. According to some witnesses, Stubbs shouted a warning to DeWolf to the effect "get away HAIDA, get clear".
DeWolf did not hear Stubbs, but knew he had lingered long enough; after dropping all boats and floats, HAIDA headed back to Plymouth with 42 survivors. Six more of ATHABASKAN'S company made it safely to England in HAIDA'S cutter, while another 85 were picked up by German warships. John Stubbs, badly burned and last seen clinging to a life-raft, was among the 128 who perished. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) after his death.
The quiet heroism and dedication to duty demonstrated by John Stubbs have become a rightful part of the rich traditions of the Royal Canadian Navy. (Source: CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum)
Documents from the Service File of John Stubbs
Ships served in: HMCS STADACONA - Enlisted 01 Sep 1930 as a Naval Cadet HMS EREBUS - Appointed to EREBUS 19 Sep 1930 * Appointed Midshipman, RCN 01 Jan 1932 HMS REVENGE - Appointed to REVENGE 21 Jan 1932 HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 25 Nov 1932 HMS REVENGE - Appointed to REVENGE 06 Jan 1933 HMS ACHATES - Appointed to ACHATES 09 May 1933 HMS REVENGE - Appointed to REVENGE 29 Aug 1933 HMS VICTORY - Appointed to VICTORY 22 Mar 1934 * Appointed Acting Sub-Lieutenant, RCN 01 May 1934 HMS PRESIDENT - Appointed to PRESIDENT 03 May 1934 HMS EXCELLENT - Appointed to EXCELLENT 21 Dec 1934 HMS DRYAD - Appointed to DRYAD 18 May 1935 HMS CARDIFF - Appointed to CARDIFF 01 Ju l1935 HMS DRYAD - Appointed to DRYAD 20 Jul 1935 HMCS NADEN - Appointed to NADEN 24 Aug 1935 HMCS SKEENA - Appointed to SKEENA 26 Nov 1935 * Appointed Lieutenant, RCN (seniority 01 May 1935) HMS VICTORY - Appointed to VICTORY 24 Mar 1938 HMS DRYAD - Appointed to DRYAD 11 Apr 1938 HMCS OTTAWA - Appointed to OTTAWA 27 Aug 1938 HMCS ASSINIBOINE - Appointed to ASSINIBOINE as Navigating Officer 03 Apr 1940. As SO for Flotilla (N) duites and as SO (O) spare C.O. Destroyer Flotilla 20 Sep 1940. In Commander 12 Feb 1941 * Appointed Acting Lieutenant-Commander, RCN 01 May 1943 HMCS AVALON - Appointed to AVALON 01 Nov 1942 Add'l on Staff of Flag Officer Nfld Forces as Staff Officer (Operations) * Appointed Lieutenant-Commander (N), RCN 01 May 1943 HMCS AVALON - for leave commencing 04 Oct 1943 HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 04 Nov 1943 add'l for passage to the U.K. HMCS ATHABASKAN - Appointed to ATHABASKAN 06 Nov 1943
Second World War Casualty Index
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For Posterity's Sake 
Stubbs
was an outstanding seaman, and a more than capable escort commander. In June
1941, Stubbs was Senior Officer of an escort group for convoy ONS-100 when
it was attacked by six U-boats. In "North Atlantic Run", author
and historian Marc Milner describes how Stubbs relied upon sound tactics to
escape with the loss of only four merchant ships.
