Oliver Kenneth (Olly) Slater, RCNVR

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar

Oliver Kenneth (Olly) Slater

RCNVR

Died: 14 Jan 2021, Sarnia, Ontario

SLATER, Oliver Kenneth (Olly) - age 95, loving husband, devoted father and grandfather, passed away peacefully on January 14, 2021 at Bluewater Health, Sarnia.

Born on Little Black River Reserve, Manitoba, he was the 12th child of George and Caroline (Snider) Slater. After losing his mother before the age of one, he was raised on the Reserve by his father, an Anglican Church teacher and missionary, and in Kenora by his paternal grandmother Susannah.

At age 16, Oliver enlisted with the Canadian Army militia. A year later he joined the Navy where, as a member of the RCNVR in World War II, he served his country during the Battle of the Atlantic. It was on his way to war at a crowded train station in Port Arthur that he had a chance encounter with 15-year-old Frances Dubeau. Throughout the war, they exchanged letters and saw each other during Oliver's occasional shore leaves. After the war and almost five years since they had first met, Oliver and Frances married. Their union lasted for almost 73 years, a testament to their love and commitment.

Olly worked with the Ontario Hydro Forestry Department in Thunder Bay for over 34 years. Retirement years were spent in Thunder Bay and Florida before moving to Forest then Sarnia 30 years ago to be closer to his sons and grandchildren.

He enjoyed camping, fishing, golfing, traveling, getting together with friends, gathering with family - and he always had a handyman project on the go. His easygoing nature, quiet charm, gentle spirit, and razor-sharp wit brought an endless source of joy to those around him. The heart and soul of the Slater family, he will be forever missed and remembered.

Olly is survived by beloved wife Frances, sons Ken and Tom (Jodi), his cherished grandchildren Megan and Ben, his extended family Patricia Dubeau and nephews David, Doug, Tim, Rick and Warren, and his cat companion Clancy.

A special thank you to all of the superb staff at Palliative Care for their wonderful care and support. Sympathy may be expressed through donations to Bluewater Health Foundation (Palliative Care) or the Sarnia and District Humane Society. Arrangements entrusted to Smith Funeral Home. (Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal 16 Jan 2021)

Biography of Oliver Kenneth Slater, RCNVR (Submitted by Tom Slater)

Oliver Kenneth Slater was born on August 24, 1925 on Little Black River Reserve, Manitoba. He was the 12th child of George Slater and Caroline Snider. Tragically, his mother Caroline passed away just 8 months after Oliver's birth, so he was raised by his father and paternal grandmother. George Slater spoke English, Ojibwe and Cree and was an Anglican Church of England teacher and missionary in Little Black River, serving his people well into his eighties.

Growing up he spent each school year in Kenora where he lived with his grandmother, and in the summers, he returned to the Reserve to live with his father. It was while he was in grade eleven that he decided to join the navy. In September 1941, sixteen-year-old Oliver enlisted in Kenora with the Canadian Army Militia and served as a Gunner (Private) with the 16th Medium Battery Reserve. He was honourably discharged in April1943 so that he could join the Navy.

He had always felt at home on the water-he'd been on a boat plenty of times, and in stormy weather on Lake Winnipeg. More importantly to a young man who had ingested Army rations for many months, he knew the food would be better and more plentiful in the Navy. As a 17-year-old teenager he was required to provide a permission letter from his father (because he was under the age of 18). He couldn't provide a letter (his father was in Black River), but the Navy allowed him in anyway. Oliver enlisted in the RCNVR in June 1943 in Port Arthur, Ontario where he underwent his initial 6-week basic training at HMCS Griffon.

In the summer of 1943, while at a crowded Fort William train station on his way to war, he met a young girl, Frances Dubeau. Oliver was just shy of 18, and although their meeting was brief, Oliver and Frances began a letter-writing correspondence that lasted throughout the war. Frances worked for a time at the Canada Car and Foundry in Fort William where Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft were built for the Royal Air Force.

Oliver's navy training would take him out west on Vancouver Island at HMCS Naden (later CFB Esquimalt) then the navy base HMCS Cornwallis in Nova Scotia. Oliver was stationed at several east coast bases including HMCS Stadacona and HMCS Peregrine in Nova Scotia. Next, he was shipped to HMCS Avalon in St. John's, Newfoundland where he served on board a harbour craft - a 3-man vessel responsible for delivering secret messages and items to escort ships and watching for enemy vessels.

His next post was aboard Fairmile Motor Launch Q090. Fairmile motor-launches, referred to as a "sub-chasers," were wooden vessels measuring 34 metres, propelled by two 630hp-gas engines, with a crew of 12. Fairmile Q090, carrying depth charges, patrolled up and down the east coast looking for enemy U-boats. It travelled as part of a flotilla of 4-6Fairmiles along with HMCS Preserver F94 - assigned to Newfoundland Force as a Fairmile base supply ship.

Following that post, Oliver became a member of the crew of the River-class frigate HMCS Lauzon K671-she arrived in St. John's in late November 1944 to join Escort Group C-6. She was continuously employed until VE-Day as a mid-ocean escort to convoys traversing the Atlantic Ocean from east coast ports like St. John's Newfoundland to Londonderry, Ireland (the "Newfie to Derry" run) and to England and into the English Channel. When the war in Europe ended in May 1945, Oliver was at sea aboard the Lauzon.

After VE Day, Oliver volunteered to serve in the Pacific Theatre and was granted 90 days leave that he chose to spend in Canada. He made the trip home across the Atlantic aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Puncher D79. She left Glasgow, Scotland bound for New York, and accompanied by other military personnel, she carried hundreds of British War brides and children. As the Puncher neared home, it was hit by a brutal storm. The extreme winds, huge waves and driving rain stalled the ship in the same location for five days and resulted in tremendous damage on board. Years later Oliver recalled that, "You couldn't sit to eat a meal and it was a rough go for the British brides and their children; many got very sick."

In mid-August 1945, while still on leave in Canada and before returning to HMCS Stadacona in Halifax where he was destined to serve in the Pacific, Japan surrendered to end World War II. Oliver received his Honourable discharge on September 10, 1947 in Esquimalt, British Columbia. His medals and decorations included the Atlantic Star, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp, and War Medal 1939-45.

In March 1948, almost five years after they had first met at the train station, Oliver married Frances Dubeau in Fort William. They would be blessed with two sons, Ken and Tom. Oliver's first job after the war was as a camp clerk with Mando Paper Company bush camp near Ear Falls, Ontario. In the summer of 1949, he began his new job with Ontario Hydro, Forestry Department in Thunder Bay, the beginning of a career that lasted for over 34 years.

Retirement years were spent in Thunder Bay and Florida before moving to Forest then Sarnia. Oliver enjoyed camping, fishing, golfing, traveling, getting together with friends, gathering with family-and he always had a handyman project on the go. He treasured his grandchildren and spending time with them-Megan and Bennett. He had an easy-going nature, quiet charm, gentle spirit, and razor-sharp wit that made him an endless source of joy to those around him. Oliver Kenneth Slater, age 95, passed away on January 14, 2021 at Bluewater Health, Sarnia.

Oliver was reluctant to talk about his service to Canada in the war. It was not until late in life that his son was able to pry some of his wartime experiences from him. Even after 70+ years, Oliver still had vivid memories of the events and feelings of his time during the Battle of the Atlantic. Some of his memories included: being very nervous the first night he had to sleep below deck for fear of an enemy attack; the bitter cold of the North Atlantic and wearing a "zoot suit" to stay as warm as possible; of having to chip ice off the cables, deck and rails of the rolling ship; of the Lauzon's mascot, a pet monkey of one of the crew members, that had free roam of the ship; of eating food staples that included oatmeal porridge, powdered eggs and powdered milk, "red lead and bacon", and the hot "kye" drink; of seeing one or more enemy periscopes poke up above the waterline, but not for long, and especially at night; of seeing U-boats surfacing in the middle of a convoy and hearing and seeing merchant ships hit and exploding in flames; of the Lauzon breaking off to perform circular sweeps in an attempt to locate the enemy subs with asdic and dropping depth charges in a set pattern at 50, 100, 150 and 200' depths; after VE-Day seeing rows upon rows of German U-boats lined up in the English Channel; and being part of a group tasked with unloading material from a captured U-boat in Newfoundland-there was lots of liquor on board but they were too afraid to touch anything, weary of booby-traps and poisoned liquor.

Ships served in:

HMCS AVALON - for duty on unknown Harbour Craft

ML Q090

HMCS LAUZON

HMS PUNCHER - For travel back to Canada for leave before drafted to the Pacific war theatre