HMCS UGANDA...............

THE "UGANDA" named after the country that bears that name in South Africa.

• for a brief history of Uganda go to ( http://www.naval-museum.mb.ca/ )
• the stained glass window shown above was obtained from the Manitoba naval museum.

The warship Uganda was built as a Light Cruiser and served in the Pacific theatre during World War II , at first as a British Naval ship and then at the last stage of the war served in the Canadian Navy; She was the first Canadian Naval vessel to sail on a goodwill tour after the end of that war.

I among others was drafted aboard Uganda in late January 1946 from Halifax where the East Coat Naval Base is located . In order to get to destination where Uganda was berthed I had to get there by train from Halifax, ( the ship was actually tied up in Esquimalt, Victoria B.C.) This was quite a trip on the train for me as I was barely over 18 years of age and had never travelled further than the 1000 miles from Montreal to Halifax. Going through the Rockies at 3 in the afternoon, already dark and cold skies at that time of the year, I wondered what it will be like in a couple of weeks' time when I will then be sailing south in the warm Pacific ocean climate.

Circumnavigating South America.

Uganda sailed out of Esquimalt , a distance of nearly 4,000 miles from Halifax . The ship departed on the 5th of February 1946, sailed south in the Pacific, crossed the Equator, rounded Cape Horn then proceeded North along the Atlantic ocean, crossed the Equator again and returned to Esquimalt via Panama Canal arriving back to her point of departure on the 17th of May 1946 after having covered a distance at sea of over 18,000 miles, thereby circum- navigating South America.

The following chart shows the course and port of calls visited by Uganda :

• The following is a copy of a certificate of "Crossing the line " issued to every crew-
• member that sailed on "Uganda"on the cruise described below and in the above chart.
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• Note : Longitude should read 090°W.

• Below is a copy of a certificate of " Uganda " Rounding the Horn" issued to every crew member who sailed around that spit of land called Cape Horn.

Below -The Uganda at sea the day she sailed round the Horn (20th of March 1946).

• Notice the jib like sail on the starboard bow .
• That sail was made up of about 100 sleeping hammocks sewed together, ( the ship is really powered by 4- 40,000 H.P steam turbines).
• The inset picture is that of Stoker 1/c Fred Trottier ( just over 6 months in the Navy)

above: seagulls in flight