William Landymore
Encyclopedia
Rear-Admiral William Moss Landymore, OBE
, CD (31 July 1916, Brantford
, Ontario
– 27 November 2008, Halifax, Nova Scotia
) was a Canadian
naval officer.
as cadet # 2399 in 1934. As a cadet, he served aboard the Royal Navy
training cruiser HMS Frobisher
before being sent as a midshipman to the light cruiser HMS Emerald
. He was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy
in 1936 and promoted to Sub-Lieutenant on 1 March 1939.
in 1940 and survived her sinking after she collided with cruiser HMS Calcutta
in the Gironde estuary
. He was promoted to Lieutenant (Navy)
in 1940 and served aboard the 'River'-class
destroyer HMCS Margaree and survived her sinking.
Landymore served on convoy
escort missions in the Atlantic
, Arctic
, and Pacific Ocean
s, in the Second World War.
and served as Gunnery Officer aboard HMCS Uganda. He was then stationed as Staff Gunnery Officer at Naval Service Headquarters in Ottawa.
He was promoted to Commander
and given command of the 'Tribal'-class
destroyer HMCS Iroquois
, where he was awarded a Mention in Despatches (MID). He commanded Iroquois for the duration of the Korean War
from 21 October 1951 to 31 October 1953.
Landymore was promoted to Captain
in 1953, and was posted to a variety of stations throughout the remainder of the 1950s, including the position of Captain, Commander Canadian Destroyers Far East when he was awarded an OBE
. Landymore was given command of the RCN's last aircraft carrier
, HMCS Bonaventure
.
He was promoted to Commodore
in 1959 and served as Senior Canadian Officer Afloat from 1959-1962 when he was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1962.
Landymore served as Flag Officer Atlantic Coast in 1962 and then as Flag Officer, Pacific Coast in 1963. He was appointed Chief of the Naval Staff
that year, a position that he served until his resignation from the RCN in 1967.
Landymore became embroiled in "a bitter public disagreement" over the unification of the Canadian Armed Forces
and resigned from the RCN on 19 July 1966 (effective 5 May 1967).
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CD (31 July 1916, Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
– 27 November 2008, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
naval officer.
Career
Landymore commenced studies at the Royal Military College of CanadaRoyal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
as cadet # 2399 in 1934. As a cadet, he served aboard the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
training cruiser HMS Frobisher
HMS Frobisher (D81)
HMS Frobisher was a Hawkins-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Devonport Dockyard and launched on 20 March 1920.-Interwar career:...
before being sent as a midshipman to the light cruiser HMS Emerald
HMS Emerald (D66)
HMS Emerald was an Emerald-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Armstrong , with the keel being laid down on 23 September 1918...
. He was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
in 1936 and promoted to Sub-Lieutenant on 1 March 1939.
World War II
Landymore was posted to the C-class destroyer HMCS FraserHMCS Fraser
Two Canadian naval units have been named HMCS Fraser. was a C-class destroyer launched in 1932 as HMS Crescent and transferred to the RCN in 1937. She was lost on 25 June 1940 in a collision with HMS Calcutta in the Gironde estuary....
in 1940 and survived her sinking after she collided with cruiser HMS Calcutta
HMS Calcutta (D82)
HMS Calcutta was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the Indian city of Calcutta. She was part of the Carlisle group of the C-class of cruisers.She was laid down by Vickers Limited in 1917, and launched on 9 July 1918...
in the Gironde estuary
Gironde estuary
The Gironde is a navigable estuary , in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just below the centre of Bordeaux...
. He was promoted to Lieutenant (Navy)
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1940 and served aboard the 'River'-class
Canadian River class destroyer
The River class was a class of fourteen destroyers of the Royal Canadian Navy that served before and during the Second World War. They were named after Canadian rivers.-Description:...
destroyer HMCS Margaree and survived her sinking.
Landymore served on convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
escort missions in the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, Arctic
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
, and Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
s, in the Second World War.
Cold War
Landymore was promoted to Lieutenant-CommanderLieutenant-Commander (Canada)
In the Royal Canadian Navy, the rank of lieutenant-commander is the naval rank equal to major in the army or air force and is the first rank of senior officer...
and served as Gunnery Officer aboard HMCS Uganda. He was then stationed as Staff Gunnery Officer at Naval Service Headquarters in Ottawa.
He was promoted to Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
and given command of the 'Tribal'-class
Tribal class destroyer (1936)
The Tribal class, or Afridi class, were a class of destroyers built for the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Australian Navy that saw service in World War II...
destroyer HMCS Iroquois
HMCS Iroquois (G89)
-External links:** at Haze Gray and Underway*...
, where he was awarded a Mention in Despatches (MID). He commanded Iroquois for the duration of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
from 21 October 1951 to 31 October 1953.
Landymore was promoted to Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
in 1953, and was posted to a variety of stations throughout the remainder of the 1950s, including the position of Captain, Commander Canadian Destroyers Far East when he was awarded an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. Landymore was given command of the RCN's last aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
, HMCS Bonaventure
HMCS Bonaventure (CVL 22)
HMCS Bonaventure was a Majestic class aircraft carrier. She served in the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces Maritime Command from 1957 to 1970 and was the third and the last aircraft carrier to serve Canada. The ship was laid down for the British Royal Navy as in November 1943. At the end...
.
He was promoted to Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
in 1959 and served as Senior Canadian Officer Afloat from 1959-1962 when he was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1962.
Landymore served as Flag Officer Atlantic Coast in 1962 and then as Flag Officer, Pacific Coast in 1963. He was appointed Chief of the Naval Staff
Commander Royal Canadian Navy
The Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy is the commander and institutional head of the Royal Canadian Navy. The Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy is based at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario.-History of the post:...
that year, a position that he served until his resignation from the RCN in 1967.
Landymore became embroiled in "a bitter public disagreement" over the unification of the Canadian Armed Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
and resigned from the RCN on 19 July 1966 (effective 5 May 1967).
Honours
He was awarded an MID in the London Gazette of 1 January 1946 and Canada Gazette of 5 January, in recognition of his service to Uganda. He was awarded the Naval General Service Medal with Palestine bar for his service to Emerald for training during his Palestine campaign service in 1937. He was awarded an OBE and an MID for his Korean War service as commanding officer of Iroquois. In retirement, as Chairman of the Board of Grace Hospital Halifax, Nova Scotia he was awarded the Salvation Army Cross of the Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service. He is a 2010 induction to the Wall of Honour at the Royal Military College of CanadaRoyal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
.
Promotions
- CadetCadetA cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
-28 August 1936 - MidshipmanMidshipmanA midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
-1 May 1937 - Acting Sub-Lieutenant-1 May 1939
- Sub-LieutenantSub-LieutenantSub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
-1940 - LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
-1 November 1940 - Actg. Lieutenant-Commander-5 June 1944
- Lieutenant-Commander-1 May 1947
- CommanderCommanderCommander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
-1 July 1949 - Actg. Captain-14 June 1952
- CaptainCaptain (OF-2)The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
-1 January 1953 - CommodoreCommodore (Canada)Commodore is the lowest of the flag officer ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy; it is equivalent to Brigadier General in the Army and Air Force. It is junior to Rear Admiral and Major General, and senior to Captain and Colonel....
-1 October 1959 - Rear-Admiral-1 November 1962
Sources
- Milner, Marc. "Landymore, William Moss", in The Canadian Encyclopedia, Volume 2, p. 1173. Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1988.
- 4237 Dr. Adrian Preston & Peter Dennis (Edited) "Swords and Covenants" Rowman And Littlefield, London. Croom Helm. 1976.
- H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College of Canada" 1997 Toronto, University of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto Press is Canada's leading scholarly publisher and one of the largest university presses in North America. Founded in 1901, UTP has published over 6,500 books, with well over 3,500 of these still in print....
, 1969. - H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "Canada's RMC - A History of Royal Military College" Second Edition 1982
- H1877 R. Guy C. Smith (editor) "As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember". In 2 Volumes. Volume I: 1876-1918. Volume II: 1919-1984. Royal Military College. [Kingston]. The R.M.C. Club of Canada. 1984