The Way It Was

Recalling a surprising security breach at Esquimalt Naval Base!

Iwas born in Victoria in August of 1948. There was no home to bring me back to yet, as Dad was busy building it. After the war, there were various courses that were oered to returning military people to help them get back into civilian life. Dad chose a carpentry and home-building course that he took during the day. He transferred from his mine-sweeper duties in the

Navy to a fireboat nightshift, which was pretty quiet most of the time. He spent most of the shift snoozing uncomfortably in a chair, so he could work on our new home during the day.

In due course, our pretty little bungalow on Wychbury Street in Esquimalt, B.C., was done and Dad went back to maintenance duties on the navy ships. It was something I was quite curious about and often prompted him to tell us boys what he had been doing that day. Sometimes he went out to sea and we would go down to the seashore to wave at his ship as it passed by. Dad and a crew member would get a sheet and wave it up and down so we could see him waving back at us. I wanted very much to see the big warships up close, but that was not possible as it was a military base. This was unacceptable to me, so one day I decided I would get around the regulations as a stowaway in the car to get past security. What harm could a fouryear-old little kid do? We had an old black Plymouth with big round fenders and running boards. I tucked myself between the back and front seats on the floor.

“Morning Jim. What are you working on today?” asked the sentry.

“Still doing the number two engine change-out on the destroyer,” replied Dad. “Okay, see you later.”

It was easy as that—i was in! I waited for a few seconds after the car door clunked closed and popped my head up. Dad was walking to the shops with his lunch bucket in hand. There were huge ships close by waiting

to be checked out. I scrambled out of the car and scurried over to the dock. Massive grey ships soared overhead. Amazing! I imagined myself up on the deck scanning the horizon for enemies, or manning the antiaircraft gun to shoot down Kamikaze pilots, and saying things like, “Aye, aye sir!”

I walked along the length of one warship fascinated by the details I could see from this close up. I lay down and peered over the edge of dock to examine the white numbers painted on the bow, which went down below the waterline disappearing into the green depths. How could someone paint the numbers under the water? Did he hold his breath and just jump in to do it? Was it waterproof paint? I was deep in thought contemplating this mystery when I was interrupted by a booming voice. A big navy man with a white helmet stood at attention before me. “Good morning, young fellow. Are you in the navy?” he asked. “No not yet, but I will be pretty soon because my dad is!” I replied.

“What’s your dad’s name?” he queried. I told him Jim Oliver and he said that if I wanted to be in the navy, I would have to be able to eat a lot of ice cream because sometimes that is all there was left to eat. I told him that I was very good at eating ice cream and would be pleased to show him. I hurried along beside him to the oˆce where I was told to take a seat. Before long

Dad appeared, jogging across the parking lot. Was he coming to have ice cream with us? The answer was no. I was quickly stu‹ed into the car and admonished for sneaking onto the base. I was told never to do that again!

At home, I was greeted by an anxious mother who had just discovered that I was no longer playing in the front yard. I sat at the kitchen table for a while and wondered when I was going to get my ice cream. n

Above: Ian (lower left) with his mom and siblings on the front steps of the home his dad built for them in Victoria after the war. Right: Ian’s dad, Jim Oiiver, in his Navy ocer’s uniform.