It all started during one rather frivilous function in June 1963. The Club was marking the visit of Commodore E.N. Clarke, then commander of the Royal Canadian Naval Dockyard in Halifax.
When the chronometer was approaching the middle watch, and while the liquid libations were still flowing unabated, a certain uninhibited cynic saddled up to the commodore and bet him that he could not produce a periscope for the Crow's Nest.
Commodore Clarke, a very naval person, instantly accepted the wager and bravely guaranteed to meet the challenge.
It wasn't long afterwards that two naval artificiers arrived to begin the preliminary engineering, and the necessary socializing. Between hangovers, they managed to mount our periscope, with the not inconsiderable aid of a grand Newfoundlander by the name of Peter Summers, and his giant crane.
The periscope was from U190, which had surrendered off Newfoundland at war's end. The scope had apparently laid dormant at HMCS Dockyard after being removed from the Maritime Museum on Citadel Hill, in Halifax, to make room for other items.
It's rather fitting, if somewhat odd, that the final resting place of this periscope should be in a Crow's Nest!
-TONY AYRE
U-190 Surrendered to HMCS Victoriaville in St. John's Harbour on May 10, 1945. The Victoriaville's captain was Lt. Cdr Hickey.
