Oostende Naval Memorial

On the afternoon of February 14, 1945, disaster struck the Canadian 29^th Motor Torpedo Boat flotilla during the Second World War. In advance of a patrol that night, many of the sailors were asleep on their boats docked in Ostend, Belgium (spelled ‘Oostende' in the local Flemish language). Spilled fuel that had ended up floating on the surface of the harbour suddenly ignited and, before an alarm could even be raised, a raging fire quickly spread amongst the closely-moored vessels. Fuel and ammunition supplies exploded as boat after boat caught fire. Many of the men were trapped on board and had no escape as even the water was aflame. By the time it was over, the 29^th flotilla had lost 26 Canadian sailors and five of eight of its vessels were destroyed. An estimated 35 British sailors and seven Royal Navy vessels had also been lost.

Motor torpedo boats (MTBs) were small warships about 22 metres long and six metres wide. Equipped with powerful engines, torpedoes, light naval guns and machine guns, the Canadian MTBs operated chiefly at night in the English Channel as fast attack boats that disrupted enemy shipping off the coast of occupied Europe, and defended Allied shipping from the German's own fast attack boats and midget submarines. The MTBs also played an important role on D-Day when they helped protect the huge Allied fleet from German warships.

The MTB crews had an extremely dangerous job – their boats were small, the seas of the English Channel were rough and German guns and mines were never far away. To commemorate the disaster of February 14, 1945, the Oostende Naval Memorial to the Canadian 29^th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla was erected on land donated by the city of Oostende near where the fire occurred. Made in Nova Scotia and funded by Royal Canadian Navy Associations, the 2.4 metre-high granite monument bears a picture of a motor torpedo boat and the names of the Canadians who lost their lives. Two granite benches face opposite sides of the block monument which was dedicated on May 8, 2003. A memorial service is held each year on February 14 – the anniversary of the disaster.

The front of the monument has the following inscription:

CANADA REMEMBERS THE 29TH MTB FLOTILLA

FEBRUARY 14, 1945

ON THIS DATE AN ACCIDENTAL FIRE AND EXPLOSIONS DECIMATED THE 29TH CANADIAN MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT FLOTILLA WHILE DOCKED IN OOSTENDE, BELGIUM HARBOUR. 26 SAILORS OF THE R.C.N.V.R. WERE KILLED AND 5 BOATS DESTROYED.

IN HONOUR OF

• BAHLEDA TEL, STEPHEN
• BOND AB, NEIL
• BROWN AB, WILFRED
• BRUSH OT JOHN
• BYRNE AB, JOHN
• CATHCART AB, NORMAN
• CRANG AB, WILLIAM
• CROSS AB, ALBERT
• DICK AB, BENSON
• GAUTHIER AB, JOSEPH
• HALE LT WILLIAM
• HARPER, QT, MELVIN
• HUNTER MM, IAN
• KENNY AB, JAMES
• LONG ST, CHARLES
• LONG OS, GORDON
• MACRAE LS, RALPH
• MOTLEY AS, DAVID
• NAYDO AB, MICHAEL
• NEWBIGGING AB, WILLIAM
• PARK AB, WILLIAM
• PURDY ST1, GORDON
• ROUTH MM., JOHN
• WATT MM., JOHN
• WELLINGTON MM., WILLIAM
• WRIGHT AB, JAMES D.S.M.

MTBs Nos 459, 461, 462, 465, 466

WE CARE AND REMEMBER
R.C.N.A.

THEY SERVED WITH VALOUR

The back of the monument reads:

"THEY DIED FOR THE FREEDOM OF BELGIUM AND MANKIND."

IN MEMORY OF THE R.C.N.V.R. OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE 29TH CANADIAN MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT FLOTILLA WHOSE NAMES ARE ENTERED HERE.

A FEW LIE IN MARKED GRAVES, THE MAJORITY KNOWN UNTO GOD. ALL ARE HONOURED HERE, IN THE HARBOUR OF OOSTENDE, WHERE THEY PAID THE SUPREME SACRIFICE.

WE PROUDLY SALUTE THE MEMORY OF SHIPMATES OF THE ROYAL NAVY, 35 WERE KILLED WITH THE LOSS OF 7 BOATS IN THIS DISASTER.

WE REMEMBER LS JOSEPH VASEY R.N. KILLED WHILE SERVING IN MTB 465 OF THE 29TH FLOTILLA.

ERECTED BY THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVAL ASSOCIATION, THE CANADIAN COASTAL FORCES VETERANS ASSOCIATION, SYMPATHETIC FRIENDS, AND THE MAYOR, COUNCIL AND CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF OOSTENDE.

MAY 8, 2003

Directions

The Oostende Naval Monument to the Canadian 29^th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla is located in the port city of Oostende in western Belgium, close to the French border. The monument is found on the Montgomery Dock, just a few hundred metres northwest of the Oostende train station.