Who is he?
Researched by E3161 Victoria Edwards (RMC 2003)
- He was born in 1918.
- Brought up in Ottawa, he attended Lisgar Collegiate.
- He entered Royal Military College in September 1936. His class would have graduated in June 1940, but by 1938, the Canadian Forces, particularly the Navy, were certain that war was coming soon. Accordingly, his class was accelerated and he graduated in June 1939.
- He served in SKEENA from November 1939 to January 1940, to gain some sea experience, and from January to May he sailed in HMCS SAGUENAY, mainly on North Atlantic convoys.
- In June 1940, along with over 100 other Canadian Naval Officers, he was ‘loaned’ to the Royal Navy – for 4½ years!
- From September 1940 to Spring 1942, he was in HMS BRIGHTON, mainly in North Atlantic convoys.
- From Spring 1942 until December he served in HMS RIPLEY.
- After two months leave, he joined HMS WILDGOOSE as a senior watchkeeper, then First Lieutenant. As A/LCDR, he became CO of WILDGOOSE on what was described by the First Lord of the Admiralty as “the most outstanding cruise undertaken in this war by an escort group.” From June 1943 through July 1944, WILDGOOSE was in twelve of the sixteen actions and sank 9 submarines. He was Mentioned-in-Dispatches (MID) in June 1943.
- He took courses ashore in August and September 1944, and in December 1944 went to Canada on leave, during which time he got married to Beatrice.
- In February 1945, he was confirmed as LCDR, transferred back to the Canadian Navy, and was appointed to HMCS WESTON in command.
- He came home, was on the staff of the Privy Council Office for six years, and became an executive in the CBC, in Ottawa, until he retired in 1985.
- In 1952, he joined the RCN(R) as Training Commander in HMCS CARLETON, then XO and finally in command of CARLETON, retiring in 1960.
- In 1985, he lost his much-loved first wife, Beatrice. He eloped with Marnie Taylor (nee Duncan), a longtime family friend in February, 1987 in Palm Springs,
- He was a member of Naval Officers Association of Canada (Ottawa/Toronto/Hamilton area Groups).
- He was a guest speaker at Battle-of-the-Atlantic Mess Dinners in HMCS YORK and HMCS STAR and in local schools.
- He died on January 25, 2009 and was buried in Oakville, Ontario.
2519 Commander (Ret’d) William (Bill) Pennock Chipman, (e-Veritas obituary)
(RMC 1936) MiD, VRD, RCNVR and RCN(R),