Charles Dumaresq, long-time and dedicated devotee of the Cobalt story, asked for our help locating artifacts related to the WWII “Flower Class” corvette, the HMCS Cobalt. What follows is his account of the search, and the happy ending!
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A ship was named for Cobalt?
HMCS Cobalt was a Second World War Royal Canadian Navy convoy escort ship named after the town of Cobalt. Yes, Cobalt had a ship named after it! The ship served from late 1940 until the end of the war in May 1945. At war’s end, it was decommissioned almost immediately and later sold as a whaling ship.
Little remains of HMCS Cobalt. After the war, the ship’s bell was given to the Town of Cobalt and has been in the collection of the Bunker Military Museum for many years.
Gunshield artwork
One interesting feature of the Cobalt is that it had artwork painted on the shield around its main gun that honoured Cobalt’s mining history. The artwork featured a bumble bee wearing a miner’s helmet, and in one pair of hands it was holding a miner’s hammer and stick of dynamite while in the other pair of hands it was using a small jackhammer to smash a swastika.
In St. John’s Newfoundland, there is a pub that was a naval officer’s club during the war, and that pub has an amazing collection of artifacts related to the Royal Canadian Navy and many other navies. Those artifacts include a painting of the Cobalt’s gunshield art, painted by the same artist that painted the gunshield.
The Search and Discovery
Charles Dumaresq is a geologist with a long interest in Cobalt’s history and has been researching HMCS Cobalt. Early this year, he discovered that another copy of this artwork had been given to the town during the war. A quest began, but the artwork seemed long lost and forgotten, and no one in town knew anything about it – the Town Office, the Cobalt Mining Museum, the Bunker, and the Royal Canadian Legion – everywhere he searched he came up empty. Then, in August, staff at the Cobalt Mining Museum discovered the artwork!
In September, Charles paid a quick visit to Cobalt while on a business trip. With the cooperation of staff from the Cobalt Mining Museum and the Bunker, he was able to reunite these two artifacts of HMCS Cobalt – the ship’s bell and the artwork of the ship’s gunshield. A special moment, and a reminder of this important chapter in Cobalt’s, and Canada’s history. Charles is writing a book about HMCS Cobalt and has dug out a lot of other information about the relationship between the ship and the town.
HMCS Cobalt in 1942 or early 1943. It is hard to see, but the gunshield is painted with the artwork.
HMCS Cobalt’s bell and gunshield art honouring Cobalt’s mining heritage, temporarily reunited at the Bunker in Cobalt.
The artwork that was actually applied to the Cobalt’s gunshield. The same artist’s signature is on this (just below the bee’s left foot) and in the artwork in Cobalt. The one in Cobalt is missing the wings and a few other details, which suggests it might actually have been the first version created by the artist, with the more refined, final version (also signed) now in the Crow’s Nest Officer’s Club in St. John’s and forming the basis for the version applied full size on the ship. In researching the artwork, Charles also discovered that the gunshield art was based on a logo created by Walt Disney in 1942 to encourage workers for Beech Aircraft Corp in Wichita, Kansas. The artist creating the Cobalt’s gunshield art likely saw a magazine advertisement for Beech that ran in July 1942.
Disney’s Beechcraft Busy Bee, the inspiration for HMCS Cobalt’s gunshield art.
Maggie would you be able to send me the picture of the bell from the Navy ship Cobalt as I have a gentleman that is interested in the history of the ship thank you
For sure!
Thanks for sharing the story.
Maggie
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My grandfather served on this ship for quite some time later in the war. He always talked about this one in particular even though he served on several in the 6 years he served. We have several pictures of the focsle extension and repainting along with several unidentified crew. He never wrote any names on the pictures! I’ve got pictures of the 2 versions of the gun shield art and now I know where that vertical line comes from. It came from the metal rod in front of the art.
Thanks for your comment, Daryl – If you wish, you might want to speak with Charles Dumaresq author of “HMCS Cobalt – Cobalt’s Namesake Goes to War.” I know he’d be interested in chatting with you. You can read more, here
Hello Maggie
My father was a Chief Petty Officer on the Cobalt and I have some pictures of the crew and ship. His name was Gilbert Nelson Potter from Stettler, Alberta. He also has the Dieppe medal.
We have the number of days he spent at sea in the North Sea off the coast of Northeast England. I forget the number of days -I can get them from his grandson. He would never go on a cruise!
Canada loaned him with other Navy personnel to England and he had the honor of shaking hands with King George VI.
My other question is what is the name of the pub in St Johns, Newfoundland that was a naval officers club during the war, with a lot of artifacts. I would LOVE to see them and take pictures. I am visiting there again in July.
I have been doing genealogy for some 20 years.
PS I dont have a website
Wonderful to hear from you, Vickie – I’ll put you in touch with Charles Dumaresq author of “HMCS Cobalt – Cobalt’s Namesake Goes to War.” I know he’d be interested in chatting with you. You can read more, here