Regarding the mess of the Canadian Submarines.

I wondered if the ex-Upholder class submarines acquired by Canada came with a warranty. This is a response I got in email:

Couple of points: 1. HMCS Chicoutimi was HMS Upholder, and Upholder was the first of the class, and did the trials. No 2 boat began trials but these were stopped by the decision to keep only SSNs in commission.The other two subs were mothballed immediately after launch.

2. On decommissioning, Upholder was tied along side at Gosport (the sub base west of Portsmouth) to allow potential purchasers to visit. I saw her there on a visit to the sub museum in 1992. She spent about ten years there before we bought the class. I don't think much effort went into preservation as Upholder was kept ready for demo cruises (1 or 2 months notice?) which never happened.

3. The boats were inspected and overhauled for the voyage to Canada. Note that 2 boats never had shakedown cruises and the third was stopped short. Only Upholder did so, and I suspect that her deficiencies were not fully corrected at the time; only on sale was the list to be checked and corrected. Problems with the other boats were probably due to having only Upholder's maintenance history for reference.

4. All four boats should have been given complete overhauls; rather that inspect and fix, followed by proper shakedowns. Then the voyage to Canada.

5. I suspect that Chicoutimi's problems are the result of equipment which passed muster during the inspection because deterioration was not detected, or the items were still deemed servicable because of lack of use vs age, etc. Fifteen year-old wiring which has not been used for ten years, nor maintained, nor preserved properly, would be less than trustworthy

6. Who allowed such to happen? The budget people (Treasury Board) who can be easily persuaded that maintenance and spare parts are optional, despite years of corrective experience; service pers (ie Navy) have some responsibility but even that would be due to TB policies. Politicians and senior civil servants did it to us again.

Which, of course, brings this bit of Mr. Kipling's verse to mind:

Tommy I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o'beer, the publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here." The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die, I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's ``Thank you, Mister Atkins,'' when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's ``Thank you, Mr. Atkins,'' when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints:
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!