George H. Cuthbertson Archives

     I’ve never really known my Dad to be a military man.  His childhood was during the Second World War but he wasn’t exactly affected by it except the story of an escaped German prisoner knocking on his parent’s door looking for food in Brantford.  Also as noted, G.H.C.  almost worked on motor launches at J.J. Taylor Boatworks.  In later years he built a railing around a deck at one of his houses using stanchions from Fairmiles Motor Launches built by J.J. Taylor. He supported  HMCS Sackville in Halifax,  the Hamilton and Scourge Project, war of 1812 wrecks off the City of Hamilton. In the family name, he knew The Cruel Sea novel was based on a Lieutenant Commander Cuthbertson’s exploits during WWII on a Corvette, and there was Commandant John Cuthbertson, his 4th great uncle that was lost at sea in 1823 Australia. 

     And he did have that childhood wonder in fighting ships.   One of the books I have is the 1939 edition of Jane’s Fighting Ships that listed the world’s Navies just as the war was breaking out.  In it he and his father kept notes of the ships sunk, when and a few articles on their sinking and other tidbits.   

     Maybe that young lad did want to be a Navy man.