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Gunner (T) Bernard Edward Hiron RCN – A West Coast Tragedy

by John MacFarlane 2020

Bernard Edward Hiron

Gunner (T) Bernard Edward Hiron RCN as a Petty Officer (RCN Official Photo from the Lisa Simonok collection.)

Marine activity on Vancouver Island’s west coast always presents risks. When it is coupled with military activity the risks rise. Lisa Simonock recently sent me photographs and clippings that provided the background to a little known tragedy that occurred near Ucluelet BC after the end of the Second World War. The forgotten episode of the end of the Second World War carried on well after the cessation of hostilities.

Lisa Simonok’s grandfather, Warrant Officer Bernard Edward Hiron RCN was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer who participated in the cleanup of mines discovered on British Columbia shores after the end of the Second World War. Born England he joined the navy

Mine Disposal Team

Members of an RCN Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team with a Second World War Japanese anti–ship mine that drifted onto a beach at Cape Cook BC. (l–r) Lieutenant Fred Barber RCN(R), Warrant Officer Bernard E. Hiron RCN, Petty Officer W. Easton RCN, and Able–Seaman Gordon Mitchell RCN(R). Petty Officer Easton detonated the mine with a single shot from his rifle. (RCN Official Photo from the Lisa Simonok collection.))

On March 31, 1946, in a tragic accident Warrant Officer Bernard Hiron and Long Beach resident R. Whittington were drowned when the small naval boat they were travelling in capsized at Long Beach (now in Pacific Rim National Park). Mr. Hiron was the bomb disposal officer in HMCS Talapus and was sent to Long Beach to handle an old Japanese mine that was found by local fishermen. This was done successfully but afterwards the boat capsized while carrying four people. B.C. Provincial Police Constable George Redhead of Ucluelet was saved from the surf.

Memorial Bar

The memorial bar awarded to the next of kin after Warrant Officer Bernard Hiron’s death. Because they are awarded to next–of–kin, Mother’s Crosses and Memorial Bars are seldom seen in public. (Photo from the Lisa Simonok collection.)

Gunner (T) Hiron, Bernard Edward RCN was born in 1912 in Croydon, Surrey UK. He joined the navy as an Ordinary Seaman RCN in 1931. He was appointed as an Able–Seaman RCN. In 1936 he served in HMS Vernon for LTO course. He was appointed as a Leading Seaman (With seniority dated 15/06/1937). In 1938 he served in HMCS Skeena. He was appointed as a Petty Officer RCN (With seniority dated 12/07/1939). He was appointed as a Chief Petty Officer RCN. In 1944 he served in HMCS Stadacona for Officer Qualifying Course. In 1944 he served in HMCS Niobe. In 1944 he served in HMS Vernon for Roedean School of Mining and Torpedo School (Brighton). (CFR). He was appointed as an A/Gunner (T) RCN (With seniority dated 01/08/1945). In 1945 he served in HMCS Crescent. In 1946 he served in HMCS Talapus. He was buried in the Naval Cemetery, Esquimalt BC.

During the Second World War hundreds of thousands of anti–ship mines were laid by Japanese and Russian forces in the Pacific. Over the years many of them broke loose from their moorings and began to drift across the Pacific. Some of them even washed up on beaches in British Columbia and had to be destroyed by Explosive Ordnance Demolition teams. From time to time live mines have been discovered on the Pacific coast and have been destroyed by detonation. It is still possible that there are still live mines caught in the drift logs of remote beaches on the Pacific coast.


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John (2020) Bernard Hiron – A West Coast Tragedy. Nauticapedia.ca 2020. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/Hiron_Bernard.php

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