The wartime memoirs of Canada’s most highly decorated submariner, Frederick H. Sherwood, have been co-authored by his son, Abbotsford publisher Philip Sherwood.
It’s Not the Ships recounts the experiences of the late Sherwood, from the time he joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) in 1933 until 1946.
During World War II, Sherwood served in the Royal Navy’s submarine service for five years and became the first Canadian to command an RN “boat.”
It’s Not the Ships has drawn enthusiastic reviews from Canadian submariners and naval historians.
“Only a few Canadians have commanded a submarine during wartime,” explained Commodore Larry Hickey RCN (Ret’d), a former submariner. “As such, Sherwood is an important part of Canadian submarine history.
“His memoir fills a void — it’s the first one ever of a wartime Canadian submarine commander, and it’s well told.”
“My father often said that the war left its stamp on him,” said Philip Sherwood.
“He liked to talk about his experiences, and as he was an engaging raconteur, we eventually persuaded him to commit his story to print.
“We supplemented his manuscript with material gleaned from several primary sources – his wartime correspondence, patrol and log reports from the UK Archives, photos from the Imperial War Museum and the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, and newspaper reports.
“It all comes together as an engaging account of one of the trailblazers of Canada’s submarine service.”