Grubb, Frederic Ernest

After his naval service he became Registrar of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria BC.

He was appointed as a Naval Cadet RCN (With seniority dated 07/09/1928).

He served in H.M.S. Erebus for Training (Special Entry No. 25.) 1928.

He was appointed as a Midshipman RCN (With seniority dated 01/01/1930).

He served in RN for Training 1930.

He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant RCN (With seniority dated 01/08/1932).

He was appointed as a Lieutenant RCN(With seniority dated 01/08/1935).

He served in HMCS St. Laurent as Executive Officer 1938.

He served in HMCS Moosejaw (In command) 1941.

He served in HMCS Charny (In command) 1942.

He was appointed as a Lieutenant-Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/08/1943).

He served in HMCS York on Staff of Commanding Officer Reserve Divisions 1942.

He served in HMCS Naden for Duty at RCN Barracks Esquimalt 1947.

He was appointed as a Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/01/1950).

He served in NHQ as Director of Officer Personnel 1950.

He served in HMCS Niobe on Staff of Naval Member Military Standardization Agency 1952.

He was appointed as an A/Captain (WHA) RCN (With seniority dated 09/08/1954).

He served in HMCS Niobe as Chief Staff Officer to Naval Member of the Canadian Joint Staff (London) and as Alternate Canadian Naval Member to Military Agency for Standardization 1954.

He was appointed as a Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/01/1950).

He served in HMCS Naden on Staff of Flag Officer Pacific Coast as Assistant Chief of Staff (Training and Administration) 1956. (He was retired.)

He was awarded a Mention-in-Despatches "For good service in HMCS Moose Jaw, in action against enemy submarines and in rescuing survivors from a merchantman." Commander Grubb described the incident "From HMCS Moose Jaw at St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Captain (D) Newfoundland Force, November 6, 1941. (For the full text of this letter, see National Archives of Canada) "At about 2100 on 10th September, flares and star shell were sighted ahead on either bow. Hands went to action stations at 2130. At about 2200, HMCS Chambly signalled that he was about to blow a depth charge, and altered course to port. At the time the two ships were in line abreast, MOOSE JAW to starboard. I altered course to port in a wide sweep to keep clear of Chambly and to place myself to carry out a depth charge attack. A few minutes later, I saw a submarine surface between CHAMBLY and ourselves, [and it] appeared to be stopped . The submarine made a series of “I’s” on a small lamp just abaft the conning tower. It got under weigh at this point, and I gave chase, opening fire with the 4-inch gun as soon as it was clear of CHAMBLY. The submarine appeared to be moving at about 13 knots. It attempted to place me dead astern, altering course to do so each time I tried to alter out of its wake. I ordered the 10-inch signal projector trained on it, disclosing the crew on the upper deck.

They appeared to be so demoralized that ...I thought there might be some chance of capturing the submarine. The next few minutes were spent in chase, the submarine attempting to get directly ahead of me, and I trying to keep on his quarter in case he fired torpedoes . I managed to go alongside the submarine, starboard side to, and called on her to surrender. To my surprise, I saw a man make a magnificent leap from the submarine’s deck into our waist, and the remainder of her crew move to do likewise. Not being prepared to repel boarders at that moment I sheered off. The submarine altered course across my bows and I rammed her, increasing to 185 revolutions to do so, and altering course to hit her forward diving rudders and thus prevent her submerging. After the impact, she moved across my bows at reduced speed and I opened fire again. The crew jumped into the sea as soon as the first round went, and I ordered fire to be stopped. I subsequently learned that the shell had passed low enough over the conning tower to knock down the men who were standing thereon. The submarine was then on my port beam The man who I had seen jump aboard turned out to be the submarine’s commanding officer.

He was badly shaken and when he was brought to me on the bridge appeared to be worried at the amount of light we were showing in order to pick up survivors. The total number of prisoners taken from U-501was three commissioned officers, two midshipmen, and 24 ratings. The commanding officer, Commander Hugo Forster, a man of 35, was born in Berlin.

He was quiet and well mannered, and I saw no signs of Nazi influence. The executive officer, Lieutenant Werner Albring (age 26) was born in Wessel. I believe that if it had not been for the example of his commanding officer, he would have given trouble, as he appeared to be a Nazi type. The Second-Lieutenant, Lieutenant Hans Sittenfeld, age 24, born in Kiel, was in manners and attitude like his commanding officer. As I neared the starboard wing of the convoy, star shell fired by a destroyer, whom I believe to have been HMCS Skeena, passed close overhead. I switched on dim navigation lights until fire was ceased. The time was then approximately 2345. The keenness and attention to duty of the three submarine detector operators was outstanding. The energy, initiative and professional knowledge shown by the senior S.D.O., E. Thomas, Ordinary Seaman, N-V13460, was particularly worthy of note." David Grubb reports that "As Staff Executive Officer of Commanding Officer Reserve Division (CORD) HQ in Toronto, 1942-44, Lt. Grubb started and edited “The Naval Cord”, a rather obvious play on words, which was published monthly (mimeo by Gestetner!) and distributed to all Reserve divisions throughout Canada. From its first small edition it grew to a considerable number of pages with submissions from many of the Divisions across the country which included current events from the Divisions, postings, poetry, commentary on officer leadership, Naval customs, history and dress, and much more." David Grubb states that "at HMCS Naden, 1945-194949. LCdr Grubb was posted from Stadacona and was confined for six months in the TB ward of the Veteran’s Hospital, where he recuperated. Thereafter, surprised that he was not medically discharged, he instructed at Royal Roads Naval College. It is at this time that he presented a series of lectures to the cadets on the customs of the Navy, basing some of the material on his writings in “The Naval Cord”.

He subsequently published them in a mimeographed booklet in 1948 (revised in 1949) as “Some Naval Customs and Social Practices”.

They were dubbed thereafter by many as “Grubb’s Rules”: a title he detested since the purpose was simply to teach young officers from all walks of life how to behave as gentlemen both within the traditions of the Navy itself and in interacting with civil society. However, he felt that the hardest task he had ever undertaken was as a member of the writing board which developed the first edition of the tri-service “King’s Regulations and Orders” which saw the amalgamation of the common elements of all three services. His remark about this work was, Laws must not be written just so that the average person can understand them: rather they must be written so that the average person cannot fail to understand them."