Name: Mandee d’Entremont Service: Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve Date of Birth: August 22 1894 At the age of 20, Mandee d’Entremont decided to enlist with the Canadian Army. In the winter of 1914 he travelled by train to enlist at Barrington. However, because of a winter storm the train from Halifax transporting the enlistment officer became stuck in snow. An alternative for Mandee was to enlist with the Royal Navy which he did. He served on survey ships tasked with guarding the entrance to Halifax harbour and on look-out for enemy activities in the waters around Halifax. He served on the Acadia (a Canadian patrol vessel, built in 1913, and in service from December 1914) and the Lansdowne (a Canadian patrol vessel, built in 1884, and in service from April 1917). In December 1917, Mandee was on the Lansdowne and the ship was scheduled to return to Halifax on December 5, the day before the Halifax explosion. A decision by the Captain to remain at sea one more day saw the Lansdowne entering Halifax harbour on the morning of December 6. “it was Mandee’s turn at the steering wheel and this gave him a grand view of what was about to happen. The first thing he remembered seeing was a big red flame shooting upwards, then the blast and debris flying in all directions, passing mostly overhead, causing little damage and no injuries to the Lansdowne or it crew. A heavy smoke rose for about three miles into the sky and hung there for a while turning from Black to grey.” After the war, Mandee worked a a variety of jobs. For a time he worked as a carpenter in the United States returning to Nova Scotia in 1925. He was the father of twelve children. Mandee died at the age of 99 on September 25, 1993. Sources: Annapolis County Spectator (December 8, 2011) Article “Captain’s Decision Likely Saved Lives” by Laurent d’Entremont http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishShips-Dittmar5Support.htm#32

Mandee d’Entremont

(Lansdown - WWI) Photo: Courtesy of Margaret d’Entremont