Biographical data

Biographical Data
Allan, John Photo Credit: Michael Price

Biographical Data

Allan, John

Photo Credit: Michael Price

Title	Vice-Admiral (CF)
Official Number	O-01616

Birth	31/03/1928	Death	01/05/2014
Place	Kirkland Lake	Place	Ottawa
Area	ON	Area	ON
Country	Canada	Country	Canada

Titles
Honours	CCM; OMM; OStJ;
Awards
Qualifications	BSc. PEng.

Biography
He was living in Kirkland Lake ON at the time of his recruitment. After his naval service he was the Executive VP Aviation Electric Ltd. 1984, Marine Administrator Transport Canada 1983, President MIL Systems Engineering Inc. 1985. He was the Senior Partner in CFN Consultants, Ottawa after retirement. He was the President of the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering in 1987.

Military Service
He was appointed as an Ordinary Seaman (Officer Candidate UNTD) (Queens) RCN(R) 1946. He served in HMCS Cataraqui for UNTD 1946. He served in HMCS Shearwater. (CFR). He was appointed as an Officer Cadet (L) (Queen's) RCN (With seniority dated 01/06/1953. He served in HMCS Cataraqui 1953. He was appointed as an A/Sub-Lieutenant (L) RCN (With seniority dated 01/06/1954). He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant (L) RCN (With seniority dated 01/06/1955). He served in HMCS Stadacona for RCN Barracks Halifax for Electrical Course 1955 and then to the Electrical School as Instructor in 1956. He was appointed as a Lieutenant (L) RCN (With seniority dated 01/03/1957). He served in HMCS Nootka as Electrical Officer 1958. He served in HMCS Stadacona on Staff of Commander Operational Evaluation Organization 1960. He served in HMCS Stadacona for Long Weapons Course 1961. He served in HMCS Yukon as Weapons Officer 1963. He was appointed as a Lieutenant-Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/01/1964). He served in CFHQ as Staff Officer Directorate of Systems Engineering 1964. He was appointed as a Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/08/1966). He served as Hydrofoil Project Fighting Equipment Officer 1966. He served as Head Action Information Section in Directorate of Combat Systems 1967. He served in HMCS Qu'Appelle (II) (In command) 1968. He was appointed as a Captain (MARE) (With seniority dated 01/07/1970). He served in NDHQ as Project Manager DDH-280 Program 1970. He served as Commander First Canadian Destroyer Squadron 1973. He was appointed as a Commodore (With seniority dated 15/07/1974). He served as Chief of Staff (Sea) Maritime Command HQ 1974. He served in NDHQ as Director General Maritime Engineering and Maintenance 1975. He was appointed as a Rear-Admiral (With seniority dated 15/08/1977). He served in DND as Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Materiel 1977. He was appointed as a Vice-Admiral (With seniority dated 01/07/1979). He served as Commander Maritime Command 1979. He served as Deputy Chief of Defence Staff 1980. (He was retired.)

Military Service

He was appointed as an Ordinary Seaman (Officer Candidate UNTD) (Queens) RCN(R) 1946. He served in HMCS Cataraqui for UNTD 1946. He served in HMCS Shearwater. (CFR). He was appointed as an Officer Cadet (L) (Queen's) RCN (With seniority dated 01/06/1953. He served in HMCS Cataraqui 1953. He was appointed as an A/Sub-Lieutenant (L) RCN (With seniority dated 01/06/1954). He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant (L) RCN (With seniority dated 01/06/1955). He served in HMCS Stadacona for RCN Barracks Halifax for Electrical Course 1955 and then to the Electrical School as Instructor in 1956. He was appointed as a Lieutenant (L) RCN (With seniority dated 01/03/1957). He served in HMCS Nootka as Electrical Officer 1958. He served in HMCS Stadacona on Staff of Commander Operational Evaluation Organization 1960. He served in HMCS Stadacona for Long Weapons Course 1961. He served in HMCS Yukon as Weapons Officer 1963. He was appointed as a Lieutenant-Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/01/1964). He served in CFHQ as Staff Officer Directorate of Systems Engineering 1964. He was appointed as a Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/08/1966). He served as Hydrofoil Project Fighting Equipment Officer 1966. He served as Head Action Information Section in Directorate of Combat Systems 1967. He served in HMCS Qu'Appelle (II) (In command) 1968. He was appointed as a Captain (MARE) (With seniority dated 01/07/1970). He served in NDHQ as Project Manager DDH-280 Program 1970. He served as Commander First Canadian Destroyer Squadron 1973. He was appointed as a Commodore (With seniority dated 15/07/1974). He served as Chief of Staff (Sea) Maritime Command HQ 1974. He served in NDHQ as Director General Maritime Engineering and Maintenance 1975. He was appointed as a Rear-Admiral (With seniority dated 15/08/1977). He served in DND as Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Materiel 1977. He was appointed as a Vice-Admiral (With seniority dated 01/07/1979). He served as Commander Maritime Command 1979. He served as Deputy Chief of Defence Staff 1980. (He was retired.)

Vessels Owned
Aircraft Flown
Named Features

Anecdotes
BIll Clearihue wrote: "Vice-Admiral Allan is the most senior ranking graduate of the UNTD. He has had a distinguished career in the RCN including the following appointments; Project Manager for the DDH 280 Program, Commander of the First Destroyer Squadron, Commander of Maritime command and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff. On November 18, 1995 at the Annual UNTD Mess Dinner at HMCS York, Vadm Allan told the dinner guests how he joined the naval service through the UNTD program and made it his life’s career. Inspired by the effort put forth by the Canadian Navy during World War II, young John Allan left northern Ontario to join the navy in 1946. He began as an ordinary seaman with the naval air squadron VC 920 at Downsview in Toronto. His career in the navy almost came to an quick end when he went flying with one of the pilots in a Harvard Trainer. Exhilarated by the excitement of flying, he would cadge a ride whenever he could and try his hand at the controls. On one occasion he got more of a thrill than he had bargained for. While demonstrating a spin, the pilot found that he was unable to recover from the manoeuvre. The aircraft would not respond to the controls. Young John was ordered to bail out. This much adventure was more than this young recruit could process. He had never used a parachute before and didn't even know if the thing would work. Nevertheless, struggling against the centrifugal force of the spin, he rolled over the side of the aircraft, only to find that part of his equipment was hung-up inside the cockpit. Flopping and twisting helplessly over the side of the aircraft in the slip stream, his alarm turned to panic. No matter how he struggled, he could not extricate himself from his plight. As he resolved to meet his fate, a moment of quiet inner peace set in. It was then that he realized the aircraft had stopped spinning and he thankfully clambered back into the back seat of the aircraft. It was there that the surprised pilot found a pale and shaken OS Allan after they had landed. It was later established that the unusual behaviour of the aircraft was due to the fact that it had been fitted with wing rails for rocket launching at the firing range. In this configuration, the Harvard was not to be used for acrobatics. Shortly after this, OS Allan applied for a university education. Since there was no ROTP in those days he was appointed to HMCS Cataraqui additional for Queen’s University UNTD in September of 1950. The training that he received at Cataraqui and at the coast in the summers with the UNTD, became the foundation of his career in the navy."

Anecdotes

BIll Clearihue wrote: "Vice-Admiral Allan is the most senior ranking graduate of the UNTD. He has had a distinguished career in the RCN including the following appointments; Project Manager for the DDH 280 Program, Commander of the First Destroyer Squadron, Commander of Maritime command and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff. On November 18, 1995 at the Annual UNTD Mess Dinner at HMCS York, Vadm Allan told the dinner guests how he joined the naval service through the UNTD program and made it his life’s career. Inspired by the effort put forth by the Canadian Navy during World War II, young John Allan left northern Ontario to join the navy in 1946. He began as an ordinary seaman with the naval air squadron VC 920 at Downsview in Toronto. His career in the navy almost came to an quick end when he went flying with one of the pilots in a Harvard Trainer. Exhilarated by the excitement of flying, he would cadge a ride whenever he could and try his hand at the controls. On one occasion he got more of a thrill than he had bargained for. While demonstrating a spin, the pilot found that he was unable to recover from the manoeuvre. The aircraft would not respond to the controls. Young John was ordered to bail out. This much adventure was more than this young recruit could process. He had never used a parachute before and didn't even know if the thing would work. Nevertheless, struggling against the centrifugal force of the spin, he rolled over the side of the aircraft, only to find that part of his equipment was hung-up inside the cockpit. Flopping and twisting helplessly over the side of the aircraft in the slip stream, his alarm turned to panic. No matter how he struggled, he could not extricate himself from his plight. As he resolved to meet his fate, a moment of quiet inner peace set in. It was then that he realized the aircraft had stopped spinning and he thankfully clambered back into the back seat of the aircraft. It was there that the surprised pilot found a pale and shaken OS Allan after they had landed. It was later established that the unusual behaviour of the aircraft was due to the fact that it had been fitted with wing rails for rocket launching at the firing range. In this configuration, the Harvard was not to be used for acrobatics. Shortly after this, OS Allan applied for a university education. Since there was no ROTP in those days he was appointed to HMCS Cataraqui additional for Queen’s University UNTD in September of 1950. The training that he received at Cataraqui and at the coast in the summers with the UNTD, became the foundation of his career in the navy."

References
Government of Canada The Canadian Navy List Ottawa ON; MacFarlane, John M. (1994); Bill Clearihue (Nominal List UNTD);
Last update
2017-11-03 00:00:00

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Biographical Data

Allan, John