In honour of Veteran’s Week (Sunday, November 5 to Saturday, November 11), Mayor Mark Sutcliffe hosted a commemorative street naming ceremony at City Hall this morning.
During the ceremony, Mayor Sutcliffe announced that the late Captain (N) Thomas George Fuller is the veteran honoured through the City’s Veterans’ Commemorative Street Naming Program for 2023. This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve in Canada.
Captain (N) Thomas George Fuller was born in Ottawa in 1908. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) in 1939 as an Acting Lieutenant. At that time, he was a successful building contractor. Determined to volunteer for action, he sold his interest in Fuller Construction to his partner for $1 when he enlisted.
Captain Fuller served on loan to the Royal Navy during the Second World War, where he commanded the 61st Gunboat Flotilla, a force of eight torpedo gunboats. His daring resulted in the capture of a dozen enemy cargo vessels and his flotilla captured or sank 25 ships in ten days. He was nicknamed “the Pirate of the Adriatic” for his way of revolutionizing small boat warfare. Within the Canadian Navy, he holds the distinction of the longest time served in offensive action and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross three times – one of only five members in the service to have been awarded so.
In 1945, Captain Fuller was appointed Commanding Officer of HMCS Naden in British Columbia. He also served as Commanding Officer of HMCS Carleton in Ottawa and was promoted to Captain, Royal Canadian Navy Reserves in 1951. Following the end of hostilities, Fuller resumed his construction interests and went on to become a Master Builder and an integral member of the business and construction communities in Ottawa. He passed away in Ottawa in May 1994.
The street blade for voie Captain Fuller Way will be located in the new Queensview Drive development by Metcalfe Realty Company Limited and will bear the Poppy symbol, the universal sign of remembrance. This was made possible through the City’s Veterans’ Commemorative Street Naming Program, a partnership with the City, Veterans Affairs Canada, and the Royal Canadian Legion.
