The descendants of Lieutenant Frédérick Rolette thank the Royal Canadian Navy for great honour

July 16, 2015

We are very proud to learn that a Royal Canadian Navy ship will be named after our illustrious ancestor.

For various reasons, Lieutenant Rolette’s exploits are not as well known as those of other celebrated naval officers. But, thanks to the honour conferred on him today, this exceptional figure will receive the recognition due to him and take his place among Canada’s most famous heroes. His acts of bravery defy the imagination, and their boldness made his reputation during the War of 1812. One of his superiors, as well as men who faced him in battle, dubbed him “the man with the gaze of a lion.” And no wonder. He had captured a number of ships, and his exploit on Lake Erie fired the popular imagination: from a rowboat, accompanied by only a few sailors, he boarded an American schooner and managed to disarm its entire crew and take them prisoner. After that, even his adversaries paid homage to the phenomenal daring that distinguished him in all his battles.

We thank the Government of Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy for choosing the name of Frédérick Rolette to join the other prestigious names given to the Harry DeWolf-class Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship. As descendants of this extraordinary man, we feel privileged to participate in today’s ceremonies, and we are eagerly looking forward to the day when HMCS Frédérick Rolette proceeds to sea, proudly bearing the name of this Canadian hero.

Yolande, Colette, Pierre and Jean Chatillon, descendants of Frédérick Rolette