Star of Courage
Awarded on: 1972-07-20
Invested on: 1973-06-08
Officer Cadet Clément Léo Bussière, S.C.
Star of Courage
Clément Léo Bussière, aged 25 at that time, of St. Paul, Alberta, at the time Petty Officer in charge of the boiler room, remained at his post during the explosion and fire on HMCS Kootenay. HMCS Kootenay, one of seven "Restigouche"-class destroyer-escorts in the Canadian navy was conducting full-power trials on October 23, 1969, in the western approaches to the English Channel with eight other Canadian ships. At 8:21 in the morning there was an explosion in the engine room. Intense heat, flame and smoke engulfed the engine room almost immediately and spread to adjacent passageways and to the boiler room. As the boiler room became filled with smoke, Ocdt Bussière ordered his men to lie flat on the deck plates and breathe through damp clothing or rags. He saw to it that there was steam pressure for firefighting, and when this requirement was met, put on diver's breathing equipment in order to stay at his post long enough to shut down the boilers properly. Then he joined the damage-control team which was trying to cope with the situation in the engine room.