Meritorious Service Medal

• Awarded on: April 29, 1999
• Invested on: September 10, 1999

Co-recipients: Leading Seaman Yves François Clément, M.S.M.
Petty Officer 1st Class Gary Samuel Ford, M.S.M., C.D.
Leading Seaman James Anthony Leith, M.S.M., C.D.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Marcel Arthur Maynard, M.S.M., C.D.
Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Patrick McNamara, M.S.M., C.D.
Leading Seaman David William Poole, M.S.M., C.D.
Commander Richard R. Town, M.S.M., C.D.


On September 2, 1998, Swissair Flight 111 crashed in the North Atlantic Ocean, near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, killing all 229 passengers. The aircraft was completely destroyed on impact and came to rest at a depth of 55 meters, settling into an unstable mound composed of razor-sharp metal and webs of wiring. HMCS Preserver arrived within an hour of the crash and, under intense international media attention, search and rescue Operation Persistence began. As Preserver's commanding officer, Commander Town's unique leadership and sensitivity enabled him to motivate and sustain the commitment of more than 1,500 people to the gruesome recovery task. Leading seaman Clément, Petty Officer 1st Class Ford, Leading Seaman Leith, then Master Seaman Maynard, Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class McNamara and Leading Seaman Poole, members of the Yard Diving Tender Sechelt, were the first six divers at the crash site. With the ever-present danger of entrapment and life-threatening damage to their equipment, these divers were directly responsible for the recovery of the Flight Data Recorder and of human remains from the seabed. Working with senior military, RCMP personnel and the federal and provincial governments, and in a dynamic, unpredictable and unprecedented environment, Captain Jain coordinated the set-up of the identification facility, which included the morgue and the radiology and dental departments. Through their extraordinary performances, these men brought great credit to themselves, the Canadian Forces, and to Canada both nationally and internationally.