 | | A portrait of Capt. Pullen on the deck of the Canadian icebreaker HMCS Labrador prior to their historic transit through the North-West Passage in 1957 |
Thomas Charles Pullen (1918-1990), a fifth generation naval officer, was at the command of numerous ships during his career with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Pullen joined the RCN in 1936 as a cadet and during the Second World War he served in the destroyer Assiniboine and was executive officer of HMCS Ottawa (which was torpedoed and sank in September 1942). He was executive officer of HMCS Chaudiere, and he was put in command of the destroyer Saskatchewan. Between September 1953 and June 1954, Pullen was the commander of the HMCS Huron, which was active on the Korean theatre. In 1958, he was appointed to the HMSC Niobe, established in London, England. Pullen became an authority on the Arctic and played a large role in its exploration after he took command of the Royal Canadian icebreaker Labrador in 1956. After retiring from active service in 1965, he pursued exploration in the Arctic. In 1982, he was appointed officer of the Order of Canada (for his Arctic exploits) and the same year he also received the Massey Gold Medal of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Honours
- 1985 Officer of the Order of Canada
- 1985 Massey Gold Medal of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
- 1975 Honorary Fellow of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
- 1960 Grant of Arms, College of Arms, London
|