50th Anniversary of the 1976 HMS Ajax Visit

The Town of Ajax’s name involves a unique bond that spans oceans and began during the Second World War. In 1941, the federal government established Defence Industries Limited (D.I.L.) on what was then farmland in Pickering Township. As thousands of workers arrived to support Canada’s wartime effort, the fast-growing community needed essential services, including a post office, and a name that captured the spirit of the moment.

The name “Ajax” was inspired by a defining early naval victory in World War II: the Battle of the River Plate (December 1939). In that battle, three Royal Navy cruisers, HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter and HMS Achilles, engaged the German pocket battleship Graf Spee near Montevideo, Uruguay. The action became a widely recognized symbol of courage and determination, and those ship names carried powerful meaning across the Allied world. For a community born of wartime production and resilience, the name Ajax was chosen to reflect that same resolve.

The relationship between the Town and the Royal Navy deepened in the decades that followed. In 1963, Ajax Mayor William Parish attended the commissioning of the 8th Royal Navy vessel to carry the name “Ajax” and formally invited the ship to visit its Canadian namesake. While the invitation could not be accepted immediately, it became a proud tradition for each new Mayor to extend the invitation again.

That tradition paid off when Mayor Clarke Mason renewed the invitation, and it was accepted. On August 25, 1976, the 8th HMS Ajax docked at Oshawa Harbour, marking a long-awaited visit that became one of the Town’s most celebrated moments.

On August 28, 1976, the officers and crew of HMS Ajax were awarded the Freedom of the Town, which is the highest civic honour that can be bestowed on a visiting military unit. In a memorable display, the crew paraded down Harwood Avenue to the Ajax Community Centre, “with swords raised, bayonets fixed and colours flying,” marking a powerful ceremony of friendship, respect, and shared history.

Ajax continues to preserve, and honour this heritage in visible, meaningful ways such as the following:

• The ship’s bell: When the eighth HMS Ajax was decommissioned in 1985, the ship’s bell was presented to the Town. It now hangs in the Council Chamber and is rung to call to begin all Council meetings, linking civic life to naval tradition every time Council assembles.

• The anchor memorial: The ship’s anchor was formally presented to the Town in 1987 and is displayed in front of the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 322) on Hunt Street, serving as a public memorial and gathering point for remembrance.

• Street signs that tell a story: Streets throughout the town bear the names of the officers and men who served on the Ajax. The Town amended the street naming policy to include the names of men who served on the HMS Achilles and HMS Exeter during the Battle of the River Plate. In 2016 the policy was amended again to include the men who served on the 8th HMS Ajax during the visit in 1976.

• Chain of Office: Inspired by Mayor William Parish’s 1963 visit to England for the commissioning of the 8th HMS Ajax, the Chain of Office is worn by each Mayor as a visible link between today’s civic ceremonies and Ajax’s enduring naval heritage. During his visit, Mayor Parrish spent time with several English mayors who wore Chains of Office, a long‑standing British tradition that had not yet been adopted in Ajax. Surprised that the Mayor of Ajax did not have one, this experience inspired the creation of Ajax’s own Chain of Office shortly thereafter, which continues to be worn by all Mayors of the Town today.

• Ongoing connection with the Association: The relationship is kept strong through continued ties with the HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association, including commemorative visits and ceremonies that reinforce Ajax’s place in this shared history.

Ajax is the only town in the world named after a Royal Navy warship, and the 50th anniversary of the 1976 frigate visit is a chance to honour that rare identity: a community shaped by wartime purpose, built through post‑war growth, and sustained by a living tradition of remembrance and friendship.

Visit: HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association to learn more about the relationship between the Town of Ajax and HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association

To learn more about Ajax’s general history visit: Ajax 70th Anniversary – Town of Ajax