Marc Milner is one of Canada’s preeminent naval historians and expert on the corvette. I suggest taking look at has recent article A Night Of Furious Action at http://legionmagazine.com. This Piece looks at the work of Escort Group C3, Protecting convoy ON 115 from July 29 to Aug. 1, 1942
Marc has also Produced a number of Books, Including Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy: 1939-1945
Painting Above- JOHN M. HORTON, BEAVERBROOK COLLECTION OF WAR ART/CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM—19840654-001
With the Recent announcement of names for the Joint Support Ships, commemorating battles during the war of 1812- The Government both Kept and broke with tradition. Both vessels are named for Canadian Places, though are new names, not used in the past. traditionally Battle Honours are bestowed on vessels as rewards for”the achievements and sacrifices of naval personnel in defense of this country and our allies”
The naval review brings up the point “That in 1917/18 the navy named the Battle-class trawlers for selected First World War army battles, e.g. HMCS Vimy. This time frame, however, was before the award of army Battle Honours”
The author, David Freeman wonders why not commemorate vessels with Battle honors; Camrose, Lunenburg, Prescott, Port Colborne and Woodstock all have 5 honors each, and the names are not currently in use. There are a number of vessels with 4honors – Kitchener and Stormont; 3 honors – Alberni, Baddeck, Drumheller, Georgian, Grou, Matane, Mimico, Moose Jaw, Parrsboro, Rimouski and Ste. Therese.
Hopefully when it comes time to name the 6 AOPS, some of these vessels names will be reused.
I am aware of 3 surviving Canadian WWII Ships with Honors.
HMCS Sackville holds 1 battle honor.
HMCS Haida Holds 5, Spaning 2 conflicts.
HMCS Stormont (Noted above with 5) was converted into a yacht by Aristotle Onassis
Circa 1942, From the Library and Archives Canada
HMCS Prince Robert in Drydock (n.d.)
Thomas Beament Was born in Ottawa. During WW I he served in the RCNVR as an ordinary seaman, then was promoted to warrant officer. Following the end of the war he returned to Osgoode Hall and completed his studies to became Barrister-at-law (1922). The same year he attended evening classes at the Ontario College of Art, Toronto. He Continued serving with the peacetime Naval Reserve, was promoted to the rank of officer in 1924 and finally Lt.-Commander, Mtl. RCNVR Division in 1930.
HMCS Iroquois (n.d.)
At the outbreak of WW II, Beament entered full-time service with the RCNVR, as a ship commander on North Atlantic patrols for three years, rose in rank to Commander (1943); then as official Canadian war artist going back to sea to paint scenes: in the Mediterranean; on convoy in the North Atlantic; in Newfoundland; making a visual record of assault landings and minesweeping duties in the English Channel. The Canadian War Museum has some 76 paintings by him.
Motor Torpedo Boats Leaving for Night Patrol off Le Havre (1945)
A Collection Of Naval Art Decorated the Chambers of the Speaker of the Senate for the Canadian Naval Centenial. You can view that collection at http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Senate/WorkofNavalArt/index-e.html.
All Works above Are part of the Beaverbank Collection of War Art at the Canadian War Museum
HMCS Bras d’Or (FHE 400) was a hydrofoil that served in the Canadian Forces from 1968 to 1971. During sea trials in 1969, the vessel exceeded 63 knots (117 km/h; 72 mph), making her the fastest warship in the world.
The vessel was built from 1960 to 1967 for the Royal Canadian Navy, as a project for the testing of anti-submarine warfare technology on an ocean-going hydrofoil. Changes in priorities and cost overruns later led to the project’s cancellation. HMCS Bras d’Or (FHE 400) was the second vessel to bear that name (see below) and was built at Marine Industries Limited (MIL) in Sorel, Quebec, the primary contractor being de Havilland Canada, an aircraft company
The ship was saved and donated to the Musée Maritime du Québec at L’Islet-sur-Mer, Quebec. Bellow are photos from my visit in 2006.
For Additional Photos Of her running, See this Link
SS Royal William was a Canadian steamship that is sometimes credited with achieving the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean to be made almost entirely under steam power, using sails only during periods of boiler maintenance
She was commissioned by brewer John Molson and a group of investors, built in Cape Blanc, Quebec by John Saxton Campbell and George Black she was launched on 27 April 1831. The steam engines were made and installed in Montreal. She made several trips between Quebec and the Atlantic colonies in 1831. Her owners decided to sail her to Europe and find a buyer. She departed from Pictou, Nova Scotia on 18 August 1833 with seven passengers, a small amount of freight and a load of coal and arrived at Gravesend on the River Thames after a 25-day passage.
Royal William was eventually sold to the Spanish Navy where she served for many years and earned the distinction of being the first steamship to fire a shot in anger during a minor Spanish rebellion.
One of Royal William’s co-owners was Samuel Cunard a merchant from Halifax Nova Scotia who drew important lessons from the ship which he applied when he founded the Cunard Steamship Company a few years later.
Halifax Fireboat Rouille, Circa 1941.
Today marks the 100th anivarsary of the Launching of the CSS Acadia. The Acadia is a former hydrographic Canadian Survey ship of the Canadian Government, that is now part of the collection of the Maritime Museaum of the Atlantic.
Acadia served Canada for more than five decades from 1913–1969, charting the coastline of almost every part of Eastern Canada including pioneering surveys of Hudson Bay. She was also twice commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Acadia, during the 2 world wars.
Retaining her original engines, boilers and little-changed accommodations, she is one of the best preserved Edwardian ocean steamships in the world and a renowned example of Canada’s earliest scientific prowess in the fields of hydrography and oceanography.
For Hundreds of years man has taken to the seas, and for just as long, been telling triumphant sea stories. Stories of triumph over great odds; Bligh’s navigation after the Mutiny on the bounty, and Shackelton’s voyage to South Georgia island come to mind.
Halifax has a history of Sea Stories, Men Left Halifax to fight in multiple wars, Privateers returned with their captured prizes. The stories that came out of Foundation Maritime were so immense, they filled 2 volumes by Farley Mowat; Grey Seas Under, and The Serpents Coil.
Foundation Maritime grew out of the Foundation Company of Canada, which was a construction firm who owned barges and dredges for constructing Harbour works. They needed a Tug, and found the Laid up ex HMS Frisky, now Gustavo Ipland, in Hamburg Germany. They purchased her, and Named her Foundation Franklin in 1930.
Having a tug, eventually led to it being chartered for salvage work, and Foundation Maritime was born. As the years went on, many additional tugs were purchased and chartered, and the business expanded to include terminal operations, towing and salvage. Foundation Maritime shrewdly perusing Business and ships in distress.
For much of its early years, even finding a ship in distress was a problem. Modern electronic navigation systems were not invented yet, and ships were guided by the stars. in a storm, or cloud cover, it could be days before you could confirm your position. This is also the case with the distressed vessel being sought. their position was days old, and may not have even been correct to begin with. if you could reach them on the radio, it might have been possible to RF Direction find them,Though during the wars, this was a asking to be sunk by a uboat.
The Foundation Company of Canada Still exists today as the construction firm AECON. Foundation Maritime Sold its tugs in 1973, Leading to the formation of Eastern Canada Towing and Salvage (EcTug). the tugs retained thier names, however Point was substituted for Foundation in their names. ECTug was then aquired, and became Svitzer Canada. In 2010 they signed a MOU with Atlantic towing, With Atlantic Towing taking over halifax operations, and Svitzer working Port Hawksbury/ Straight of Canso The foundation Maritime wharfs still stand, at the foot of Salter St.
The Tugs of Foundation Maritime
Salvage Work
Photos Are from Mac Mackay. Check out his Shipfax and TugFax Blogs
