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Canadian Naval Topics

Canadian Admirals & Commodores Biographies

The definitive lists of Canada’s Admirals and Commodores – and the Admirals who settled in Canada, served in Canada and came from Canada - as well as Canadian naval personnel who went on to positions equivalent to Canadian flag rank.

A Nominal List of Members of the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR)

A partial alphabetical list of the personnel (those known to us from publicly available sources) who served in the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR) 1914-1920

The Royal Canadian Naval Reserve

In a series of articles guest author Stephen Rybak outlines the origins of the development of the Naval Reserve in Canada from its days in the War of 1812 right up to the current era.

The Royal Canadian Naval Reserve Fishermen’s Reserve Section

An overview of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve Fishermen’s Reserve Section

An alphabetical list of the personnel who served in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve Fishermen’s Reserve Section

A working list of the vessels thought to have comprised the Royal Canadian Navy Fishermen’s Reserve as well as some that are not traditionally included but that have ties to the Fishermen’s Reserve. (Links to detailed records of each of the vessel histories are included.)

Canadians Commissioned From the Royal Navy Upper Yardman’s School

A small number of Canadians earned commissions as officers in the Royal Canadian Navy through an old and little–known program of the Royal Navy. Unlike their counterparts in better known commissioning schemes they followed a very traditional syllabus designed to weed out most of the participants.

A complete list of the very few Canadian graduates of the Royal Navy's Upper Yardman’s School.

Royal Canadian Naval Reserve University Naval Training Division

A personal experience in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve University Naval Training Division (UNTD) in the last intake serving 1966–68.

For twenty five years the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve University Naval Training Division (UNTD) trained university students and turned them into naval officers.

Life at the basic training base at Cornwallis NS was rigorous and exhausting. Here is a detailed look at the minute by minute schedule that drove every day of training.

Hugh Williamson (UNTD Scotian 1966) found two original documents relating to the UNTD that members will find interesting. The first is the recruiting booklet that many members will have referenced when they made the decision to join. The second document is a rare copy of the ‘official history’ which was supposed to help UNTDs understand the genesis of the program. John Scott provided one from his collection from much earlier.

Bill Clearihue has taken on the task of definitively tracking down all the former members of the University Naval Training Division – 7,000 young Canadians who trained as officers with the Canadian naval reserve from 1943–1968. He has created a Nominal List which begins the process of sharing the huge body of information on this little-known unit that he has uncovered. He also shares a list of examples of former members who achieved career successes (which many of them attributing it to a good grounding gained during their naval training).

Bill Clearihue has developed and updated a Nominal List of the University Naval Training Division (UNTD) of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve which contains the names of almost 6,000 former members and details of their service. Other lists available from him detail the former members known to be deceased and a list of former members who achieved positions of note in their civilian or military careers. Clearihue will update these lists from time-to-time and they will be updated on this site.

Canadian Naval Vessels

The Tradition of Crossing The EquatorCrossing the Line

The ceremonies for Crossing the Line have come into disrepute in recent years. At one time this ancient and entertaining tradition served a useful purpose for maintaining morale at sea and creating esprit d’corps. The ceremonies were colourful, clever and entertaining.


The Script of a Crossing The Line CeremonyCrossing the Line Ceremony

The script for a typical Crossing the Line Ceremony as carried out on a ship of the Royal Canadian Navy in 1957.


HMCS Thiepval and the Race Around the World 1924HMCS Thiepval and the Race Around the World 1924

25/06/2012 HMCS Thiepval was commissioned into the RCN in 1917. In 1923 and one of her first tasks on her re–commissioning in the RCN was to be the support vessel for a daring and first–ever attempt by the RAF to fly around the world. Arrangements were made for Thiepval to rendezvous with the Vickers Vulture in Petropavlovsk. Unfortunately the aircraft was forced to ditch after encountering heavy fog and crashed at sea. Thiepval rushed to their rescue and was able to recover the men and remains of the aircraft and return them to Vancouver aboard the vessel.


Reflections on HMCS Prince Robert 1941–1942HMCS Prince Robert

On her voyage to Hong Kong to carry Canadian troops to defend against the Japanese Army, HMCS Prince Robert was run like no other ship in the Canadian Navy. One of her crew members at the time reflects on the organization of the ship and day to day life for the crew.


The Wreck of HMCS Galiano October 1918Wreck of HMCS Galiano

This story recounts the story of the sinking of HMCS Galiano on the British Columbia coast in October 1918. This was the only loss of a Canadian naval ship during the First World War and was a major marine tragedy on the Pacific Coast.


Other Interesting Canadian Naval Topics

Some Interesting Canadian Naval ScientistsInteresting Naval Scientists

A surprising number of former Canadian naval personnel have excelled in science, undertaking and publishing significant original research. This article presents some brief biographical vignettes of the naval and scientific careers of astronomers, medical researchers, social scientists and others – each of them a ‘character’ in his own right – and each of them a scientist.


Some Interesting Canadian Personalities in Foreign NaviesInteresting Naval Characters of Foreign Navies

Some brief sketches of Canadians who served as naval officers in foreign navies who distinguished themselves in unique ways and might otherwise be overlooked by historians. A surprising numberof Canadians served in substantial positions in foreign navies – sometimes also serving with the Royal Canadian Navy or the Royal Navy before or after their foreign service careers. All were interesting personalities and make the naval history of Canada more colourful.


Some Canadian Navy Ice Hockey StarsCanadian Navy Ice Hockey Stars

Wartime could not slow down the Canadian love for ice hockey. The patriotism of many professional hockey players provided the Navy with some top notch talent. HMCS York (the Toronto Division of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve) had teams in the Ontario Hockey Association for two seasons during the Second World War. In 1942–43 they lost the championship in the final game. However in the 1943–44 season they fared much worse finishing out of the playoffs.


Some Canadian Navy Football StarsCanadian Navy Football Stars

Few Canadians realize that the Royal Canadian Navy once won the Grey Cup (the pre–eminent championship in Canadian Football). Its teams were bolstered with some great talent, some of who went on to great careers in professional football.


Early Days in the Rainbow Sea Cadet Corps, Victoria BCRainbow Sea Cadet Corps

The Rainbow Sea Cadet Corps (now 5 RCSCC Rainbow) is Canada's oldest Sea Cadet Corps. It has produced several generations of naval personnel and solid Canadian citizens.


The Tradition of Naval BaptismNaval Baptism

Baptism is the visible way in which someone enters the Christian family. For sailors the usual place of their Sunday worship may be in their ship rather than in a church, and so a practice has grown up of having a child baptized in the father’s or mother’s ship. The ship’s bell is inverted and used as a font. It is the custom of the Service to inscribe the name of people baptized in a ship around the outside of the ship’s bell.


The Traditions Connected to Canadian Naval WeddingsCanadian Naval Weddings

Naval weddings bring a whole set of traditions. What makes it a naval wedding is the wearing of the uniform. The arch of swords ceremony is an old English and American naval custom, which gives a symbolic pledge of loyalty to the newly married couple from their naval family.


The RCN Centennial Memorial WindowMemorial Window

In 2010 a stunning stained glass memorial window in honour of the centennial of the Royal Canadian Navy was dedicated in the historic St. Paul's Anglican Church in Esquimalt British Columbia.


Restoration of the Name of the Royal Canadian NavyRCN Badge

After a hiatus of many years the name of the Royal Canadian Navy was restored. Here is the text of the email of the naval message announcing the change.


Canadian Naval links to New York City on 09/11Memorial Window

Some Canadian Naval links to the events in New York City on the Anniversary of the 09/11 Tragedy are remembered by guest contributor Bill Clearihue on the anniversary of 09/11/2011.


Military Vessels Converted to Tugs in British Columbia Waters CN No. 2

Building on notes left by the late marine engineer John Henderson, the author expands on the subject of the large body of tugs that formed a significant core in the British Columbia towboat indistry.


Second World War Naval Topics

The Bay of Islands/Cornerbrook (Newfoundland) Patrol ForceBay of Islands Patrol

During the Second World War, eight officers were appointed as honorary members of the RCNVR and acted as an active reserve unit on the coast of Newfoundland. They comprised one of the smallest naval units in Canadian history.

German U–Boat Commanding Officers Who Died by ‘Other Means’U-Boat

Commander Fraser McKee presents a complete listing of all the German navy U–Boat commanding officers who died by ‘other means’ during the Second World War.

Merchant Ships Used as Fighter Carriers in World War TwoAuxiliary Carriers

Commander Fraser McKee presents a complete listing of all of the Auxiliary Aircraft Carriers that served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

Canadian & Newfoundland Merchantmen Lost during the Second World War Due to Enemy ActionsMerchant Ship losses

Commander Fraser McKee presents a complete listing of all the Canadian & Newfoundland Merchantmen Lost during the Second World War Due to Enemy Actions.

Second World War Veteran HMS Cailiff Still Afloat In NorwayHMS Cailiff

Svein Ludvigsen, reports that the Norwegian trawler Borgenes is due to be scrapped in the near future at Kristiansund, Norway. HMS Cailiff (as she was originally known) was built as one of sixteen Western–Isles Class Anti–Submarine Trawler for the Royal Navy. She was one of eight loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy as escorts for coastal convoys.

RCN Ships Present Off Juno Beach (Normandy) on June 6/7/1944 (D–Day Landings) RCN D-day Ships

Commander Fraser McKee presents a complete listing of all the RCN Ships Present Off Juno Beach (Normandy) on June 6&7, 1944 (D–Day Landings)


Royal Navy Connections

Royal Naval Reserve Organizations Royal Naval Reserve Organizations

The Royal Navy formed many different naval reserve and auxiliary organizations over the years, far more than most people realize. Here is a summary of the ones I have been able to discover.


Canadian Army Vessels

A List of Vessels Owned or Operated by the Canadian Army Canadian Army
Nauticapedia

Site News: April 24, 2024

The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 92,289 vessel histories (with 15,634 images and 13,293 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters). The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,616 entries (with 4,013 images).

In 2023 the Nauticapedia celebrated the 50th Anniversary of it’s original inception in 1973 (initially it was on 3" x 5" file cards). It has developed, expanded, digitized and enlarged in those ensuing years to what it is now online. If it was printed out it would fill more than 300,000 pages!

My special thanks to our volunteer IT adviser, John Eyre, who (since 2021) has modernized, simplified and improved the update process for the databases into a semi–automated processes. His participation has been vital to keeping the Nauticapedia available to our netizens.

Also my special thanks to my volunteer content accuracy checker, John Spivey of Irvine CA USA, who has proofread thousands of Nauticapedia vessel histories and provided input to improve more than 11,000 entries. His attention to detail has been a huge unexpected bonus in improving and updating the vessel detail content.

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