Royal Canadian Navy

Gallery

Royal Canadian Navy

Through the course of the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) enlisted 99,688 men and 6,500 women, to become the third largest navy in the world. The fleet contained 471 warships including aircraft carriers, cruisers, armed merchant cruisers, destroyers, frigates, corvettes, motor torpedo boats, minesweepers, landing craft, armed yachts and auxiliary ships.

The Canadian Navy had a large hand in the Battle of the Atlantic, which involved the protection of troop and supply ships running between North America and the United Kingdom. In November 1942, the RCN was involved in the Allied landings in North Africa, and in June 1944, it provided 110 and 10,000 men to support D-Day; the invasion of Europe. Later, HMCS Uganda took part in operations against Japan as part of the British Pacific Fleet.

By the end of the war, the Royal Canadian Navy lost a total of 24 ships to enemy action, and suffered 2,024 fatal casualties.

Ammunition Training

Chief Petty Officer Lowther delivering a lecture about various types of ammunition. RCN Gunnery School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1940.

Photographer unknown.

Ice Everywhere

Seaman Gunner R. E. Walsh chopping ice from the superstructure of the corvette HMCS Lunenburg. Halifax, Nova Scotia, January 1942.

Photographer unknown.

All Hands on Deck

Ship’s company of the cruiser HMCS Uganda, August 1945.

Photograph by Lieutenant Gerald M. Moses.

In the Mess Hall

Stand easy in the stoker’s mess of the corvette HMCS Kamsack. February 17th 1943.

Photograph by Lieutenant Gerald M. Moses.

Signallers at Work

Signallers Marian Wingate and Margaret Little of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service at work. St. John’s, Newfoundland, April 1945.

Photograph by Petty Officer Edward W. Dinsmore.

Heavy Seas

An unidentified sailor checking the stowage of depth charges at the stern of the frigate HMCS Matane in heavy seas off Bermuda, January 1944.

Photo by Lieutenant Gilbert A. Milne.

Rescue Operations near Halifax

Survivors of the minesweeper HMCS Clayoquot, which was torpedoed by the German submarine U-806, being rescued by the corvette HMCS Fennel off Halifax, Nova Scotia, December 24th 1944.

Photographer unknown.

Whoops!

Able Seaman Enio Girardo of the corvette HMCS Edmundston, who was rescued by his shipmates after being washed overboard in a storm at sea. St. John’s, Newfoundland, October 13th 1943.

Photograph by Lieutenant Gerald M. Moses.

Taking on Water

Damaged stern of the destroyer HMCS Saguenay. Saguenay was rammed by SS Ezra south of Cape Race, and lost her stern when her depth charges exploded. St. John’s, Newfoundland, November 18th 1942.

Photographer unknown.

40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun

A Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun crew on the destroyer HMCS Algonquin at action stations in Arctic waters. April 20th 1944.

Photograph by Lieutenant John D. Mahoney.

Commander Adelaide Sinclair

Commander Adelaide Sinclair, Director of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service. Ottawa, Ontario, July 1944.

Photograph by Lieutenant Gerald M. Moses.

Minesweeping cable

Personnel handling the LL magnetic minesweeping cable aboard the minesweeper HMCS Lloyd George off Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 1943.

Photograph by Lieutenant Gilbert A. Milne.

Commander Clarence A. King

Commander Clarence A. King, D.S.O., D.S.C., Commanding Officer of the frigate HMCS Swansea, on Swansea’s bridge at sea. Circa December 1943 to January 1944.

Photograph by Lieutenant Gilbert A. Milne.

Piling Shell Casings

A 4.7-inch (12 cm) gun crew of the destroyer HMCS Algonquin piling shell cases and sponging out the gun after bombarding German shore defences in the Normandy beachhead. France, June 1944.

(Front, L-R): Ordinary Seamen K. Allen and R. De Guire. (Rear, L-R): Able Seamen G. Trevisanutto and J. Van Dyke, Ordinary Seamen A. Irwin and E. Mathetuk.

Photograph by Lieutenant Richard G. Arless.

Radar Plotters

Radar plotters Able Seamen William Ewasiuk and Harry Henderson of the destroyer HMCS Iroquois, at sea. They played a key role in a five-hour surface action in which eight German ships were destroyed or damaged while attempting to leave St. Nazaire, France. August 21st 1944.

Photograph by Petty Officer Glen M. Frankfurter.