On May 4, 1910, the Liberal government of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier established the Naval Service Act. The act established the Royal Canadian Navy [RCN] and proposed a small navy under the control of the Government of Canada. One proviso was that under emergency situations, it could be transferred to the British Admiralty. Laurier had been under pressure from the British government and Canadian imperialists to contribute directly to the Royal Navy [RN], this because of a growing challenge from Germany's navy. Not all of Canada agreed with the Naval Service Act; French Canadian nationalists who wanted no part of a deeper involvement in imperial affairs opposed the act. In an attempt to placate both the British government and the French Canadians and Canadian nationalists, Laurier compromised. The compromise did not work; Laurier lost support in Quebec and was defeated in the federal general election of 1911. The Naval Service Act, however, survived. Canada entered World War One with two rather old ships, Rainbow and Niobe.
Today, ninety-two years on, the Royal Canadian Navy - under the rather mundane name of Maritime Command - sails modern ships and protects our interests internationally. From those two, old British cast-off warships, Canada's navy has blossomed into a superb fighting force that can stand up to any challenge thrown at it. Today, Canada's navy is fighting not only terrorism in the Persian Gulf, but indifference on the part of the 2002 version of a Liberal government. Today, the navy of Canada is more and more being straightjacketed by Prime Minister Jean Chretien who fails to see the wisdom of having a strong military. The navy destroyers carry 40-plus-year old Sea King helicopters all because Chretien cancelled an order for modern, state of the art machines authorised by the Conservatives. In spite of all idiocy that surrounds politics in Canada these days, the navy stands on guard and continues to uphold its proud tradition.
As with World War One, the RCN entered World War Two with little to show for itself. Of the 13 vessels credited to the navy, only six were considered 'warships' capable of waging war in the Atlantic. By war's end, the RCN sailed 400 ships of various types and a compliment of nearly 100,000. Throughout the six long years of the Battle of the Atlantic - the longest battle in WWII - the RCN sank or shared in the sinking of 31 German U-boats and 42 surface ships. Canada's navy lost 22 of its own ships and 1,800 sailors' lives.
At the end of WWII, the country stood down and the navy was downsized. In 1950, the Royal Canadian Navy had only five fully operational ships - the carrier Magnificent, destroyers Huron, Micmac, Cayuga and Sioux. An additional seven ships - cruiser Ontario, destroyer Athabaskan, frigates Antigonish, Beaconhill, LaHulloise and Swansea as well as the Algerine class minesweeper Portage - were busy training personnel. Manpower was slightly more than 7,000; however, this figure was moving upward to an authorised top of 9600. Then, in June 1950, the Korean War erupted and Canada's navy was once again at the fore. Within days of the sneaky Communist North Korean's attack on its democratic southern neighbour, Canada's navy answered the call to assist the beleaguered South Koreans. From Esquimalt, destroyers Cayuga, Athabaskan and Sioux steamed westward toward Sasebo, Japan and, within days of arriving in the major United Nations port, on to Korea. The three RCN ships were the first Canadian units to see action in Korea.
Shortly after the ships departed Esquimalt, the Royal Canadian Air Force's 426 Thunderbird Squadron [North Star transports] assigned an initial six airplanes to the UN to work alongside the United States Military Air Transport Service [MATS]. Interestingly, the 426 flew 600 round trips over the Pacific Ocean, ferried 13,000 passengers and carried 3,000,000 kilograms of freight and mail without a loss. That's damn fine flying carried out by professionals in some rather adverse weather conditions.
During the 37 months of the Korean War, the RCN led all other UN Naval Force ships in the number of communist trains destroyed. HMCS Crusader held the title as the most proficient at 'trainbusting' with four. In all, the RCN managed to 'kill' eight communist trains. Throughout the war, eight RCN destroyers - four from Esquimalt and an equal number from Halifax - carried the colours of Canada against the Red Menace in the Far East. From Halifax were: Iroquois, Nootka, Huron and Haida and from Esquimalt were: Cayuga, Athabaskan, Sioux and Crusader. In all, about 4,000 RCN personnel saw service in Korea.
It should be noted that Canada's army served magnificently in Korea and showed the world that a volunteer army can do just fine, thank you. More on the Canadian Army at a later date.
After the Korean War ended on 27 July 1953, the world settled down into a bit of a saw-off. The Cold War heightened and the RCN turned away from trainbusting to submarine hunting. Two important innovations - surface ships carrying helicopters and the variable depth sonar [VDS] - to aid in searching, finding, tracking and destroying enemy submarines were Canadian inventions. Soon after, few navies that specialised in anti-submarine warfare did so without one or both of these inventions.
By the time the Berlin Wall collapsed and the world felt a bit safer, the Canadian Navy had acquired modern warships. Gone were the cruisers and carriers, the WWII Battle of the Atlantic survivors and the Korean War tested and proved destroyers. In their places, were updated ships headed for the Persian Gulf. Throughout the Gulf War, the RCN was part of the Multinational Interception Force [MIF] designed to enforce the UN embargo of Iraq. In all, Canada provided a squadron of CF18 fighters, a field hospital, a battalion of soldiers to provide base security for the airfield, hospital, contingent headquarters and naval supplies. The navy commitment to the Gulf War remained the largest operational force assigned by Canada. [Canada's Navy, the first century, Marc Milner, University of Toronto press, 1999]
Today, Canada's navy is back in the Persian Gulf carrying out important interdiction duties that include stopping, boarding and searching vessels suspected of carrying embargoed supplies, equipment, etc. that might aid terrorism and/or terrorists. As with most other duties the Canadian Navy had carried out worldwide, it is an efficient component of a larger unit.
While the duty is important and the personnel keen to succeed, they have more than a bit of wonderment about their fellow Canadians who seem to have a low regard for the country's military. A recent poll revealed that few Canadians place national defence anywhere near the top of a list of important items that the government must consider.
"Only one Canadian in five believes the country's military is well-equipped to join a United Nations assault against Iraq, according to a recent poll.
But the poll also suggested Canadians are ambivalent about making substantial changes to the role of Canada's military - and that even after months of studies and newspaper stories about the state of the Canadian Forces, military spending has not gained ground as an area where Canadians think the government should increase spending." [National Post, Tuesday, October 22, 2002, p, A7]
The poll suggested that government focus on health care or environment.
So, our sailors steam the waters of the Persian Gulf secure in the knowledge that their fellow Canadians care little about them and that they care even less that Canada's military is quickly deteriorating due to lack of adequate funding. No longer can Canada hold its head high and take its rightful place among the middle power nations. This sad case has come about primarily due to Liberal government neglect despite the heroism of Canada's Armed Forces personnel. Just a few days ago, American Pat Buchanan, a failed presidential candidate, said, "Canada has been freeloading off the United States [of America]."
In two World Wars and Korea and the Gulf, Canadian sailors have answered the call; sadly, today Canadians care little for history or their service personnel.
'Tis a sad day in and for Canada; yet, the Canadian Navy, despite the Liberal government's continued thumbing its nose at the military, and despite the poor attitude of Canadians to their volunteer service personnel, the Navy will continue to uphold its motto "Ready, Aye, Ready."'
Bob Orrick is a private tutor of English grammar, literature, poetry and Canadian history to off-shore youngsters. His pupils hail from such places as Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Venezuela. He was previously in international marketing, was a ministerial assistant to a provincial cabinet minister, spent a few years as a reporter then editor of a community newspaper and enjoyed a career in the Royal Canadian Navy.
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