The photo is that of U 889 surrendering to members of the Royal Canadian Navy in 1945. Just another page in the history of our great Navy. I hope you will view the attached video history of celebration of 100 years of submarine service in the Royal Canadian Navy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6vhqcTYCgo
The video is very good history of Canadian submarines. However, I was somewhat surprised that it leaves out what I have always considered an interesting beginning to that history. In the days leading up to the First World War the Provincial Government of British Columbia were worried about the lack of defense on the West Coast. It was known that a heavy German cruiser was lurking somewhere off the Canadian coastline. Just south of the border in Seattle two Holland class submarines had just been completed for the Chilean Navy. The Chilean Government had defaulted on payment, so the boats were available. The Federal Government were urged by the province to buy the submarines before war was declared. They were dragging their heals and the war was looming, if the boats were not purchased soon it would be too late. Once Canada declared war the United States could not sell arms to a belligerent nation. In a panic the Provincial Government of BC bought the boats just days before the war began. So in effect British Columbia had its own submarine service before Canada!!!! The Canadian government did of course purchase the two boats a few days later and thus began the submarine service of the Royal Canadian Navy. As an after note, in 1992 I founded the Blue Heron Sea Cadet Corps at Cymbria PEI. I requested from the Navy League of Canada that the new Corps be named RCSSC Holland. The idea was to name the Corps after the first two submarines of the RCN. The two boats were never given names just numbers CC1 and CC2, but as they were both Holland class boats so I felt the name was appropriate. I knew it would be a tough sell so as extra ammo I also stated Samuel Holland did the first survey of Prince Edward Island. Unfortunately no one at Navy League HQ’s agreed with me, probably none were submariners????and we ended up as Blue Heron. Can’t win them all Eh????
Bravo Zulu .
God Bless and keep reading
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