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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
George Armit was buried in the Eastern Cemetery, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland.
Citation for award of the Order of the British Empire:
Armit, George Gilmour, Commander (E), Order of the British Empire (OBE), RCN(R) - Awarded as per Canada Gazette 30 March 1946 and London Gazette of 11 December 1945.
"For distinguished service during the war in Europe."
Article from the Lunenburg Progress Enterprise - Wednesday, August 13th, 1947 Pg Four - Local and General - Capt. W. B. Armit and Mrs. Armit, who have been guests at Boscawen Manor returned to Lachine, Quebec on Tuesday. They had as their guest over the week-end Capt. Armit's brother, Com. (E) Gilmour Armit of the R.C.N., who recently returned to Canada on the "Aquitania." (Researched by George Newbury)
Ships served in: * First noted in the Navy List on the List of Officers on the Active List of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve according to Their Seniority-Continued as a LCdr (E) (temp), RCNR (seniority 23 Oct 1941) (Navy List Dec 1941) RCN BARRACKS HALIFAX - Appointed to RCN BARRACKS HALIFAX, Add'l For Disposal or Under Training 23 Oct 1941 (Navy List Dec 1941) HMC DOCKYARD HALIFAX (HMCS VENTURE for) - Appointed to HMC DOCKYARD HALIFAX 06 Dec 1941 (Navy List Jan 1942) HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA, Office of Captain (D), Staff of Flotilla Engineer Officer 06 Dec 1941) (Navy List Sep 1942) NSHQ OTTAWA - Appointed to NSHQ OTTAWA Ship Repair Section, Staff of Director of Ship Repairs and Maintenance 07 Sep 1943 (Navy List Oct 1943) * Listed as serving with the Royal Navy 18 Mar 1944 (Navy List May 1944) * Appointed Commander (E), RCNR (seniority 01 Jan 1945) (Navy List Mar 1945) HMCS MAGNIFICENT - Appointed to MAGNIFICENT (under construction) (no date of appointment listed) (Navy List Apr 1946) HMCS NIOBE - Appointed to NIOBE, Add'l 14 Jul 1947 (Navy List Jun 1947) HMCS SCOTIAN - Demobilized 18 Sep 1947 (Blatherwick.net) * Retired List as a Commander (E), RCN(R) (seniority 01 Jan 1945) (Navy List Jul 1948) HMCS SCOTIAN (Retired List) as Commander (E), RCN(R) (Navy List Jul 1952) * Last noted on the Retired List at HMCS SCOTIAN as a Commander (E), RCN(R) (Navy List Jan 1960)
The Madras College Archive
Commander George Gilmour Armit O.B.E. (1887 - 1966)
George Gilmour Armit was born around 1887 in the beautiful surroundings of St Andrews on the east coast of Scotland. He became an avid sportsman at Madras College.
After a University education at St Andrews and Dundee, George became a ships engineer and landed a plum job on the Cunard passenger ship RMS Laconia. When the Laconia was on the Liverpool to New York/Boston run in 1913/14 he must have been itching for a game of rugby whilst on shore leave and played for Sefton. He joined the club early in 1913 after being proposed by F.J.Haney.
With the outbreak of WW1 the Laconia was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as a patrol and protection vessel, George being granted a temporary Commission. HMS Laconia was immediately sent out to the Indian Ocean to stop enemy activity in German East Africa (now Tanzania). He was aboard this ship until June 1916 when it was returned to Cunard, a fortuitous move for him as she was torpedoed by a U-Boat returning from America in February 1917. He was discharged and transferred to the armed merchant cruiser HMS Himalaya and continued patrol and troop carrying to South Africa until December 1917 when he returned to England.
During the inter-war years George continued his engineering duties with the Cunard ship RMS Aurania on the Liverpool to New York, Quebec, Montreal route. Once again his ship was requisitioned at the outbreak of WW2 and converted to an Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Artiflex.
Being based in New York in 1941 he transferred to the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve with the rank of Engineer Lt Commander. For his distinguished service he was promoted to Engineer Commander in January 1945 and later on in the year appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
After the war he served on HMCS Magnificent, HMCS Niobe (the secret Canadian Naval Shore Base in Scotland) and was finally demobbed in 1947 at HMCS Scotian in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Commander Armit retired back to his St Andrews home but did not rest on his laurels, he became a Town Councillor and Captain of the New St Andrews Golf Club. George passed away in St Andrews in 1966 and was buried in the Eastern Cemetery.
The 'Old Boys Chronicle' in the Madras College Magazine for Christmas 1912 reported: "G. Gilmour Armit, of Rugger fame, has passed his examination for Chief Engineer."
Biography credit: Madaras College Archives, UK
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