HMCS RAINBOW - For Posterity's Sake

For Posterity's Sake

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

HMCS RAINBOW

HMCS Rainbow "Cleared for Action"

This photograph shows Rainbow, possibly on training exercises, in the harbour at Prince Rupert, British Columbia. "Clearing for action," the traditional term for preparing the ship for battle, involved clearing away flammable and fragile materials like hammocks and movable wooden bulkheads, removing equipment that could restrict the field of fire of the ship's weapons, and preparing to treat casualties. Despite the original caption on the photograph, it more likely shows Rainbow preparing for firing practice, since only the ship's forward gun (right) appears to have a crew. George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19890167-003

Launched: 25 Mar 1891

Commissioned: 1893

Paid off: 1909

Transferred to RCN: 1910

Commissioned: 04 Aug 1910

Paid off: 08 May 1917

Re-commissioned: 05 Jul 1917

Paid off: 01 Jun 1920

Fate: Broken up

On 04 Aug 1910, at Portsmouth, England, Rainbow was commissioned the first unit of the infant RCN. One of a class of 20 "protected cruisers," she had served in the RN since 1893. Rainbow arrived at Esquimalt on 07 Nov 1910, and carried out training duties, ceremonial visits, and some fishery patrols until the end of 1912. She then lay largely idle until the outbreak of the First World War, during which, apart from two submarines, she was the sole defender of Canada's western seaboard. The German threat in the Pacific ended with the defeat of Admiral Graf von Spee's squadron at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in Dec 1914, and thereafter Rainbow patrolled the Pacific coast as far south as Panama. In 1916 and early 1917 she was used in the transporting of $140 million in Russian bullion between Esquimalt and Vancouver. By 1917 her crew was needed to man patrol vessels on the east coast, and on 08 May 1917 she was paid off. Rainbow was re-commissioned on 05 July 1917 to serve as a depot ship at Esquimalt. Paid of again on 01 Jun 1920, she was sold to a Seattle ship breaker.

Photos and Documents Ship's company photos

Commanding Officers

Cdr J.D.D Stewart, RN - 04 Aug 1910 - 23 Jun 1911

Cdr Walter Hose, RN - 24 Jun 1911 - 30 Apr 1917

Cdr Hugh Edward Holme, RCN - 01 May 1917 - 08 May 1917

LCdr John Harry Knight, RCN - 01 Jul 1917 - 21 Aug 1917

Cdr J.T. Shenton, RCN - 22 Aug 1917 - 12 May 1918

Lt Yvon Birley, RCN - 13 May 1918 - unk

Lt (Temp) Yvon Birley, RCN - 10 Jun 1918 - unk

Capt E.H. Martin, CMG, RCN - 15 Oct 1919 - 01 Jun 1920

In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Lest We Forget

Wilkes, Charles William

L/Sto, RCN, CNC/60079

Died: 15 Nov 1915

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

Adams, William (Drafted to Rainbow on 04 Jun 1918 as W. Op 4th Cl, RNCVR)

Ashbourne, Elmo Linfield (Drafted to Rainbow on 07 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Barber, Russell Adolph (Drafted to Rainbow 23 Jul 1914 as LCdr, RNR)

Birley, Yvon (Drafted to Rainbow on 13 May 1918 as Lt, RCN, CO and on 10 Jun 1918 as Lt (Temp), RCN, CO)

Breakey, Alexander Graydon (Drafted to Rainbow on 04 Jun 1918 as W. Op 4th Cl, RNCVR)

Brocklesby, John William (Drafted to Rainbow on 22 Jun 1917 as Skpr (Temp), RCN, for training)

Brown, Charles Henry (Drafted to Rainbow on 15 Apr 1913 as A/Carp, RCN)

Brown, Thomas Allsop (Drafted to Rainbow D/S on 18 Jul 1918 as Lt, RNCVR)

Burton, George, PO, VR3229, RNCVR

Bury, Roland, H.M (Drafted to Rainbow on 21 Jun 1910 as Lt (E), RN)

Cox, James Ernest, Lt, RN

Critchley, Thomas Sandford (Drafted to Rainbow on 06 May 1918 as Midshipman, RCN)

Davies, John D. (Served in Rainbow from 04 Jul 1916 to 17 Apr 1919)

Dresser, James Sherwood (Drafted to Rainbow on 07 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Earl, Edward Lawrence (Drafted to Rainbow on 07 Jan 1918 as Mate, RCNVR, for training)

Edwards, Richard Lloyd (Drafted to Rainbow on 18 Jun 1910 as Lt, RN)

Euburne, Goldwin Roy (Drafted to Rainbow on 01 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Foulds, Frank Bertram (Drafted to Rainbow on 07 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Grute, Harry (Drafted to Rainbow 01 Jul 1917 as A/Head Stwd, RCN)

Haddon, Gerald Phillip (Drafted to Rainbow 01 Jul 1917 for Inst/Duty as A/St/Pay, RCN)

Hallifax, Ronald H.C., (Drafted to Rainbow on 17 Jun 1910 as Lt (N), RN)

Hawkeswood, Ralph (Drafted to Rainbow on 01 Mar 1918 as A/W. Op 2nd Cl.)

Hindle, John Thomas (Drafted to Rainbow on 05 Feb 1918 as Art (E), RCN)

Holme, Hugh Edward (Drafted to Rainbow on 19 Jun 1914 as LCdr (N), RN and on 01 May 1917 as Cdr, RCN, CO)

Holt, Reginald Vesey (Drafted to Rainbow on 17 Jun 1910 as Lt, RN)

Hose, Walte (Drafted to Rainbow on 24 Jun 1911 as Cdr, RN, CO)

Jehan, Edgar M. (Drafted to Rainbow on 11 Jul 1910)

Jenkins, John Cauntor (Drafted to Rainbow on 04 Jul 1914 as Cdr (E), RN)

Jinkin, Robert Alfred (Drafted to Rainbow on 15 Jun 1910 as St/Paym, RN)

Jones, Bertram Edward

Julian, Charles Otis (Drafted to Rainbow on 02 Mar 1915 as Lt (Temp), RNCVR)

King, Cornelius Walter (Drafted to Rainbow on 17 Jun 1910 as Gnr (T), RN)

King, Frederick (drafted to Rainbow 04 Jul 1914 as Gnr (T), RN)

Knight, John Harry (drafted to D/S Rainbow on 05 Jul 1917 as LCdr, RCN, CO)

Knight, Robert Foley (Drafted to Rainbow on 30 Jan 1914 as Lt, RN)

Laing, Robert Cecil (Drafted to Rainbow on 05 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Lake, Geoffrey, Lt, RNCVR

Lambert, David Sidney (Drafted to Rainbow on 04 Jul 1914 as A/Paym, RN)

Livesay, Edward Horace, Structural Draughtsman, RCN, RNCVR

MacKenzie, David Leslie (Drafted to Rainbow on 08 Mar 1917 as Head School Master, RCN)

Martin, E.H., (Drafted to Rainbow on 15 Oct 1919 as Capt, RCN, CO)

McDonagh, William (Drafted to Rainbow 01 Jul 1917 as Lt, RNCVR)

McLean, Norman Angus (Drafted to Rainbow on 04 Jun 1918 as W. Op 4th Cl, RNCVR)

Mitchell-Carruthers, John Erskine (Drafted to Rainbow on 01 Jul 1916 as Lt, RCN)

Mock, Herbert O. (Drafted to Rainbow on 10 Jan 1910 as Gnr, RN)

Moore, Aubrey Edward Ducombe (Drafted to Rainbow on 14 Jun 1910)

Moore, John Richard (Drafted to Rainbow on 07 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Mordan, Thomas J. (Drafted to Rainbow on 22 Mar 1910 as Cdr (E), RN)

Murray, Leonard Warren

Phillimore, Frederick W. (Drafted to Rainbow on 18 Feb 1911 as Gnr, RN)

Pilcher, Henry B. (Jul 1913)

Plant, Leslie Albert (Drafted to Rainbow on 07 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Poling, Joseph (Drafted to Rainbow on 17 Jun 1910)

Reid, Howard Emmerson (drafted to Rainbow in 1916 as Midshipman, RCN)

Robson, Arthur Noel (Drafted to Rainbow on 10 Jan 1918 and 18 Jan 1918 as W. Op 4th Cl, RNCVR)

Ross-Ross, Donald De Courey (Drafted to Rainbow on 20 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR)

Scott, Harold Hugh (Drafted to Rainbow on 07 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Shenton, J.T.,

Sinclair, Andrew (Drafted to Rainbow on 28 Jan 1918 as Mate, RCNVR, for training)

Smyth, Thomas A. (Drafted to Rainbow on 11 Jul 1910 as Surgeon, RN)

Stevens, Reginal Garnet (Drafted to Rainbow on 07 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Talbot, Maurice (Drafted to Rainbow on 07 Jan 1918 as Mate, RNCVR, for training)

Walker, Wilfred Tyrrel (Drafted to Rainbow on 11 Feb 1915 as Lt, RN, Ret'd)

Watson, William Harvey (Drafted to Rainbow on 01 Jul 1917 as Slt, RNCVR)

Watts, George (Drafted to Rainbow on 01 Jul 1917 as Asst Paym, RNCVR)

William, James, RNCVR, RCN

William, Norman Trenholme (Drafted to Rainbow on 17 Jun 1918 as P/Surg, RNCVR)

Wingate, Walter (Drafted to Rainbow on 03 Jun 1915 as Lt, RNR, Ret'd)

Wood, Regnal Henry (Drafted to Rainbow 25 Jul 1910 as Art (E), RN)

Burton, George

1882-1946

Served in Rainbow 01 Nov 1918 - 26 Nov 1918 as PO, RNCVR

Cox, James Ernest

____-____

Served in Rainbow in 1912 as Gunner, RN for instructional duties

Davies, John D.

____-____

Haines, Ernest

1876-1965

Hose, Walter

1875-1965

2nd Commanding Officer

Jones, Bertram Edward

____-1975

Served in Rainbow in 1914 as Lt, RN

Lake, Geoffrey

____-1918

Served in Rainbow in 1914

Livesay, Edward Horace

1882-1971

Murray, Leonard Warren

1896-1971

Served in Rainbow in 1916 as Slt, RCN

Reid, Howard Emmerson

1897-1962

Walker, Wilfred Tyrrel

____-____

Drafted to Rainbow 11 Feb 1915 as LCdr, RN

William, James

1886-1955

Photos and Documents

HMCS Rainbow leaving Portsmouth, Eng. for Canada. August 1910

Source: City of Vancouver Archives

HMCS Rainbow

Source: City of Vancouver Archives Photographer Stuart Thomson

Walter Hose, Commander of HMCS Rainbow

Walter Hose, seen here aboard HMCS Rainbow, became a significant figure in Canadian naval history. After extensive experience in the British navy, Hose recognized the opportunities for advancement in Canadian service and transferred to Canada to command Rainbow in 1911, formally joining the Royal Canadian Navy a year later. Hose was instrumental in creating both the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve and its successor, the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve. As Director of the Naval Service from 1922 to 1934, he fought to keep the RCN a viable institution in an era of meager budgets.

George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 20020045-2180