A ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY Historical Project

Welcome to "For Posterity's Sake" - a site dedicated to the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy and the ships they lived and served in. This is a personal website and is not affiliated with the Government of Canada nor the Department of National Defence.

The goal of this site is to preserve and share the history of those who have sailed in the ships of the RCN. The history we all have buried in our basements or closets in boxes and photo albums - photos of grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles who have also taken pictures and told stories of their time in. This is the history you will not find on the government's historical pages - and its these photos and stories that we all have that I'm hoping to preserve here for posterity's sake.

If you would like to submit photos or stories to be posted here, please send me an EMAIL ( info@forposterityssake.ca ). With the help of all sailors past and present and their families this page can be made into a historical site for future generations to learn about our proud past. May you always have fair winds and following seas!

Capt John Waters Jr. - “Few of their countrymen knew and even fewer now remember the desperate fight waged on the cold and cruel northern seas. But had it failed, the results would have been catastrophic. The clear measure of devotion and courage of these men shall always be that in that dark and bloody winter of crisis they did not fail.”

The Guelph Mercury 16 Nov 2015 - "The Canadian Navy … trained men with men who were scarcely trained themselves. It did everything under the pressure of desperate urgency. It learned to fight a war while fighting it. By all the rules, it should have been the most unholy hash to come out of the war. Somehow, things have turned out differently."

Seaman Campbell, HMCS Kootenay H75 - "There was nothing glorious or romantic about watching bodies and gear float to the surface after sinking a U-boat."

* Index of Ships and Shore Establishments

* In Memory of Those Who Have Crossed the Bar

* Gunshield and shipboard artwork

* Surname Index

Just For The Hull Of It Campaign - designed to raise funds for the critical and necessary work to safeguard the ship.

Just for the Hull of It Campaign - HMCS SACKVILLE

* Arctic Star Medal - Veterans Affairs Canada

* Battle Honours for the RCN

* Books (on the RCN and navy in general)

* CCCP - Our Cold War Opponents

* Codes - Dolphin, Falcon, SNFL and BPC

* Command Chief Petty Officers of the RCN

* Cuban Missile Crisis and the RCN

* Customs and Traditions of the RCN

* Diesel Boats Forever - Submarines and Submariners of the RCN

* Documents and Manuals (Miscellaneous)

* Flags and Pennants - sometimes official, sometimes not

* Ghost Fleet of Bedwell Bay, BC

* Heroes and History Makers of the RCN

* Links

* Long Service and Good Conduct Medal - RCN, RCNR, RCNVR & RCN(R)

* Looking for Lost Wingers

* Mystery Photos - Unknown sailors of the RCN

* Navy Lists - Canadian // British // Australian

* Newfoundlanders of the RNR who served in the RCN

* Newspaper, Magazines and more

* Odds & Sods

* Officer Classification Identification - RCN

* RCN Memories

* RCN Warships Lost

* Service records (request) for yourself or family member // française

* Service records - Royal Navy

* Ship's Bells

* Ship's Books & Booklets - Commissioning, Paying Off, Special Events

* Ship's Company Photos

* Ship's files - Resource guide of ship's files held by Library and Archives of Canada

* Songs of the RCN

* Squadron / Fleet Photos

* Standing Naval Force Atlantic Photos

* Trade Badges of the RCN

* Trade Badges of the WRCNS

* V.E. Day in Halifax

* Wartime Diaries

* What happened to HMCS Quesnel's Thunderbird?

* 59 Steps to the Crow's Nest

Newspapers, Magazines and More

This section contains the historical CROWSNEST newspaper and magazine, links to other past and current naval themed newspapers and magazines along with various shipboard newspapers, and miscellaneous publications and articles.

Newspapers, Magazines and Shipboard newspapers

Sailor, before the mast to gas turbines - is a series of articles written by Dave Tyre that were published in the LOOKOUT newspaper that detailed the history of many aspects of the RCN going back to the Press Gangs of the Royal Navy.

Before the Mast to Gas Turbines - by Dave Tyre

From the Other Side of the Scuttle - also written by Dave Tyre - is a few of his columns from the LOOKOUT, TRIDENT and various local BC newspapers spanning many years detailing life in the RCN from a humourous and sometimes serious point of view. Pull up a chair and enjoy the read.

From the Other Side of the Scuttle - by Dave Tyre

Joseph Barr Champion Collection - A historical collection of photos and documents from the life of Joseph Barr Champion, RNCVR, RCN, RAN(R), Merchant Mariner

Those who made the Ultimate Sacrifice in the Royal Canadian Navy, The Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, and the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve 1939-1947 - a 3 volume 4 book set.

A 4 volume set on Canada's Merchant Sailors who died serving on Merchant ships from 1939 to 1947.

03 Oct 2021 - Ship's Company Photos - A crew photo for HMCS SUMMERSIDE K141 has been added

01 Oct 2021 - Documents and Manuals (misc) - HMCS NADEN, Naval Barracks - A History of Its work, Senior Officers and Ships, 2nd Edition has been added

01 Oct 2021 - Ship's Books and Booklets - The Reactivation booklet for HMCS PROVIDER 508 after her 1982 refit has been added

01 Oct 2021 - Documents and Manuals (misc) - A PR booklet for the 3rd Canadian Escort Squadron - 1958 has been added

01 Oct 2021 - Ship's Books and Booklets - the Paying off Programme for HMCS ONTARIO - 15 Oct 1958 has been added

01 Oct 2021 - Ship's Books and Booklets - The Commissioning booklet for HMCS CRESCENT 226 - 31 Oct 1955 has been added

01 Oct 2021 - Ship's Books and Booklets - The Commissioning booklet for HMCS CAPE SCOTT 101 - 28 Jan 1959 has been added

01 Oct 2021 - Ship's Books and Booklets - The Commissioning Programme for HMCS ANTIGONISH - 12 Oct 1957 has been added

26 Sep 2021 - HMCS LOCKEPORT J100 - Sixteen photos from the collection of Bert Horner, Sto, RCNVR have been added to her page

22 Sep 2021 - HMCS NORTH BAY K339 - Eleven photos from the collection of Donald Ross Johnston, Sto, RCNVR have been added to her page

21 Sep 2021 - Documents and Manuals (misc) - Four Business Periodicals that list employees from those companies there were serving during the Second World War have been added

3) The Naval History Net - Ship Histories, Convoy Escort Movements for Casualty Lists 1939-1947

7) The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1981 by Ken Macpherson and John Burgess

8) The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-2002 by Ken Macpherson and Ron Barrie

11) A History of the West Coast Canadian Forces Auxiliary Fleet by Matthew Chapman

17) Designs of Distinction - Unofficial Insignia of the RCN 1910 - 1948 by David J. Freeman

18) The Nauticapedia - Celebrating the stories of the maritime heritage of British Columbia, western and northern Canada, and Canada's Naval Forces

This is a personal website and the website owner is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or Department of National Defence (DND).

The information on this site is for informational purposes only. This website is a compilation of information from government websites, books and other resources such as wartime diaries and stories from the memories of those who served and may contain historical inaccuracies. For Posterity's Sake and those who submit information to this site are not responsible for any historical inaccuracies and accepts no responsibility for any costs / expenditures by those using this information. Anyone using information from this site should exercise due diligence and verify any information used.

This web site contains links to other web sites. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy or opinions expressed in such web sites, and such web sites are not investigated, monitored or checked for accuracy or completeness by us. Inclusion of any linked web site on or through this web site does not imply approval or endorsement of the linked web site by us. If you decide to access these sites, you do so at your own risk.