Royal Naval College of Canada
Encyclopedia
The Royal Naval College of Canada (RNCC) was a naval college set up in Canada by the Royal Navy
; it existed from 1911 to 1922. The school educated about 150 students until it closed due to declining numbers and cuts from Ottawa. The aim of the college was to instruct recruits a course of study that would make them qualified for service on British warship
s. Recruits became deck officers or engineers.
The college was established at the dockyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia. However, the buildings were destroyed by the Halifax explosion
in 1917 when a munitions ship collided with a relief ship in Halifax harbour. The college then moved to facilities at the Royal Military College
(RMC) in Kingston, Ontario
. By 1918 this location was deemed unsuitable and the college moved to the naval dockyard at Esquimault, British Columbia
. The college was closed in 1922 after a parliamentary decision.
The King’s permission was obtained to add the prefix `Royal` to the title of the Naval College of Canada in October 1910, with the abbreviation being `R.C.N.C.` The naval college was established at Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1911. RNCC was commanded by L.Cdr. Edward Atcherley Eckersall Nixon, RN (1878–1924) with the assistance of the Director of Studies. In 1915, the staff included a commander, an instructor commander, an engineer commander, two instructor lieutenant commanders, a paymaster lieutenant commander, a lieutenant, an engineer lieutenant, 3 civilian masters, a chief boatswain, a boatswain and a warrant writer.
The College was initially housed in a two storey brick building originally built as a hospital in the north end of the Royal Naval Dockyard
.
The college facilities consististing of workshops, drawing office, gymnasium, sick quarters, boathouse and a playing field were destroyed in the Halifax Explosion
in 1917. Classes were also held on , a ship used to train the cadets. This ship was also damaged in the explosion. What could be salvaged was moved to at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston
.
In 1919 the RNCC moved to a building in the Royal Navy dockyard at Esquimalt. Classes were also held on the Dominion Government Ship Naden, commissioned as a tender for training in sail.
The College was closed in 1922. In the years between 1922 to 1940, Canadian naval cadets went to the Royal Navy
's Royal Naval College
in Portsmouth
.
, Mathematics
, Navigation
, History
and Modern Languages and was accepted as qualifying for entry as second-year students in Canadian Universities. The program aimed to develop physical and mental abilities, including discipline, the ability to obey and take charge, and honour. Candidates had to be between their fourteenth and sixteenth birthdays on 1 July following the examination.
Graduates were qualified to enter the Imperial or Canadian Service as midshipmen.
59005-033 A brass plaque at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Esquimalt BC is dedicated to the four ex-cadets of the Royal Naval College of Canada and men of the Her Majesty's Ship (HMS) Good Hope who were killed in action in 1914 as well as Lieutenant W.M. Maitland-Dougall killed in 1918.
Four cadets of the first class of the Royal Navy College of Canada (1911–14), were the First Canadian Navy Casualties in the First World War. Midshipman Malcolm Cann (RCNC 1911–14), Midshipman John V.W. Hatheway (RCNC 1911–14), Midshipman William Archibald Palmer (RCNC 1911–14), and Midshipman Arthur Wiltshire Silver (RCNC 1911-14), died when the British warship went down with no survivors, sunk by the German navy on 1 November 1914.
Another cadet was killed on active service with his company of 29 officers and crew while in Command of off Le Havre on 12 March 1918 at 23 years of age. An inquiry later found that Lieutenant (RCN) William McKinstry Heriot-Maitland-Dougall (1911–1914) had acted in the only manner possible to him. HMS D3 was sunk in error by French dirigible AT-9, which could not see D3`s insignia because of the sub’s reflection off the waves, and took her to be a U-boat firing upon it. The French hadn’t been informed that D3 was assigned to their waters in the English Channel and were not aware that British submarines were identifying themselves with rockets as opposed to flashing lights.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
; it existed from 1911 to 1922. The school educated about 150 students until it closed due to declining numbers and cuts from Ottawa. The aim of the college was to instruct recruits a course of study that would make them qualified for service on British warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s. Recruits became deck officers or engineers.
The college was established at the dockyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia. However, the buildings were destroyed by the Halifax explosion
Halifax Explosion
The Halifax Explosion occurred on Thursday, December 6, 1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was devastated by the huge detonation of the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship, fully loaded with wartime explosives, which accidentally collided with the Norwegian SS Imo in "The Narrows"...
in 1917 when a munitions ship collided with a relief ship in Halifax harbour. The college then moved to facilities at the Royal Military College
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
(RMC) in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. By 1918 this location was deemed unsuitable and the college moved to the naval dockyard at Esquimault, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The college was closed in 1922 after a parliamentary decision.
History
The College was initially housed in a two storey brick building originally built as a hospital in the north end of the Royal Naval Dockyard
Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax
Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax was a British Royal Navy base in Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1759 to 1905. The Halifax Yard was the main year round base of the Royal Navy's North American Station when first established in 1759 during the Seven Years' War....
.
The college facilities consististing of workshops, drawing office, gymnasium, sick quarters, boathouse and a playing field were destroyed in the Halifax Explosion
Halifax Explosion
The Halifax Explosion occurred on Thursday, December 6, 1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was devastated by the huge detonation of the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship, fully loaded with wartime explosives, which accidentally collided with the Norwegian SS Imo in "The Narrows"...
in 1917. Classes were also held on , a ship used to train the cadets. This ship was also damaged in the explosion. What could be salvaged was moved to at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
.
In 1919 the RNCC moved to a building in the Royal Navy dockyard at Esquimalt. Classes were also held on the Dominion Government Ship Naden, commissioned as a tender for training in sail.
The College was closed in 1922. In the years between 1922 to 1940, Canadian naval cadets went to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Royal Naval College
Royal Naval Academy
The Royal Naval Academy was established at Portsmouth Dockyard as a facility to train officers for the Royal Navy. The founders' intentions were to provide an alternative means to recruit officers and to provide standardised training, education and admission.-Training:In 1773, a shore side...
in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
.
Program
The Royal Naval College of Canada was established to impart a complete education in Naval Science. Candidates were British subjects between 14 and 16 years of age. Roughly approximate to the program of Naval Colleges in Britain, the initial two year program was followed by a training year in a H.M. cruiser. Initially a Naval career was compulsory. Once the obligation for cadets to follow a naval career was removed, the program was lengthened to 3 years and arrangements were made with certain universities and with the Admiralty to receive cadets. The course provided a grounding in Applied Science, EngineeringEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and Modern Languages and was accepted as qualifying for entry as second-year students in Canadian Universities. The program aimed to develop physical and mental abilities, including discipline, the ability to obey and take charge, and honour. Candidates had to be between their fourteenth and sixteenth birthdays on 1 July following the examination.
Graduates were qualified to enter the Imperial or Canadian Service as midshipmen.
Notable historical milestones
| Year | Significance |
|---|---|
| 1910 |
|
| 1911 | * Royal Naval College of Canada established in the HMC dockyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia with twenty young men aged 14 years. The original building was constructed in 1863 as a Naval Hospital. |
| 1914 | * A bill in the House of Commons in Ottawa to close Royal Naval College of Canada was not passed, in part because Canada entered the First World War in August 1914. |
| 6 Dec 1917 at 0845 | * During the Halifax explosion, the French munitions ship, Mont Blanc Mont Blanc Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence... , collided in Halifax Harbour with the Belgian relief ship, Ilmo, destroying the Royal Naval College of Canada facilities along with much of Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial... . |
| 1917–18 | * The Royal Naval College of Canada moved to HMCS Stone Frigate Stone frigate Stone frigate is a nickname for a naval establishment on land. The term has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French... in Kingston, Ontario Kingston, Ontario Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post... |
| 1919 | * Royal Naval College of Canada moved to a brick building formerly used as a drill deck in the naval dockyard at Esquimalt, British Columbia. |
| 1922 | * Royal Naval College of Canada was closed by a decision made in the House of Commons. |
Facilities
| Building | Date | Description | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMCS Her Majesty's Canadian Ship The designation Her Majesty's Canadian Ship , is applied as a prefix to any Canadian Forces warship. In the reign of a king, the designation changes to His Majesty's Canadian Ship; the French version of the title remains unchanged in this instance... Stone Frigate Stone frigate Stone frigate is a nickname for a naval establishment on land. The term has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French... |
1819–20 |
|
|
Commandants
| Name | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| LCdr. Edward Atcherley Eckersall Nixon, Royal Navy (RN), | 1911–22 | * First and only commandant (Nixon building at the Royal Roads Military College Royal Roads Military College Royal Roads Military College was a Canadian military college located in Hatley Park, Colwood, British Columbia near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The facility is currently being used as the campus for Royal Roads University, a public university that offers applied and professional academic... was named in his honour in 1999) |
Notable alumni
Notable alumni of the college are shown below.| Name | Grad | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Rear Admiral Leonard W. Murray Leonard W. Murray Rear Admiral Leonard Warren Murray, CB, CBE was a officer of the Royal Canadian Navy who played a significant role in the Battle of the Atlantic. He commanded the Newfoundland Escort Force from 1941–1943, and from 1943 to the end of the war was Commander-in-Chief, Canadian Northwest Atlantic... |
1911-3 | Commander-in-Chief, Canadian Northwest Atlantic Canadian Northwest Atlantic Canadian Northwest Atlantic Command was the zone of operations during the Battle of the Atlantic that stretched from north of New York City to 47 degrees west. It was set up at the Atlantic Convoy Conference, held in Washington DC from 1-12 March 1943, and placed under the command of Rear-Admiral... 1943-1945 |
| Commodore Ronald Ian Agnew OBE Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions... |
1911-3 | OBE Awarded as per Canada Gazette of 10 August 1935. |
| Vice Adm Harold Taylor Wood Grant | 1915-17 | Chief of Naval Staff 1947-1950 |
| Vice Admiral George C. Jones | 1911-3 | Chief of the Naval Staff 1944-1945; first RNCC graduate to command a ship in the RCN, HMCS Patrician |
| Lieutenant (RCN) William McKinstry Heriot-Maitland-Dougall | 1911-13 | killed on active service with his entire company of 29 officers and crew while in Command of off Le Havre on 12 March 1918 |
59005-033 A brass plaque at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Esquimalt BC is dedicated to the four ex-cadets of the Royal Naval College of Canada and men of the Her Majesty's Ship (HMS) Good Hope who were killed in action in 1914 as well as Lieutenant W.M. Maitland-Dougall killed in 1918.
Four cadets of the first class of the Royal Navy College of Canada (1911–14), were the First Canadian Navy Casualties in the First World War. Midshipman Malcolm Cann (RCNC 1911–14), Midshipman John V.W. Hatheway (RCNC 1911–14), Midshipman William Archibald Palmer (RCNC 1911–14), and Midshipman Arthur Wiltshire Silver (RCNC 1911-14), died when the British warship went down with no survivors, sunk by the German navy on 1 November 1914.
Another cadet was killed on active service with his company of 29 officers and crew while in Command of off Le Havre on 12 March 1918 at 23 years of age. An inquiry later found that Lieutenant (RCN) William McKinstry Heriot-Maitland-Dougall (1911–1914) had acted in the only manner possible to him. HMS D3 was sunk in error by French dirigible AT-9, which could not see D3`s insignia because of the sub’s reflection off the waves, and took her to be a U-boat firing upon it. The French hadn’t been informed that D3 was assigned to their waters in the English Channel and were not aware that British submarines were identifying themselves with rockets as opposed to flashing lights.
See also
- Royal Military College Saint-JeanCollège militaire royal de Saint-JeanRoyal Military College Saint-Jean is a Canadian military academy located on the site of Fort Saint-Jean , originally built 1666, which is now part of the town of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, 40 km south of Montreal, Quebec...
- The Canadian Crown and the Canadian ForcesThe Canadian Crown and the Canadian ForcesThe place of the Canadian Crown in relation to the Canadian Armed Forces is both constitutional and ceremonial, the sovereign of Canada being the supreme commander of the forces, while he or she and the rest of the Canadian Royal Family hold honorary positions in various branches and regiments,...
- Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve
- Canadian Military CollegesCanadian Military CollegesCanadian Military Colleges was a group of military academies in Canada.Formed in 1948 following the reorganization of the tri-services colleges of the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Army following World War II into a grouping...