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First World War (1914-1918)
Canadians in the Royal Navy

Many Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in the Royal Navy during the First World War, providing much needed personnel, and emphasizing the strong Imperial ties between both dominions and Great Britain.

Three Canadians in the Royal Navy
Three Canadians in the Royal Navy

Canadian sailor John Ambrose Kell (seated, left) and his friends Bill Orchard (seated, right) and Ezra Parkhouse (standing) all served in British warships.

During the war, Britain's Royal Navy, with the approval of the dominion governments, attracted thousands of Canadian and Newfoundland recruits to serve in a wide variety of roles and in all theatres of war. Born in Cookstown, Ontario, Kell enlisted in the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR) in March 1917, and served as a gunner in a Royal Navy minesweeper in British waters. This photograph was taken at Plymouth, one of Britain's principal naval bases.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20090048-022_1





Royal Navy Warships, Firth of Forth, Scotland
The Night Patrol - Canadian Motor Torpedo Boats Entering Dover Harbour
Albert Medal, Chief Motor Mechanic Ernest Alfred Pooley
Cap Badge, Royal Naval Motor Boat Reserve
Sub-Lieutenant Douglas Urry, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve
"And it blew wondrous cold", Royal Naval Motor Boat Reserve
Motor Launch ML 399, in Drydock, Grimsby
Reloading Motor Launch ML 139 with Depth Charges
Motor Launches Attack an Enemy Submarine
British Naval Mine
Motor Launch Rescues Crashed Seaplane
Sailor's Uniform, Leading Seaman Roland White
Canadians Serving in HMS Canada
Ross Rifle Mk III with Bayonet
Three Canadians in the Royal Navy