Canada's Naval History

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Interwar Years
The 1920s: A Navy Struggling to Survive

Following the end of the First World War, the Royal Canadian Navy faced significant threats to its continued existence. In the face of significant cutbacks, the navy focused on maintaining a small force to train sailors and to protect the country's coasts against enemy ships.

Lieutenant Governor Tory Taking the Salute

The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, James C. Tory, stands ready to take the salute from service personnel during an official ceremony.

Tory (in top hat) is flanked by Major-General H.C. Thacker (left), commander of the local military district, and by Lieutenant-Commander Leonard W. Murray (right). Murray, dressed in the frock coat appropriate to formal events, was posted to Halifax between 1925 and 1927. Like other Canadian naval officers in the 1920s, Murray spent time both in Canada and on British ships, and later in 1927 would be posted to the British battlecruiser HMS Tiger.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19750559-009_p25