Jack Ross (left), seen here with armed members of HMCS Grilse's crew including one carrying a cutlass (right), purchased the Grilse for Canadian naval service.

Deemed medically unfit for overseas army service, Ross, one of the wealthiest men in Canada, sought a place in the navy by obtaining fast American yachts for the Canadian government. After purchasing the first vessel, which became HMCS Tuna, he was appointed a naval lieutenant. In 1915, Ross acquired another yacht, which became Grilse, a ship he would command from October 1915 to July 1916.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19940001-945