Interwar Years
Imperial Adventure: HMCS Thiepval

In 1924, one of the few ships in the post-First World War Royal Canadian Navy, the Battle-class trawler HMCS Thiepval, became the first Canadian warship to visit the Soviet Union and Japan when it provided support for a British attempt to fly around the world.

Coastal Schooner Everett Hays, Alaska

The American coastal schooner Everett Hays carried coal to refuel HMCS Thiepval in the Aleutian Islands.

Colonel L.E. Broome, the organizer and supply officer for the round-the-world flight that Thiepval's mission was supporting, chartered the Everett Hays to carry coal for the Thiepval because the trawler could not carry enough fuel to cross the North Pacific without refuelling. The Everett Hays carried 40 tons of coal to Kiska Island in the Aleutians, where this photograph was probably taken. Vessels like the Everett Hays were extensively used for transportation and coastal trading in Alaska, especially before the widespread use of aircraft.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19710050-001_13