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.

Vickers Vulture Flying Boat in Petropavlovsk, Soviet Union

The flying boat seen here in the harbour at Petropavlovsk was the second aircraft involved in an ambitious round-the-world flight attempt.

Supporting this flight required substantial efforts to organize supplies and maintenance at a number of points along the planned flight path. British officials arranged to meet the plane with supplies and fuel, and the rendezvous with HMCS Thiepval at Petropavlovsk had been organized by the flight's corporate sponsor, Shell Oil, and the Canadian government.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19710050-001_99