Second World War
The Navy Ashore  - Building the Royal Canadian Navy

The Royal Canadian Navy expanded dramatically during the Second World War, acquiring ships and recruiting personnel to meet the constantly increasing demands placed upon it. Ships had to be built, repaired, and maintained, and people recruited, trained, and supported.

Seamen on Jetty Being Instructed on Bends and Hitches

In Rowley Murphy's painting, sailors learn how to tie ropes under the supervision of an officer (left, in blue jacket).

They are learning two types of knots: ?bends,' which secured two lines together, and ?hitches,' which bent a line around an object, such as a stanchion. Esquimalt, British Columbia, formerly an important British naval base, was the largest naval training centre in western Canada. Its shore establishment, HMCS Naden, was named after a small wooden depot vessel and cadet training ship. The base played a critical role in the navy's Second World War expansion.

Seamen on Jetty Being Instructed on Bends and Hitches
Painted by Rowley Murphy in 1943
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 19710261-2401