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Canadian Military History

Volume 19 Issue 1 Article 9

2010

Admiral Kingsmill and the Early Years of the Royal Canadian

Roger Sarty

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Recommended Citation Roger Sarty " Kingsmill and the Early Years of the ." Canadian Military History 19, 1 (2010)

This Feature is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. : Admiral Kingsmill and the Early Years of the Royal Canadian Navy Admiral Kingsmill and the Early Years of the Royal Canadian Navy

Roger Sarty

Following is a background paper and the first of a series of historical documents assembled to support the creation of a provincial plaque in honour of Admiral Kingsmill by the Ontario Heritage Trust. Further documents with commentaries will be published in forthcoming issues to help mark the Navy’s centennial. Warm thanks to Beth Anne Mendes, Coordinator, Plaque Programs, Ontario Heritage Trust, who managed the project and assisted with the writing and editting, and to Dr. Robert Davison, University, who assisted with the research.

Introduction of maritime sovereignty and security, Young Charles attended Upper and understanding of the Canadian College in Toronto, as his harles Edmund Kingsmill was political and social situation, did father and uncles had before him. Cthe founder of the Canadian much to clarify that distinction, and In September 1869, he travelled to navy. He was the principal technical acted effectively to advance Canadian England to train as an cadet advisor to the Canadian government interests. in the , as a nominee of in the creation of the navy in 1908-10, the then governor- of Canada, and became the professional head of Background Lord Lisgar. At that time it was not the new service for its first ten years, uncommon for Canadians wishing 1910-1920. The government selected ingsmill was the grandson of to become professional (ie. full-time) Kingsmill because of his naval KWilliam Kingsmill, an officer members of the armed forces, to join expertise. He repeatedly called upon in the British regular army who had the British services. Canadians – this expertise during the challenging served in the Peninsular campaign considered British citizens who lived period of political controversy and against Napoleon. In 1833, while overseas – had the right to join the limited resources that attended on service in the British garrison British armed services on much the the navy’s birth and threatened to in Upper Canada, William retired same basis as residents of the British destroy the young service.1 from the army to settle in the new Isles. Kingsmill’s expertise came from country. He held a number of civil nearly 40 years of service as an government posts and was ultimately Establishment of the officer in Britain’s Royal Navy, the postmaster at Guelph, Ontario. In Canadian Navy world’s strongest and arguably 1837-38 he came out of active militia most effective fighting sea service service to organize units to counter y about the mid-19th century at the time. He served on most the rebellion led by William Lyon BBritain determined that its self- types of warships in most parts of Mackenzie and guard the Niagara governing colonies should become the world. Although Kingsmill, at frontier against intervention by more responsible for their own just 14 years of age, left his native American sympathizers. William defence. This was one of the main Ontario to join the Royal Navy as Kingsmill’s seventh child was John reasons why the government in a , his allegiance and Juchereau Kingsmill (1829-1900), London promoted confederation of outlook was Canadian. He showed a who became a prominent lawyer in the British North American colonies deep understanding of the distinction Guelph. He was Crown Attorney into the new “dominion” of Canada between British Empire and Canadian from 1856-1866, and in 1867 was in 1867. The issue, however, was interests in maritime armed forces at appointed judge of Bruce County. land forces, not naval forces. Canada a time when that distinction was John Juchereau’s first child, Charles began to establish its first small units anything but clear. Kingsmill, with Edmund, was born in Guelph on 7 of regular troops in 1871, the year his firm grasp of the practical needs July 1855. in which the last of

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garrisons on station in central Royal Navy to take command of Canada withdrew. the Canadian government’s civil There was no question of fleet and improve the very basic Canada raising its own naval program of naval training already forces. 2 In the negotiations started in the largest of the armed on defence at the time of fisheries protection steamers, Confederation, Britain promised Canadian Government Ship continued naval protection. Canada. In 1909, Britain was very The Royal Navy retained its concerned about German naval dockyards at Halifax, Nova expansion. This threat prompted Scotia, and , British English-speaking Canadians to Columbia, to support warships demand that Canada must do of the North America and West more, and Kingsmill produced Indies station and the Pacific a plan for a modest Canadian station that operated regularly naval service. Advice from in Canadian waters. Britain resulted in the Laurier By the early 20th century government quickly establishing Britain looked to its self-governing the new Canadian Navy3 in colonies for naval assistance to 1910, with plans for a larger fleet meet increased international than Kingsmill’s scheme, but it rivalry. Because of that rivalry was a logical development of the Royal Navy concentrated its his plan. The Naval Service Bill fleet in European waters, closed was introduced into the House the dockyards at Halifax and of Commons in January 1910. It Esquimalt, and removed the received Royal Assent on 4 May warships permanently stationed 1910 and created a department in the western Atlantic and of the naval service under the eastern Pacific at the end of minister of and Fisheries. 1904. Canada’s prime minister, A director of the naval Sir Wilfrid Laurier, faced sharp service was provided for in the disagreement between English- naval act, to be the professional speaking Canadians who head of the service, preferably advocated defence cooperation with a rank not lower than with Britain, and French-speaking that of rear-admiral. Charles Canadians who believed that any Edmund Kingsmill became form of naval initiative would the first director of the naval be ultimately controlled by the service and would serve until British Admiralty which would his retirement in 1920. Kingsmill draw the country into every firmly grasped the possibilities British conflict overseas. Laurier’s for a Canadian navy that, compromise was to develop the although built on British models, government’s civil marine fleet, would be shaped by Canada’s and particularly the Fisheries particular maritime interests, Protection Service, into a national such as the close protection navy for the defence of the Admiral Sir Charles Edmund Kingsmill of the coastline and ports, the oceans adjacent to the country’s gathering of marine intelligence coasts. The dockyards at Halifax for the government in , and Esquimalt, which Canada’s politics and requirements. Laurier and the enforcement of fisheries department of Marine and Fisheries selected Kingsmill, whose success in regulations. He understood how took over, were a valuable resource. the Royal Navy was well known, and those interests differed from Britain’s Still, the government needed an whose family was active in public life larger international concerns, such experienced senior officer to lead the and sympathetic to the Liberal party. as the defence of shipping around effort, specifically someone who was In 1908 Kingsmill retired with the world that supplied the British sensitive to Canadian demographics, the rank of rear-admiral from the economy, a global mission that

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precluded attention to more local Canadian needs. Almost immediately in 1910 intense division between English and French speaking opinion in Canada slowed down the development of the new navy. In 1911 when Robert Borden’s Conservatives came into power they stopped all naval development, slashing the budget and ending recruitment of personnel. Kingsmill was bitterly discouraged, but remained a loyal and devoted public servant. He never spoke out in public and scrupulously respected the British principle of the supremacy of the civil authority over the military, a principle that was strongly embedded in Canadian practice.4 Kingsmill used his energies to press forward with war planning and such training as was possible with the resources he had available. He gave particular priority to the training of young Canadian officer cadets, as they were the hope for the future of the service. The Royal Naval College of Canada, established at Halifax early in 1911, remained open to receive new classes each year despite the severe budget cuts. The plan was that the cadets, after the two Top: Canadian Government Ship Canada as she appeared when years of work ashore at the College, completed by her British builders, Vickers Sons and Maxim, in 1904. would then receive sea training in Above: HMS Niobe arriving at Halifax, NS, 21 October 1910 to being two , HMCS Niobe on the service as the first of “His Majesty’s Canadian Ships.” Atlantic coast, and HMCS Rainbow on the Pacific, whose purchase from the Canadian cruisers were able to the German hunting in Royal Navy Kingsmill had arranged get to sea to join the British forces British waters, he led efforts to use in 1910. These ships could not get in protecting shipping in North any and all Canadian resources. to sea however, as the budget cuts American waters. Eventually the The navy took up government and left too few personnel to crew them. Naval Service recruited over 9,600 civilian ships that had the speed Kingsmill therefore obtained places officers and ratings during the course and sea keeping qualities needed for the cadets on British warships. of the War. for anti- duties, armed Although the Canadian navy In 1915 Germany began to use these vessels, and hurriedly trained had shrunk to only 350 personnel, submarines to attack British shipping. Canadian volunteers to crew them. when war broke out in August 1914 The large British and Canadian In 1917-1918 the Canadian navy the service was able to implement warships were vulnerable to department worked with the British basic coast defence measures thanks submarine attack, but the Royal Navy Admiralty to build a 160 small anti- to the planning and preparations had no anti-submarine warships to submarine vessels in Canada, and Kingsmill had organized. Britain spare. Kingsmill never relented in his Kingsmill persuaded the Admiralty provided large warships for offshore pressure on the Royal Navy to more to allocate many of these to expand defence. With assistance from British effectively assist in Canadian waters, the Canadian force. In these efforts, and Newfoundland personnel but as it became clear the British Kingsmill took care not to disturb the and Canadian volunteers, the two were unable to adequately counter training of the young Canadian officer

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He died in 1935 at his summer home on Grindstone Island, near Portland, Ontario and is buried in Emmanuel Anglican Cemetery, Portland.

Notes

1. For further reading: Gilbert Norman Tucker, The Naval Service of Canada; Its Official History: Vol.I. Origins and Early Years (Ottawa: King’s Printer, 1952). Contains much information still not readily available in any other published source; Michael L. Hadley and Roger Sarty, Tin-Pots and Pirate Ships: Canadian Naval Forces and German Sea Raiders 1880-1918 ( and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1991). Incorporates military and political history scholarship published since Tucker’s volume appeared, and archival material HMCS Rainbow at Esquimalt, BC. from Canadian, British, U.S. and German archives to which his team did not have access; Richard H. Gimblett, “Admiral cadets, leaving them to continue to Kingsmill’s Legacy Sir Charles E. Kingsmill: Forgotten Father,” in Michael Whitby, Richard H. serve in British warships in Gimblett and Peter Haydon, eds., The more active theatres. He used his t the time of Kingsmill’s : Canada’s Senior Naval Leadership connections to find experienced retirement in 1920, the small in the Twentieth Century (Toronto: A Dundurn Press, 2006), 31-53. The fullest Royal Navy officers, many of them staff of experienced ex-Royal Navy biographical account of Kingsmill; retired, to organize and command officers he had assembled in Ottawa Roger Sarty, The Maritime Defence of Canada (Toronto: Canadian Institute of the new small-ship anti-submarine was developing detailed plans for Strategic Studies, 1996). Contains essays flotilla. the navy’s future on the basis of the on the origins of the navy, the navy and Throughout the war, Kingsmill experience of 1914-18. Government development of Canadian sovereignty, and the defence of the Pacific coast in the resisted Royal Navy efforts to control cuts to military spending in the era of the First World War that shed light operations at Canadian ports, which 1920s made these plans largely on Kingsmill’s role. were vital for the shipment of troops theoretical, but they became the 2. In 1881, there was an early attempt to establish a Canadian navy, when the and war material to the United basis for rebuilding the navy in the young country acquired a steam-powered Kingdom. Using the experienced late 1930s and the foundation for the wooden vessel, HMS Charybdis from the former Royal Navy officers he had massive expansion of the service in Royal Navy as a . The vessel, however, proved to need such expensive invited into Canadian service, he the Second World War. That growth, repairs that the Canadian government strengthened the navy’s coastal and the significant Canadian naval returned her to the British. commands and intelligence gathering contribution to the western alliance 3. The service became the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in 1911 when King George organization to better assert Canada’s in the early would be led V granted permission to add the pre-fix authority, and work on a more equal by Canadian naval officers to whose “Royal.” 4. Kingsmill was a prolific correspondent basis with Britain. The Canadian navy recruitment and training Kingsmill on professional matters in letters and was thus able to take an effective part had devoted such attention. memoranda that survive in the records of in cooperation with the American During the course of his the navy, and the papers of such public figures as Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Sir Robert and British , in the defence expansive career Kingsmill was Borden, and Louis-Philippe Brodeur, of shipping in the western Atlantic well-recognized for his impressive held at Library and Archives Canada and when large German submarines service and contributions. He was other Ottawa area archives. He was not shy about expressing his views, but did crossed the ocean in the summer made an Officer of the French Legion so only to other officials and his political and fall of 1918. This experience of Honour and a Grand Officer masters. An accurate summation of convinced even Conservative Prime of the Crown of Italy. In 1913, he Kingsmill’s place in published historical literature is the sub-title of Richard Minister Robert Borden (1911-1920) was promoted on the British Royal Gimblett’s biographical article: ‘Forgotten that the country required the navy the Navy’s retired list to vice-admiral, Father’ of the navy. Laurier government had established then to full admiral in 1917. He was with Kingsmill’s advice. knighted by King in 1918.

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Document referring to the forts, now, but to the narrowing of the Navigable Channel by Kingsmill’s plan for the Canadian Navy, 1909 sinking obstructions in time of War, or Officer Commanding Marine Service of Canada to Minister of Marine by properly organized boom defence. and Fisheries, 19 April 1909, extracts (Library and Archives Canada, 3. The Establishment of Examination Record Group 24, Volume 3830, file NS 1017-1-1) Service: this would come under the Military Authorities, but the Vessels used would belong to Naval Department. (I Editor’s note: The file copy of the proposal for Canadian naval development that may point out here that this one matter Kingsmill drafted in response to the House of Commons resolution of 29 March 1909 shows how desirable it is that we should that called for the “speedy” creation of a naval service. To note is the priority Kingsmill have Interdepartmental Committees.) gives to fisheries protection, long the issue of maritime security that had most concerned 4. The proper organization of our the Canadian government, and the need to build the navy on the foundation of the Coastal Signal Service and the government’s existing marine resources. These had long been the essential elements connecting up by wire of all important in the Laurier government’s policy that Kingsmill had been hired to develop. Also observing Stations. This is a very significant is the priority Kingsmill gives to the acquisition of “two small cruisers” important matter – in Great Britain it is from Britain to serve as training vessels and to strengthen fisheries protection. At this undertaken by the Coast Guard and the time the Admiralty’s advice, given to Australia in 1908, was that the dominions should Government Telegraph Department, limit themselves to the smallest classes of warships, boats and , purely (with headquarters at the General Post for coastal defence. The “small cruisers” of the Sirius class Kingsmill recommends Office). were, at 3400 tons displacement, more than three times as big as the largest destroyers, 5. A well organized Signal Service is of and unlike the destroyers had full ocean-going capabilities, together with excellent the greatest assistance and positively accommodation for training that the destroyers lacked. This recommendation was the necessary in the even of War, for genesis of the policy carried out by the Canadian government in 1910 with the purchase many thousands of money could be of the British cruisers Rainbow, which was of the Sirius type, for the west coast, and wasted by false reports and much the much larger Niobe for the east coast. Those cruisers embodied the idea, planted distress caused without burning any by Kingsmill, that the Canadian navy must, in order to exercise effective control over power. A Hostile would have the country’s ocean frontiers, have an ocean-going capacity. to be carefully watched, and our scouts reporting her whereabouts by wireless Officer Commanding assistance and in the end a better use will would need good assistance from Marine Service of Canada have been made of the money. shore stations in directing the proper Ottawa, April 19, 1909 Understanding that the above is the disposition of the Defence. plan on which you wish me to work, I B. Turning now to Naval Training in Sir, submit the following: conjunction with Fisheries Protection, It is with a strong feeling of diffidence A. The first, and one of the principal and considering first: that I submit, singlehanded, a scheme things Canada should do for the 1. We have there a very important of Naval Defence for Canada, and defence of the Empire and for her Industry, and at present an imperfect wish to say that my views are given own benefit, is the provision of proper Protection. I would submit that we after due consideration of the fact that Dock accommodation and the proper should, if possible, obtain from Great monetary contribution alone is out of the defence of her already fortified Ports. Britain two small cruisers, fairly up to question, and that we must develop our The necessity for this is so apparent that date, capable of training say 200 men, Naval assistance to the Empire with this I do not enter in explanation. these ships to be bought in, becoming end always in view, that the Canadian 1. Halifax and Esquimalt [ink insertion: in every way our property, sailing under Navy is to be under the control of the “or a properly fortified Port on Pacific our Flag, but to be officered and partly Dominion Government, the question of Coast”] should have their Dry Docks manned by Royal Navy, the officers and its disposition in the even of War being a brought up to date and their Machine portion of complement being chosen for matter for those in authority at the time; Shops kept in working order either by their capabilities as Instructors; these also that at an early date we must use Government or by subsidizing private officers and men coming entirely under the newly started Naval Service for the Concerns. A dock should be built at the Dominion Government and under Protection of our Fisheries, in fact, that and at Yarmouth, , control of the officer chosen by the Fisheries Protection and Training go hand and the latter fortified and made a Naval Government as their Executive. in hand, thus using the appropriation Base. I will call these our Naval Bases. The training of Stokers and Seamen for the former in carrying out the latter 2. The proper defence of these Naval could go on, and the promising Seamen which , of course, will be a considerable Bases should be undertaken; I am not sent to England for a course in Gunnery,

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Torpedo and Signal School, and those would be necessary that all Candidates Atlantic Coast, and like Esquimalt, who were not doing well promptly should pass an examination, the should be in charge of, for Executive dismissed. standard of which should be fixed by purposes, at first a capable Royal At Esquimalt we should establish and the Civil Service Commission, and this Naval Officer, in time relieved by up to date Signal School open to all Examination should be entirely open to his Understudy, who should be his Merchant Seamen, particular attention all, Medical fitness and British origin or Assistant from the beginning; the should be given to Telegraphy, Wireless Canadian Nationality being a sine qua whole establishment being under the and other – this, so that in the event non. D.N.S. who would be responsible to of trouble in the East we could have C. To now turn to the Atlantic Coast: the Government. At Quebec should a good staff for use in our Mercantile 1. [Original text: “I would advise that also be established a Signal Training Cruisers, and be training a staff for our here we should commence in the same School and late on, as we progress, a Signal Stations. way, but that out training should be for Naval Station. 2. At present, British Ships of War Torpedo Defence alone, at first.” Ink 4. We should at once commence visit the Seal fishing Grounds – this amended to “I would advise that here building Destroyers and [original duty could be undertaken by our ships we should commence in the same text:“Torpedo boats” struck out and after the fact is recognized by Foreign way, but that our training should be ink amended to “Cruisers”]. What we Governments that Canada has a for Torpedo Defence alone, from one should build, that is lay down, now as Navy, as also could the Police visits cruiser “Canada” at first in conjunction soon as possible, would be: Two ocean of British Ships to British Pacific Ports, with a training school on shore.” Then going Destroyers, vessels of 700 to 900 be, in time, relegated to us. Training this whole paragraph struck out.] tons displacement, for the Atlantic: two for our people and an assistance to the [Original text: “We should procure, to Coastal Destroyers, vessels of 270 tons Imperial Government. start with, two Destroyers of not too displacement, for the Pacific Coast: 3. The Officer Commanding, or Director, old a class, but of the best Sea keeping Four Torpedo boats; the Torpedo boats or whatever designation he will be qualities.” Ink amended to “We should could be built, after a model has been known by, should have, at Esquimalt, procure on loan, to start with, one obtained, in Canada, to save sending an experienced Officer in General cruiser of Sirius Class and two Torpedo them round Cape Horn to British Charge; for some time this officers Boat Destroyers.”] With these, and the Columbia. should be an Officer of the Royal Navy “CANADA,” officered by Royal Naval Australia proposes to build: with under him, as Understudy, an Officers and Instructors, we should 3 Ocean going Destroyers, 1st class Officer, Canadian if possible, but if not train the crews of four Destroyers, and vessels of 700 to 900 tons; one with Seafaring knowledge and the at the same time [ink insertion: “partly”] 1 Ocean going , 2nd class necessary education, who has thrown Protect our Fisheries on the Atlantic vessel of 500 to 600 tons; in his lot with us. A Staff also would be Seaboard. With [ink insertion:”’Sirius’”] 16 Coastal Destroyers (now call necessary to keep proper returns, for two Destroyers and the “CANADA”, 1st class Torpedo boats), 270 tons all Naval warlike stores, etc., should be [Original text “we would have one displacement under the Officer Commanding for the Destroyer’s Complement to train” ink 4 1st Class Torpedo Boats. Dominion Government, and I cannot amended to “fully manned we should She has already ordered two ocean too strongly advocate the system in have a force of roughly speaking 300 going Destroyers, and the material for vogue in the Navy where red tape is men under training, a proportion of a third, which is to be built in Australia. almost eliminated and fraud easily them”] in Barracks on shore, these men We should need, eventually, all that recognized. relieving those on board from time to Australia proposes and our Cruisers Note: I would submit here that the time so that all would get a share of the after that… Officer Commanding for Dominion Sea work. Government by styled DIRECTOR The best of these men, as in case NAVAL SERVICE [“Service” stroked of British Colombia training ships, Roger Sarty is professor of history at Wilfrid Laurier University and the editor- out and ink amended to “Forces”] and being sent to England to the Gunnery, in-chief of Canadian Military History. generally addressed D.N.S. Torpedo and Signal Schools. 4. In Great Britain training and education 2. ... of , who are destined to fill 3. Halifax, from the fact of its Dockyard, positions of responsibility, commences and being an open Port, should be at a very early age. With us, at the start, it Principal Naval Headquarters on the

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