Canadian Military History

Volume 4 Issue 2 Article 21

1995

Ocean Bridge: The History of RAF Command by Carl Christie [Review]

Laurie Peloquin Wilfrid Laurier University

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Recommended Citation Peloquin, Laurie "Ocean Bridge: The History of RAF Ferry Command by Carl Christie [Review]." Canadian Military History 4, 2 (1995)

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]. Peloquin: Ocean Bridge [Review]

Second World War was the ocean-going vessels of the transport of food, goods and Commonwealth, including those of Ocean Bridge weapons from North America. The Great Britain, were built in Canada. The History of RAF struggle to accomplish this, known Canadian government expenditures Ferry Command as the , has and the workforce devoted to the been told many times. Accounts of creation of the merchant fleet were Carl Christie. Ocean Bridge: The the chess match between the Allied larger than those of the aircraft History of RAF Ferry Command escorts and the German U-boats as industry. What an amazing (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995) 458 pages, $39.95, ISBN 0-8020- they fought their desperate struggle accomplishment for a country 0638-8. over the merchant ships has considered an economic lightweight portrayed the merchantmen as prior to the start of the war. he story of Ferry Command is mere pawns in a greater struggle. The a fascinating one indeed, These pawns, however, have a story evolved into the world's 4th largest T especially in the capable hands of of their own to tell. The Canadian wartime fleet with a force of over Carl Christie. This little known, and Merchant Navy, and the industry 12,000 men. The majority of the certainly little studied, branch of behind it, played a major role in the ships in the fleet were Canadian­ the World War II air services made Allied war effort. built. Over the course of the war, a a solid contribution to the war Early in the war, as the full total of 67 Canadian-flagged vessels effort. The ferry service implications of the U-boat threat were sunk by enemy action. The toll transported, by air, North of merchant seamen lost was 1,578, began to materialize, the British American-built aircraft to Britain as began to look for options. One of a rate much higher than well as freight and for the earliest expedients was the experienced by the navy. In use on the fields of battle in Europe transfer of 25 shallow-draft Great addition, there were losses not and the Far East. When it began, in Lake boats in the spring of 1940 to related to enemy action. 1940, trans-Atlantic flight was still England to replace British coastal The contributions of this fleet in its infancy, and the proponents ships lost to the Germans. Six of are immeasurable. Mter the war the of the ferry service, led by Lord these ships were immediately put British government had nothing but Beaverbrook, had a lot to prove. to good use in evacuating the praise for the accomplishments of Christie details this important remnants of the British the Canadian Merchant Navy. Rear enterprise from its inception to its Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. Admiral Leornard W. Murray, conclusion in 1945. Over this time Later in that same year, a mission Commander-in-Chief of the Ferry Command delivered 10,000 was sent to North America to seek Canadian Northwest Atlantic, much needed aircraft across the out ship-building yards to replace stated that the Battle of the Atlantic oceans for use by the RAF. Also duly the steadily increasing losses. was won by "the courage, fortitude noted is the far-reaching Though the Canadian industry had and determination of the British contribution made by the ferrying declined from its heyday in the and Allied Merchant Navy." Well organization to the post-war usage 1920s, the war had stimulated deserved praise for the pawns of the of trans-Atlantic flight in the tremendous growth. The British "Unknown Navy." domestic sphere. mission placed an order for twenty Halford has done a masterful The story of Ferry Command 10,000 ton dry vessels job telling the many diverse stories unfolds as a truly international followed shortly by a Canadian of the Canadian Merchant Navy. The enterprise. Although mainly order for an additional 88 vessels. book is divided into three sections: undertaken by the British, By the time the last wartime ship The first is a complete history of American and Canadian air was launched, 354 10,000 ton and the Merchant Navy from its origins services, Christie shows how the 43 4, 700 ton vessels would be through the war years to its ferrying operations relied primarily produced. This was in addition to downfall after the war. The second on co-operation between these the construction of nearly 500 section contains an three countries, but also on destroyers, frigates, corvettes and autobiographical treatment of the countless other allied countries minesweepers for the navy. In 1944, author's own merchant navy whose resources were utilized to merchant ships were being experiences while the third section, make the huge leaps across the launched at a rate of almost two per titled, "In Their Own Words," world possible. Britain, America week. To put this in perspective, the records the personal accounts of and Canada took responsibility for 10,000 ton Park/Fort class of individual sailors. This book, administration, personnel and produced in written in a clear and forthright training as well as for the Canadian yards, which was nearly manner, should be read by all development of suitable airfields. identical to its more famous interested in Canada's role in the The original route crossed the American cousin, the Liberty ship, Second World War. North Atlantic in one leap, was being produced at a faster rate delivering Hudsons to Scotland. As based on population and at a lower Mike Bechthold the success of the operations were per unit cost. Nearly half of the Wilfrid Laurier University

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proven, new routes were instituted has included personal anecdotes examined Chris tie also to meet the needs of different derived from diaries and letters to acknowledges failures. He devotes airplanes, the theatres to which they add a human dimension to the an entire chapter to what he calls, were being delivered, and the narrative. This is also where "the darker side of the Ferry vagaries of the weather. Within a Christie's research skills shine. He Command story," (p.245) the very short time Ferry Command does not take anecdotal tales at face sometimes heavy losses of was crossing the globe, through value. Instead, he has searched the manpower and machinery. Bermuda, Greenland, Iceland, archives for supporting evidence, This book provides the South America, Mrica, the Middle which he provides when they exist, definitive account of Ferry East and across the Pacific. Christie and notes when they do not. The Command. Christie has mined a includes maps which outline the story of the first aircraft lost by wealth of sources, with the result major routes, emphasizing the Ferry Command is greatly that few questions are left to be scope of Ferry Command enhanced by details supplied by the answered. He recognizes the operations. weather forecaster, the flying difficulty in assessing the true value Christie provides detailed control officer, the lone survivor, the of the ferrying operation while descriptions of the complexity of the flying superintendent and a pilot making it clear that it had an ferrying operation in political whose understanding of the impact. Well-chosen photographs terms. Beginning with the technical aspects allowed him to accompany the narrative, as do reluctance of the Air Ministry to present some theories about the detailed maps. Unfortunately, sanction the delivery of planes by possible causes of the crash. however, the Pacific route map is air to the jockeying for position by (pp.62-72) The fact that the Hudson not included, although this does not all governments involved, the tale also carried a celebrity, Sir detract from the other supporting unfolds. Not only official Frederick Banting, who was also materials. Christie also intrigues govemment agencies contributed to killed in the crash, adds to the the reader with talk of sabotage, the execution of plans for Ferry poignancy of the narrative, and puts but, aside from dismissing the idea, Command, but also private a real human face on the historical never expands on the issue. interests from Canada, the U.S. and record. Christie illustrates every However, very little can be said to Britain. The South American type of Ferry Command operation detract from the fact that Christie airfields in particular are shown to with personal observation, which, has produced a book which adds a have relied heavily on Juan Trippe when backed up by archival valued chapter to the study of the and his Pan American Airlines, sources, contributes a very full World War II air services. operating on behalf of the United picture of the missions. States War Department. The Between the political Laurie Peloquin evolution of the ferrying mechanisms which built the Wilfrid Laurier University organization through its beginnings organization and the personal as the Canadian Pacific Air Services recollections of day to day Department, to the Atlantic Ferry missions, Ocean Bridge Organization (ATFERO), to Ferry encompasses all aspects of the Advertisers' Index Command and finishing its tenure ferrying process. Christie includes as No. 45 Group ofRAFTransport problems with lack of personnel, Brassey's Inc ...... 112 Command crosses political, civilian and the recruitment methods Cambridge Military Library ..... 33 and military domains. Meticulous employed to alleviate these Canadian Battle of research shows in Christie's ability difficulties. Along with manpower Normandy Foundation ...... 105 to sort through the various interests shortages Ferry Command Copp Clark Ltd ...... 92 involved. He capably illustrates the encountered a need for a training Joe Drouin Enterprises ...... 94 complexity of the nature of Ferry program which enabled airmen to Laurier Centre for Military Command, and the immense be able to undertake their Strategic and Disarmament amount of work which went into assignments in the safest manner Studies ...... 8 carrying out the task of trans-global possible, as quickly as possible. Log House Publishing ...... 87 airplane delivery. These new training procedures, and Material History Review ...... 92 By far the most important part the methods used to implement McGraw-Hill inside of the story of Ferry Command is them is also well covered by the Ryerson Ltd ...... front cover that of the actual missions, and author. Accurate weather MeGill-Queen's Christie dedicates a great deal of his predictions proved necessary for University Press ...... 95 book to this end. Christie not only the successful completion of trans­ Naval Institute Press ...... 113 furnishes descriptive records of oceanic flight, which led to Regiments ...... 42 individual ferrying assignments, developments in the field of Vanwell Publishing Ltd ...... 112 but offers detailed character meteorology. Not only are the The War Amps ...... 87 sketches of the individuals who successes and advancements War & Society ...... 95 did the job. Wherever possible, he made by Ferry Command

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