The Gumboot Navy: Securing Or Sundering British Columbia by Gregory David Kier B.A., Walla Walla University, 2008
The Gumboot Navy: Securing or Sundering British Columbia by Gregory David Kier B.A., Walla Walla University, 2008 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of History © Gregory David Kier, 2014 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee The Gumboot Navy: Securing or Sundering British Columbia by Gregory David Kier B.A., Walla Walla University, 2008 Supervisory Committee Dr. David Zimmerman, (Department of History) Supervisor Dr. Patricia E. Roy, (Professor Emeritus, Department of History) Departmental Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. David Zimmerman, (Department of History) Supervisor Dr. Patricia E. Roy, (Professor Emeritus, Department of History) Departmental Member In 1938 the Canadian government approved a plan to train fishermen as naval reservists in British Columbia. The fishermen were recruited as whole crews and trained to shoot accurately, form fours, navigate, signal properly and drop depth charges – all aboard their own converted fishing vessels. On paper, and to the general public, the specialized reserve known as the Fishermen’s Reserve or “Gumboot Navy”, was a patriotic group of fishermen doing their bit and better preparing for emergencies. However, in reality, the Canadian government instituted the Fishermen’s Reserve in 1938 for a very specific reason – to round up and remove Japanese Canadians and their boats from the coast prior to the outbreak of war between Canada and Japan. This thesis explores various aspects of the Fishermen’s Reserve from 1938 to 1941 in order to better understand the Canadian Government’s wartime policies.
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