HMCS Armentières
Encyclopedia
HMCS Armentières was one of twelve Battle class naval trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
s used by the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
(RCN). Named after the Battle of Armentières
Armentières
Armentières is a commune in the Nord department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole, and lies on the Belgian border, northwest of the city of Lille, on the right bank of the river Lys....
, she was built by Canadian Vickers, at Montreal, and was commissioned on 5 June 1918. Along with , and , Armentières accompanied on a trip to the west coast via the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
in early 1919. Shortly after arriving in Esquimalt, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Armentières was refitted to increase its utility as a training ship, with a captain's cabin built abaft the wheelhouse, and two cabins built below the upper deck. Decommissioned on 28 October 1919, the ship was recommissioned in 1923, but on 2 September 1925 sank in Pipestem Inlet, near Barkley Sound
Barkley Sound
Barkley Sound, also known historically as Barclay Sound, is south of Ucluelet and north of Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island and forms the entrance to the Alberni Inlet...
. Salvaged over a month later, Armentières was recommissioned again and resumed her service. Frequently functioning as a training ship for the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve was a naval reserve force of the Royal Canadian Navy, which replaced the Royal Navy Canadian Volunteer Reserve .-Foundation:...
, Armentières also performed fisheries patrol duties, including the protection of migrating fur seals against illegal hunting. This enforcement of the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911
North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911
The North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911, formally known as the Convention between the United States and Other Powers Providing for the Preservation and Protection of Fur Seals, was an international treaty signed on July 7, 1911 designed to manage the commercial harvest of fur bearing mammals ...
was often carried out in conjunction with the Battle class trawlers and , which at the time was serving with the Department of Marine and Fisheries as CGS Givenchy. In the 1930s, Armentières also assisted with hydrographic survey
Hydrographic survey
Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/drilling and related disciplines. Strong emphasis is placed on soundings, shorelines, tides, currents, sea floor and submerged...
and oceanographic
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
work
Armentières continued her service throughout the interwar years, and by 1934 was the only Battle class trawler still serving with the RCN, although others were still in use by other government departments and would return to naval service in 1939. During much of the Second World War, Armentières served as an examination vessel
Examination vessel
An examination vessel is a vessel used to inspect ships and boats entering a port during wartime.An examination vessel would typically be responsible for examining and verifying all merchant ships and small craft entering or departing a port...
at Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
, British Columbia, and following the end of the war was paid off on 8 February 1946. Subsequently sold as surplus, Armentières was purchased by the Coastal Towing Company of Vancouver, who renamed her SS A.G. Garrish, installed a new boiler, and made changes to adapt the ship for towing log rafts and scow
Scow
A scow, in the original sense, is a flat-bottomed boat with a blunt bow, often used to haul bulk freight; cf. barge. The etymology of the word is from the Dutch schouwe, meaning such a boat.-Sailing scows:...
s. She underwent two further name changes by 1962, when she was known as the Laforce, and in 1972 was sold to an American buyer.