May 1943, anti-sub exercises. Large black flag indicates radio asdic contact.

Origin unknown

Career:

The first of a serie of 80 type B Fairmiles built for the RCN in December 1940, on the 1940-41 program 24 were ordered (ML 050 to 073).

Sold November 16, 1945 ($7,900) by War Assets Corporation (WAC) to Marine Industries Ltd. Sorel (MIL) and returned for resale to Consolidated Shipbuilding Ltd., Morris Heights, N.Y.

In 1946, resold to Standard Oil Bahamas Ltd. (Bermuda) and renamed  Stanba I (#176991). Used for offshore geomagnetic surveying in Bahamas.

Reg’d: Nasseau, Bahamas.

Eng.: 2  Hall-Scott Motor Co.  petrol engines.

Other pictures of Q050

Gaspé, July 1942

C.D.Howe Minister of Munitions and Supply and Capt.Joseph Heenan, captain of the MLs.

St-Margaret’s Bay, N.S., Spring 1943

Origin Unknown

Patchell family collection

Stanba I

Christian Sheppard collection

Norman Mayot collection

Career:

She joined the 77Th. ML flotilla based in Gaspé then in 1944 sailed for Halifax for duty at the port.

In June 1945, was declared surplus along with 59 Fairmiles and transferred to WAC.

Purchased by Marine Industries Limited in October 1945, resold to C.H. Hudson of Vancouver in January 1946, to MIL again in 1948 and to Diesel and Marine Co. (Oakville, Ont.)  on January 20, 1950.

Subsequently, purchased by Radar Division of the National Research Council (Ottawa), refitted as Radel II (#192751)  and equipped to carry out experiments in marine radar navigation and as an aid to navigation in the Great Lakes.

The National Film Board of Canada has a short film clip (1952) featuring the Radell at:

http://www3.nfb.ca/ww2/see-everything/films/?page=1&autoplay=1&view=731517&filteron=date&range=1950-1959#aMediaDetail

In 1973, sold to Kenneth O. Gisborne, Toronto, Ont.

April 22, 1989, a distress call at:

http://www.ontarioboatingleague.ca/

At present (2009)  Radel II (present owner, Drew Baird) is mooring (partly sunk) on the Black Creek,  Hoover’s Marina,  Nanticoke Harbour, Ontario.

Eng:  2  Gray Marine Detroit oil engines, 450 H.P.

March 10, 2008, suspended from registry (Transport Canada).

November 15, 2011, register closed (Transport Canada).

Other pictures of Q051

June 30, 1942. Origin unknown

Origin unknown

Radel II

Origin unknown

King’s Wharf in Halifax Harbour. Herald collection

April 1996, Nanticoke Harbour, Ont. Gerry Ouderkirk collection

June 10,  2009, Nanticoke, Ont. Author collection

June 10, 2009,  Nanticoke, Ont. Author collection

On the St-Lawrence River out of  Rimouski,  autumn 1942.

John Mackenzie collection

Career:

After her commissioning, she was transferred in February 1943 along with MLs 62 and 63 to the Free French Naval Forces based at Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, under operational control of the Flag Officer, Newfoundland, and renamed Gallantry (VED 111).

In July 1945, arrived in Quebec for transfer to WAC.

Sold ($3,000) October 18, 1945 by WAC to Can. Inter-American Associates, Mtl. then to General J.C. Escobar, Mtl.

1949, registered in Montreal as Cyrius (#190476),  (Joseph Cyriac  Gauthier, Mtl.) and or Rapid Steamship Co.

Eng. : 2  GM Detroit oil eng. 660 H.P.

Renamed La Marie-Jo (ex-Cyrius). Owner (1969), Jean R. Desautels, Montreal. Owner (1972), Maurice P. Fisher, Sackville, N.B. (for passengers then for general cargo).

Reg’d to February 27,  2007 to Mr. Fisher.

Renamed Kingfisher VII in the 70’s by Mr.Fisher to operate as a tour boat but never registered (as confirmed by Transport Canada).

Abandonned around 1980 at Milkish Creek, Baywater, N.B.

Icebounded and sunked at Milkish Creek, N.B. in February 1980.

Other pictures of Q052

Origin unknown (neg. PMR 87-70)

Returned by French Free Naval Forces, Bassin Louise, Quebec, Sept.1945. Origin unknown

Royal Canadian Navy collection(D-1642)

Cyrius

August 1962, Montreal, Quebec. Rene Beauchamp collection

Christian Sheppard collection

La Marie-Jo

St-John River, 1975, Barrie MacLeod collection

Kingfisher VII

June 1981, Milkish Creek, N.B. Todd Arsenault collection

June 1981, Milkish Creek, N.B. Todd Arsenault collection

June 1981, Milkish Creek, N.B. Todd Arsenault collection

Milkish Creek, N.B. Wendy Doucet collection

Origin unknown

Career:

Fairmile ML 053 distinguished herself by recovering intact, two mines of a barrage laid by U-119 in the Halifax approaches.

Sold ($7,900) November 16, 1945 by WAC to MIL, Sorel.

19??, sold to Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., Morris Heights, N.Y.

Other pictures of Q053

Origin unknown

In tow to Sorel for decommissioning, pic from Q055 towing Q056 and 53, September 1945. Quebec-Levis ferry in the background.

Origin unknown

Origin unknown

Origin unknown

St-Lawrence River out of Rimouski, Quebec, Autumn 1942. John Mackenzie collection

Origin unknown

Gary Penelton collection

Converted Fairmile Unknown

Origin unknown

Career:

Sold, October 23, 1945 by WAC to Capt. E.J.  Weaber  c/o Marine Industries, Sorel.

Fate unknown.

Other pictures of Q054

St-Margaret's Bay, N.S., Spring 1943. Origin unknown

January 1943. Origin unknown

Richard Pearson collection

Converted Fairmile Unknown

Origin unknown

Career:

Sold ($7,900) November 16, 1945 by WAC to MIL, Sorel.

Resold to W. Eric Phillips, Oshawa, Ont.

Fate unknown

Other pictures of Q055

Davie Brothers Ltd., shipyard, Levis, Quebec. August 1942. Daniel Hughey collection

Converted Fairmile Unknown

Origin unknown

Career:

Purchased early 1946 by C.C.Pratt Co., Montreal, for conversion by Montreal Dry Docks Limited and sold ($7,900)  to Creole Petroleum Corp., Caracas, Venezuela (subsidiary of Standard Oil of N.J. ) (Esso).

After conversion, renamed Esso Ayacucho and delivered in July 1946 to Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Creole Corp. purchased four in all, the others being Esso Concordia (Q061), Esso Cardonal (Q078), and Esso Taparita (Q081) and intends to use them for carrying work crews to the oil derricks (about 27 miles from shore).

Scrapped about 1957.

Other pictures of Q056

Origin unknown

Kathy Cullen collection

Esso Ayacucho

Esso Ayacucho in La Salina, Venezuela around 1948-49. Steve Sleightholm collection

Origin unknown

Career:

Turned over to WAC at Sorel, June 7, 1945.

Sold November 16, 1945 by WAC to MIL, Sorel for $7,900 and resold.

Resold February 1946 to Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp.,  Morris Heights, New York.

Fate unknown.

Other pictures of Q057

August 1943, Sydney Harbour, Nova-Scotia, Origin unknown

Origin unknown

October 1941. Origin unknown

1942. Origin unknown

Converted Fairmile Unknown

Origin unknown

Career:

Sold November 1945,  by WAC to A.E. Griffen, Toronto and(?) or R.S. MacDonald, Souris, P.E.I.

Renamed  as Katherine G (#178095)  and registered at Charlottetown, P.E.I. September 6, 1947.

Eng. : 2  Hall-Scott Motor Co., petrol engines.

Burned at Souris, P.E.I.  December 7, 1949.

Other pictures of Q058

Origin unknown

In the Bras d'Or Lakes, Cape Breton Island, N.S. Origin unknown

David Carriere collection

Eldred Smith collection

Katherine G

Origin unknown

Career:

Sold ($3,000) by WAC to MIL, Sorel.

Sold subsequently in 1946 for $5,000  to Capt.  J. Severin Langlois (St-Lawrence River pilot) of Savoy Shipping Ltd. Quebec.

Used for spare parts during conversions of Roseline (ex-Q096) in 1947 and Duc D’Orleans (ex-Q105)  in 1948 at Saint-Laurent Shipyard, Island of Orleans.

Burned on the shore of Saint-Laurent, around 1959.

Other pictures of Q059

Roy Woodruff / Musée Naval de Québec collection

Port Carling Boats Works Ltd. Port Carling Ont. Origin unknown

Kathy Cullen collection

Royal Canadian Navy(AL 0258-2)

At Halifax, 72nd flotilla standing by as a striking forces. Origin unknown

Origin unknown

At Port Carling Boats Works Ltd. Port Carling Ont. Origin unknown

David Carriere collection

David Carriere collection

Q059 for spare parts at Chantier Maritime Saint-Laurent, Island of Orleans, circa 1955. Author collection