Editor's Research: From 'Saturday Night' News, 1939

A Keen and Efficient Body of Men - RCNVR!

A class of the Wavy Navy "a class at helm instruction"

six months before the Second World War was declared

I tip my hat to Mr. Carlisle Penney for providing me with copies of Saturday Night, a Toronto newspaper that was printed in 1939.

In this issue we see a few photographs related to types of training young recruits of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve underwent at Canadian Navy bases that would stand them in good stead once they were active participants in WWII.

My father became a member of RCNVR in June, 1941 and some of the training would very likely have been like what is depicted here.

Photos from Saturday Night:

From an earlier issue of the same weekly publication, one year
to the day before Canada declared war on Germany

The lure of training to handle an MTB (above) was one reason that the first

fifty or so Canadian Navy boys volunteered for Combined Operations!

 I include this photo from "Sailor Remember" by William Pugsley because

many new recruits learned how to march smartly before they ever set foot

inside a Motor Torpedo Boat or landing craft.

Please link to Editor's Research: "Practice Made Perfect For RCN at Sicily"

Photos GH