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The Ships of the Bedwell Bay Ship Boneyard
by Christopher J. Cole and John MacFarlane 2017
One of a number of advertisements placed by the War Assets and Disposal Corporation for the sale of vessels in the Bedwell Bay boneyard. (Photo from Victoria Daily Colonist November 21, 1945.)
In a matter of months after VJ day in 1945 many vessels of the Canadian navy, army and air force were handed of to the War Assets Corporation for disposal. Most vessels had their armaments removed and then were mothballed into "ghost fleets" or "boneyards" up and down the BC coast. The largest one was located in Bedwell Bay. Bedwell Bay is a large inlet, sheltered and convenient for tow boats to deliver them from Vancouver Harbour. Bedwell Bay is located off of Indian Arm with the Village of Belcarra overlooking the Bay.
Many of these vessels were built during the war and were only a few years old but the Government of Canada could not afford to maintain such a fleet and with the war over these fighting craft were put up for sale. Some of the smaller craft were built on fishing vessel plans so they were easily sold into the fishing industry after the War. Some were already in the fishing industry before the war and were then sold again to go fishing. Most of these being the boats from the Fishermen’s Reserve.
Most of the Frigates were scrapped or turned into breakwaters except for two that went on to become pilot vessels on the Hooghly River in India. Some of the Minesweepers and Corvettes were converted to became passenger vessels. One of the Corvettes that was laid up in Bedwell Bay became the famous salvage tug Sudbury. There were deals to be had and the War Assets and Disposal Corporation wanted to move these vessels along so by 1950 the majority of these veterans of the War were gone from Bedwell Bay.
Some of the vessels in the ship ‘boneyard‘ at Bedwell Bay in Indian Arm BC.(Photo from City of Vancouver CVA 586–4207.)
Advertisement(Photo from Victoria Daily Colonist March 1947.)
Newspaper advertisement for the Chamiss Bay (with name mispelled as Chemis)(Photo from Victoria Daily Colonist.)
Ships in strategic reserve(Photo from Vancouver Archives CVA 1184–346.)
Ships in strategic reserve(Photo from Vancouver Archives CVA 586–4206.)
In 1946 some of the vessels were kept in strategic reserve, available to the navy should Canada have become involved in a military action or UN police action.
Royal Canadian Navy Vessels
- HMCS Andamara
- HMCS Armentieres
- HMCS Bellechase
- HMCS Bluenose
- HMCS Cape Breton
- HMCS Charlottetown
- HMCS Chignecto
- HMCS Coaticook
- HMCS Copper Cliff
- HMCS Coquitlam
- HMCS Cougar
- HMCS Courtenay
- HMCS Cranbrook
- HMCS Daerwood
- HMCS Dunver
- HMCS Eastview
- HMCS Gate Vessel No. 6
- HMCS Gate Vessel No. 7
- HMCS Gatineau
- HMCS Givenchy
- HMCS Grou
- HMCS Hespeler
- HMCS Howe Sound
- HMCS Humberstone
- HMCS H.D.P.C. 36
- HMCS Kalamalka
- HMCS Kelowna
- HMCS Kokanee
- HMCS Lasalle
- HMCS Leaside
- HMCS Levis
- HMCS Longueuil
- HMCS Matane
- HMCS Merry Chase
- HMCS Miramichi
- HMCS Moncton
- HMCS Nanaimo
- HMCS Outarde
- HMCS Prince Rupert
- HMCS Quatsino
- HMCS Rossland
- HMCS Runnymede
- HMCS St. Joseph
- HMCS St. Thomas
- HMCS Shediac
- HMCS Skidegate
- HMCS Springtime V
- HMCS Sudbury
- HMCS Wolf
- B.D. 2 Steam Derrick Scow
- F.S. 17 Sullage Scow
- F.S. 18 Sullage Scow
- F.S. 21 Flat Scow
- F.S. 23 Diving Scow
- F.S. 24 Fire Scow
- F.S. 29 Flat Scow
- F.S. 31 Flat Scow
- F.S. 33 Flat Scow
- F.S. 34 Flat Scow
- H.C. 167 Work Boat
- H.C. 217 Ammunition Lighter
Royal Canadian Air Force Vessels
- RCAF Baldpate M609
- RCAF Crane
- RCAF Fulmar
- RCAF Godwit M445
- RCAF Gull
- RCAF Haida M206
- RCAF Harlequin M617
- RCAF Kittiwake
- RCAF Heron M157
- RCAF Kimsquit
- RCAF Lapwing M615
- RCAF M245 Derrick Scow
- RCAF M246 Derrick Scow
- RCAF M253 Scow
- RCAF M255 Scow
- RCAF M256 Scow
- RCAF M339 Scow
- RCAF M340 Scow
- RCAF M343 Derrick Scow
- RCAF M438 Scow
- RCAF M574 Scow
- RCAF M576 Flat Scow
- RCAF Petrel
- RCAF Retriever M542
- RCAF Sandpiper M385 Refuelling Launch
- RCAF Shearwater M616
- RCAF Whistler M292
US Navy Vessels
- USS YMS.159
Misc. Vessels
- Crosline
- La Fille
- Norwest I
- Victoria Fire Barge
- 2 36’open hulls built by Linton
- 27’ whaler (open boat)
- 20’ dory
Canadian Army Vessels
- RCASC Chamiss Bay (also spelled as Chemiss Bay?)
- RCASC Colonel Greer
- RCASC Colonel Holmes (ex–Josephine D II)
- RCASC Colonel Ogilvy (ex–Cora May)
- RCASC Colonel Lawson
- RCASC Colonel Roy (ex–Highland Prince)
- RCASC General Anderson
- RCASC General Cotton
- RCASC General Hertzberg
- RCASC General Kitchener
- RCASC General Lake
- RCASC General Mackenzie Z71 (ex–army supply and salvage ship)
- RCASC Colonel Peters (ex–Josephine D III)
- RCASC Landing Barge No. 9
- RCASC Landing Barge No. 129
- RCASC No. 1 Flat Scow
- RCASC No. 2
- RCASC No. 11
To quote from this article please cite:
Cole, Christopher J. and John MacFarlane (2017) The Ships of the Bedwell Bay Ship Boneyard. Nauticapedia.ca 2017. http://nauticapedia.ca/Articles/Bedwell_Bay_Boneyard.php
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