Remembering Today - The BC Navy & RCN Subs

[RCN]

Something not generally known here in Canada is that the first two Submarines in the RCN were purchased on the eve of the Great War.

Today I would like to remember & commemorate the service of these pioneer submarines, & in particular one of the original crew of HMC Submarine CC-2,
Charles Moulder.

On the 4th August 1914, the evening that war was declared, the premier of BC, Richard McBride, on his own initiative, purchased two Submarines from the Seattle (USA) Drydock Company. He was concerned about the vulnerability & lack of defence of the west coast of Canada, & required ships to counteract the threat of German naval intervention on the coast. A sizeable German Squadron was known to be operating in the Pacific that summer & there was a fear that they might arrive, bringing the war to Vancouver Island.

After much preliminary negotiation the two submarines were purchased for 1.1million dollars, were inspected & taken delivery of at sea (outside the US territorial limit as what the President of the Seattle Drydock Company was doing was very illegal, the USA being considered at that time a neutral) in the early hours of Aug 5 & arrived at Esquimalt harbour at 8:30 am that morning. Two days later the federal government approved & reimbursed McBride for the cost & commissioned the subs into the RCN. The submarines were known as HMC Submarines CC-1 & CC-2 due to their close similarity to the RN C class of submarines.
Crews were required to be trained & man the two submarines & many of these ratings came from BC towns, several being ex RN sailors who had pensioned & settled in BC. Many of these former RN ratings volunteered for RCN service on the outbreak of war.


....con't

Bryan

[RCN]

Charles Moulder was not former RN, but was a BC native living in Burnaby.BC.
Somehow he had heard about the two submarines & volunteered as one of the early submarine pioneers. Born on Sep 20, 1886 in England, he entered the RCN on Aug 4, 1914 as an AB & was assigned to HM Sub CC2, the two subs having been named HM CC1 & CC2 as they closely resembled the RN C class of subs. Moulder was an Electrician by trade & had experience in things electrical so he was a natural for the subs. He was rated a Seaman Torpedoman (ST) on 1 Oct ’14.

Most of the training of the new submariners was undertaken by the former RN ratings who had prior submarine experience. Upon the outbreak of war many of these former RN ratings living in the coastal BC area signed on in the RCN. Some of these ratings would have been former RN submariners & would have trained the new Canadian entrants.

Patrols out into the coastal areas surrounding Vancouver Island & coastal BC were commenced in mid August. Moulder’s electrical & technical experience proved very useful to him & he was advanced to LTO on 1 Jan ’15 & Leading Seaman on 28 Jun ’16. As LTO he would also have been responsible for the main electrical motor & auxiliary switchboards on Sub C2. When subs ran underwater they operated on electrical power.
Moulder remained with Sub CC2 until the two subs were transferred to the east coast in Jun 1917. He was then assigned to HMCS Rainbow, a former RN cruiser that was purchased by the RCN in 1910. She had been on the west coast since arrival. Moulder was awarded his 1st GCB(Good Conduct badge) on 3 Aug 1917.

On 21 Aug 1917 Moulder was re mustered to the ERA(Engine Room Artificer, Electrical) branch as an ERA3rd class. He was advanced to ERA2nd class on 16 Apl 1918, & Chief ERA 2nd class on 24 July ’18. He completed his service & was demobilized on 17 Dec 1918.

Moulder returned to his civilian occupation in Burnaby, living there for the rest of his life. He died on Nov 21, 1968 at 82 years of age.

Photos below are of the original crew of HMS Sub CC-2 (August 1914)

Closeup of LTO Charles Moulder within the group - back row, third in from the left

Moulders 1914-15 star, War & Victory medals he was awarded for his Great War service. Interesting & unique is the fact that 1914-15 stars awarded to the RCN & RNCVR were impressed with the Ship's name the man served on in 1914-15 - his first ship if he served on more than one in the qualifiying period.

A photo of Charles Moulder in old age, taken circa 1968.


Bryan

[RCN]

H.M.C.S. Rainbow was the first warship to be purchased by the RCN on the 4th of August 1910. She was a 2nd class Cruiser of 1891. She made the long journey across the Atlantic, transited the Panama canal & up the Pacific seaboard & arrived in Esquimalt in Nov.
HMCS Niobe had arrived earlier in Halifax on Oct 21, 1914.

I have shown a few photos of her below. Entering the Esquimalt Graving (dry) dock & her ship's company circa 1915.

Bryan

[RCN]

HMCS Shearwater was an RN Sloop of 1900. She had been based on the west coast of Canada for many years. In 1914 she was transferred to the RCN & was used as the depot ship for HMC Subs CC1 & CC2.

The submariners could not live for any great length of time on the two CC subs, as the conditions in the interior were very cramped & space was at a premium, so when not on patrol they lived in HMCS Shearwater. Their kit would have been stored on board her as well & they would have taken most of their meals on board her also.

Moulder's 1914-15 star is named to HMCS Shearwater as she was the Depot ship for the two submarines.

A photo below of her taken in Esquimalt harbour with the two subs alongside. HMCS Rainbow might be the ship berthed astern of Shearwater.

Bryan