Two warships built at the Irving shipyard in Halifax have been named after World War II heroes.
HMCS Margaret Brooke and HMCS Max Bernays will be used for “sovereignty and surveillance operations”.
Both ships are part of the fleet of six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) being delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The ships are large, ice-capable ships, more than 100 metres long, and designed to conduct a variety of missions in Canada’s waters, including in the Arctic.
“Nova Scotia is the best place in the world to build ships because shipbuilding is in our blood. Irving has carried on this legacy and will see that it continues long into the future. These ships were built by Nova Scotians for Canadians. They are an example of the quality Nova Scotians in the skilled trades can achieve.” Premier Tim Houston
The HMCS Margaret Brooke launched in 2019 and is the first Canadian combat ship to be named after a woman.
“The naming of a ship is a steeped in history and naval tradition. Dating back centuries, this ritual is believed to bring good luck and safe travel to the vessel and crew.” – Irving Shipbuilding
Families of both ship namesakes took in the ceremony on Sunday in Halifax.
Source: Irving Shipbuilding
HMCS MARGARET BROOKE
AOPV 431 is named after Margaret Martha Brooke who enrolled as a Nursing Sister Dietician on March 9, 1942 at the rank of Sub-Lieutenant (SLt). She was promoted to the rank of Acting Lieutenant on July 1, 1946, then to Lieutenant (Navy) on January 1, 1948, and finally to Lieutenant-Commander on April 1, 1957. She served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1942 to 1962.
Born in 1915 in Ardath, Sask., Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Brooke studied as a dietician before the start of the Second World War and chose it as her occupation upon her enrollment.
On October 14, 1942 during a crossing of the Cabot Strait off the coast of Newfoundland, the ferry SS Caribou was torpedoed by the German submarine U-69. The ferry sank in five minutes. Fighting for her own survival, LCdr Brooke did everything humanly possible to save the life of her colleague and friend, Nursing Sister SLt Agnes Wilkie, while both women clung to ropes on a capsized lifeboat. In spite of LCdr Brooke’s heroic efforts to hang on to her with one arm, her friend succumbed to the frigid water. For this selfless act, LCdr Brooke was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Following her return to civilian life, Brooke completed her university studies in paleontology at the University of Saskatchewan, where she achieved her doctorate. She was the author of numerous research studies on the subject. Brooke passed away in Victoria on January 9, 2016 at the age of 100.
“The Brooke family is very grateful to the Royal Canadian Navy for honouring our Aunt Margaret for her heroism,” explained Allyson Brooke the sponsor of HMCS Margaret Brooke. “She was a humble woman and did not boast about the recognition she received but I know when she was told about this great honour, she was very happy and proud. It was the perfect gift for her 100th birthday.”
“The ship reflects her in many ways,” Ms. Brooke explained. “She was a fighter, yet a humanitarian so, the multiple purpose capability of this ship to protect Canada when necessary but also be able to be equipped and deliver humanitarian aid when required would particularly please her.”
HMCS MAX BERNAYS
AOPV 432 is named after Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Max Bernays, a Canadian naval hero who served as the Coxswain of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Assiniboine during the Second World War’s Battle of the Atlantic.
Max Bernays was born in 1910 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He had served in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) in 1929 and served with Canadian National Steamships in the 1930s. Bernays was recalled by the Royal Canadian Navy at the outbreak of the Second World War. By March 1942 Bernays had achieved the rank of Acting Chief Petty Officer and was the Coxswain aboard HMCS Assiniboine, a River-class destroyer.
On August 6, 1942, during intense surface gun action against the German submarine U-210, HMCS Assiniboine maneuvered in and out of a fog attempting to ram and sink the enemy submarine. Both vessels were firing high explosive shells at very close range, resulting in a fire that engulfed the bridge and wheelhouse of Assiniboine. Surrounded by smoke and flames while steering the ship, CPO Bernays ordered two junior sailors to get clear, leaving him alone at the helm and trapped by the blaze. Besieged by flames, he executed all the helm orders as Assiniboine maneuvered for position against the U-boat, and did the work of the two telegraph men, dispatching over 130 telegraph orders to the engine room.
Several bullets and shells penetrated the wheelhouse as the enemy concentrated their machine-gun and cannon fire on the bridge. Eventually Assiniboine rammed and sank U-210 in what was considered to be an extremely hard-fought action, during which the Canadians suffered one fatality and 13 wounded.
CPO Bernays was awarded the distinguished Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM) by the British Admiralty for his valour and dauntless devotion to duty during action. He was one of only two members of the RCN to receive the CGM during the Second World War.
“Max Bernays was a proud Canadian who cared about his crewmates and loved his country,” said Shannon Bernays, the sponsor of HMCS Max Bernays. “The Bernays family is honoured by this recognition. I wish my grandfather Max could have been here. He would have been very modest about any acknowledgement of his true bravery and service. But he would have been delighted to be amongst Navy compatriots and aboard this beautiful, world-class ship. We wish the crew good health and safe travels always.”
