FAIRMILE MOTOR LAUNCHES

Photos and Documents

Before Fibreglass - World War II & The Fairmile - by Richard Crowder 11 Nov 2020 - Source:  the BoatBlurb

It was only in comparison to navy ships such as corvettes, destroyers, and frigates that the Fairmile was considered a “small” boat and were actually called the “Little Ships.” The eighty that were built in Canada varied slightly from the British Admiralty design and were 112-feet LOA on a relatively narrow 17-foot beam with a draft of 4-feet, 9-inches. They were built in Britain for the Royal Navy by Fairmile Marine, thus acquiring their name.

The Fairmile was considered a Motor Launch of four classes, A, B, C, and D, depending on the equipment provisions assigned to it as a form of torpedo boat (similar in class to John Kennedy’s famous US-built PT 109). The four classes were essentially minesweeper, submarine chaser, harbour patrol, or rescue boat. The Royal Canadian Navy settled on the Fairmile B for anti-submarine work in the St. Lawrence River and up and down the east and west coasts of Canada. The narrow beam of the Fairmile made them very tender in heavy seas and they acquired the nickname of Holy Roller, among other affectionate names.

Records seem to vary, but the first batch of sixty were powered by twin 650 horsepower Hall Scott gasoline engines providing a top speed of about 23 MPH. Later models were outfitted with 850 horsepower Sterling Admiral engines thus increasing the top speed to about 25 MPH, a speed considered very fast in those days for a vessel of that size. Range was just under 2,000 miles at a cruising speed of about 10 MPH. It is possible that one Fairmile, ML 095 built in Midland, Ontario was fitted with twin V-12 supercharged Rolls Royce Merlin engines giving it a top speed of around 30 MPH.

Each Canadian Fairmile B had a crew of two to three officers plus fourteen to sixteen crew. Each was outfitted with an early form of Sonar known as ASDIC (Anti-Submarine Detection Investigation Control), fourteen depth charges launchable by a Y-gun (allowing simultaneous firing of two charges at a time), and forward, aft, and mid-ship 20-mm Oerlicon short range anti-aircraft cannons, each of which required manning by four men.

Since steel and aluminum were required for more pressing war purposes and were therefore in short supply, the RN and RCN chose a patrol boat built from wood. Dozens of Canadian builders were capable of building the Fairmile design and eleven were chosen: seven in Ontario, three in British Columbia, and one in Nova Scotia. In addition, Marine Industries of Sorel, Quebec was commissioned to build two slightly larger supply ships, the HMCS (Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship) Preserver and HMCS Provider. The eighty Fairmiles were smaller and did not achieve the HMCS designation as a Commissioned ship but instead were issued number designations painted on their bow from ML Q050 to ML Q129 – “ML” meaning Motor Launch.

The seven Ontario builders were Midland Boat Works, Midland; Greavette Boats, Gravenhurst; Hunter Boats, Orillia; J.J. Taylor and Sons, Toronto; Minett-Shields, Bracebridge; Grew Boats, Penetanguishene; and MacCraft, Wallaceburg. The Minett-Shields boats were built in their Honey Harbour shop, and the MacCraft boats in its Sarnia facility. Each built between seven and nine Fairmiles. The three British Columbia builders were A.C. Benson Shipyard, Vancouver; Star (Mercer’s) Shipyard, New Westminster; Vancouver Shipyards, Vancouver. They each built four or five. The John H. LeBlanc Shipyard in Weymouth, Nova Scotia built seven Fairmiles.

The Fairmile held an eight-inch oak keel, and the oak ribs and plywood interior bulkheads came pre-fabricated to each builder from various furniture and piano makers. This sped up the building process. The hulls were of double diagonal planked mahogany. Most took around six months to build from the laying of the keel to launching. Some took up to a year, but one from J.J. Taylor and Sonsis listed as launched in less than a month after laying its keel.

After an initial tendering process, the finished price was fixed for all east coast builders at $85,000; slightly less for the west coast builders. Adjusted for inflation, that’s approximately $1.5 Million in 2020 – amazingly inexpensive for a 112-foot boat. As a measure of its versatility and worth, some seven hundred Fairmiles were built by thirteen different nations during the war years.

Following the war and for a ridiculously low fixed price of $3,500 (considering some were less than a year old), several Canadian Fairmiles were sold to foreign governments, while six were kept by the RCN as training ships on the Great Lakes through the 1960s. Most were snapped up by commercial shipping or transport companies and eventually ended up abandoned, burned, or scrapped in the 1970s and 80s.

(FML001) ML Q079, Q080, Q081, Q083 and Q084, of the 79th Flotilla (Q085 is the only one missing from this photo)  //  Photo origin unknown  //  Source/Credit: Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County / Al Cleary

(FML002) Fairmiles tied up outboard of HMCS Sambro, Halifax, 1941.  Q086 outboard the forward group of 4 ships  //  From the collection of Laithwood Leigh  //  Courtesy of Judy Saunders

(FML003) Unknown Fairmile  //  From the collection of Emery Savage  //  Courtesy of Jessica Santos

(FML004) Fairmiles on patrol  //  From the collection of Sid Dobing  //  Courtesy of Brian Dobing

(FML005) Two unknown Fairmiles  //  From the collection of William Connor  //  Courtesy of Jason Salter

(FML006) Wartime Badge of the 77th Motor Launch Flotilla at the Crow's Nest Officer's Club, St. John's, Newfoundland  //  The history of this badge is unknown.  If you have any information on this badge, please send me an email.  //  Courtesy of Janet McNaughton, Editor of the Scuttlebutt Newsletter, Crow's Nest Officer's Club

(FML007) Unknown Fairmile in Mulgrave, NS - 1945  //  With the ship being fully dressed, this may have been taken on VE-day  //  Courtesy of Doug Mc Farland

(FML008) Fairmiles in Halifax - L to R - ML 106, ML 06?, ML 121  //  From the collection of Harry Seright  //  Courtesy of Sam Seright

(FML009) Fairmiles of the 75th ML Flotilla on patrol off the coast of BC - 1945  //  DND / RCN Photo Neg # F3350R  //  From the collection of  H.W. Patterson  //  Courtesy of Steve Patterson  //  Click here to view the back of the photo

(FML010) 77th Motor Launch Flotilla, St. John's, Newfoundland  //  From the collection of H.S. (Tim) Lee  //  Courtesy of Ryan Lee  //  Photo description submitted by Donald (Bud) Rose:  Taken from the South Western area of St. John's harbour where N A D was located. [Naval Armament Depot] Photographer was facing east towards Signal Hill which can be seen stretching across the top of the photo. The bell shaped rock in the center of the hill is a dead giveaway. Cabot Tower is to the right of this bell shape.

(FML011) Unknown Fairmile  //  RCN Neg # NP1116R  //  From the collection of Phyllis Meier (neé Friend), WRCNS  //  Courtesy of Catherine Couture

(FML012) Fairmiles of the 82nd Flotilla operating out of Gaspé, Quebec  //  Courtesy of Erling Baldorf

(FML013) Wartime Ad - Ontario Fairmile Association  //  Source: Canada's War at Sea - published Montreal 1944  //  Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

(RC088) AB Chambers with unknown shipmate by the after .5s on a Fairmile

(RC089) Two unknown sailors by the after .5s (covered) on a Fairmile

(RC090) Fo'c's'le of a Fairmile

(RC091) Quarterdeck of a Fairmile. Note the depth charges along the ship's guard rails

(RC092) Unknown Fairmile at sea

(RC093RC094) Four Fairmiles of the 82nd Motor Launch Flotilla at the Government Jetty, Ingonish, NS  //  ML Q112 and Q117 visible - other two Fairmiles unknown  //  Note that the Hotchkiss mounts have been replaced. **

(RC095) Unknown Fairmile being fitted out at Toronto - date unknown  //  Note the 3-pdr Hotchkiss gun mounted aft  //  The following is from Wayne Mullins, Historian, National Yacht Club, Toronto, Ont. (via Dennis Cardy) - "The wharf where this Fairmile is tied up is south of the CNR roundhouse. It is sitting on the east side of the warehouse. This was Pier 4 warehouse -the wharf and structures still stand immediately west of Harbourfront Centre - it is at 245 Queens Quay West."

Photographer: Roy T. Cardy

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy, AB AA3, RCNVR

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

** Roy T. Cardy was not the photographer of this photo.

(JPJ053) ML Q072, ML Q056 and ML Q073 at the Government dry docks, Toronto, Dec 1941

(JPJ054 - JPJ055) Four ships of the 73rd Flotilla. Q083 alongside Q098. Q072 astern alongside another motor launch. St. John, N.B. 1944

(JPJ056) 73rd Flotilla at Boston en route to the Caribbean, January, 1943. Q072 is second from the left.

(JPJ057) Ships of the 82nd Fairmile Motor Launch Flotilla at sea - Q114, Q113 and Q118

(JPJ058) 70th Fairmile Motor Launch Flotilla entering harbour, Hamilton, Bermuda, 1945

From the collection of John Joynt, LS ST, RCNVR

Courtesy of Kevin Joynt

(ARP036) 82nd Motor Launch Flotilla at sea.  Q119 lead ship

(ARP037) 82nd Motor Launch Flotilla

(ARP038) 82nd Motor Launch Flotilla at anchor

(ARP039) ML Q084 and ML Q053 - Part of the 79th and 71st ML Flotillas respectively

From the collection of Arthur Penelton, Telegraphist, RCNVR

Courtesy of Gary Penelton

The photos in the collection below are believed to have been taken on or from ML Q084

(GES010) Ship's boat on a Fairmile

(GES011) Fairmiles at sea - Q085 centre, foreground

(GES012) Fairmiles at sea

(GES013) Fairmiles at sea

(GES014) Fairmiles alongside - location unknown. Q053 outboard ship

Percé Rock off the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, Gulf of St. Lawrence

(GES015) Fairmiles approaching Percé Rock, ML Q085 in the lead

(GES016) Sailors on unknown Fairmile with Percé Rock in the background

(GES017) Percé Rock

Percé Rock off the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, Gulf of St. Lawrence

Officers and Men on board an unknown Fairmile Motor Launch

Officers and Men on board an unknown Fairmile Motor Launch

(GES032) Duck, Jack M., Lt, RCNVR

Officers and Men on board an unknown Fairmile Motor Launch

(GES035) Unknown ship along a Fairmile

Officers and Men on board an unknown Fairmile Motor Launch

Officers and Men on board an unknown Fairmile Motor Launch

If you can identify any of the sailors in these photos, please send me an email

From the collection of George Schmidt, RCNVR

Courtesy of Robyn Barker

(EC36) Unknown sailor on unknown iced-up Fairmile

(EC37) Unknown Fairmile flotilla

From the collection of Thomas Edward Callary, Lieutenant, RCNVR

(WD017) Parade in Bermuda - 1945.  Possibly a V.E.- Day parade  //  ML Q104 inboard Fairmile (number visible on her funnel)

(WD018) Its not known which Fairmile this little fellow was mascot for - either ML Q074, ML Q088 or ML Q106 - the 3 Fairmiles that Wilbrod Décarie served in.

77th Fairmile ML Flotilla operation off Newfoundland

(WD019-WD020)  ML Q094

(WD021) Looking aft on either Q074 or Q088

77th Fairmile ML Flotilla operation off Newfoundland

(WD022) Lead ship Q099, 2nd ship Q092, 3rd ship Q094

Photos taken from either Q074 or Q088

      SLt Décarie on the bridge of either ML Q0074 or Q088

From the collection of Wilbrod Décarie, Lieutenant, RCNR

Courtesy of Claude Décarie