Navy honours WWII nurse by naming Arctic ship after her

An artist’s depiction of an Arctic offshore patrol ship: one will bear the name of Margaret Brooke, a Royal Canadian Navy Nursing Sister decorated for gallantry (in combat) during the Second World War. (FILE PHOTO)

One of Canada’s new Arctic offshore patrol ships will bear the name of Margaret Brooke, a Royal Canadian Navy Nursing Sister decorated for gallantry in combat during the Second World War, Defence Minister Jason Kenney announced April 13.

“I was and remain very proud of my years serving in the Royal Canadian Navy and thank all who were involved in making my 100th birthday an even more memorable occasion,” said Brooke in a statement on April 13 — also her 100th birthday.

On Oct. 14, 1942, during a crossing of the Cabot Strait off Newfoundland, the ferry SS Caribou was torpedoed by the German submarine U-69 and sank within five minutes.

Lieutenant-commander Brooke “did everything humanly possible to save the life of her colleague and friend, Nursing Sister Sub-Lieutenant Agnes Wilkie,” as the two 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,” a defence department news release said April 13.

The six Arctic patrol ships will be named to honour prominent Canadians “who served with the highest distinction and conspicuous gallantry” in the navy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last September when he announced the first of those ships would be named after a wartime Canadian naval officer, Harry DeWolf.

The other four patrol ship names will be announced later, the defence department news release said.

Earlier this year, Ottawa awarded a $2.3 billion contract to Irving Shipbuilding Inc. for the construction of six ships. The company was first awarded the contract to “define” the ships’ design in 2013.

The Conservatives promised during the 2006 election campaign to purchase a fleet of armed icebreakers. Their decision to go with the smaller, lighter patrol vessels was criticized because of the ships’ inability to operate in the Arctic year-round.

In July 2007, Harper said Ottawa would build eight special patrol ships for use in the Arctic.

The contract was originally supposed to be awarded in May 2009 with delivery of the first of eight ships set for 2013.

That’s now become six ships with a much later delivery date.

The construction of the Arctic patrol ships was estimated in 2007 to cost $3.1 billion, according to government officials. The project is now expected to cost $40 million more than anticipated.

Another $4.3 billion would be spent for operations and maintenance over the ships’ 25-year lifespan.

A description of the ships say they must “have gun armament to assert Canadian sovereignty.”