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More about HMCS Warrior |
The first part of the voyage to Canada was made in fair weather but later Warrior had to heave to in winds of gale force to protect the 28 aircraft that were parked on the flight deck.
HMC Ships Micmac and Middlesex made rendezvous with Warrior on 31 March and squad-ron aircraft of 803 and 825 flew off in two ranges for the Naval Air Section at the RCAF station at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In fine, sunny conditions, large crowds at various vantage points along the whole length of the harbour greeted the carrier as she entered the port of Halifax.
Many ships were dressed over all and the con-tinual sounding of their sirens made it a truly festive occasion. 
Throughout April and May Warrior lay alongside in Halifax Dockyard whilst outstanding minor defects were
Dartmouth and were now officially part of the RCN.† This followed a submission concerning the Admiralty letter of 13 December, 1945, which was presented to the Cabinet on 16 February, 1946, and approved on 27 March.1 It contained these recommendations:
Retention on loan of two light fleet aircraft carriers and two Crescent Class destroyers on terms agreed with the Admiralty; and the purchase of four naval air squadrons (including reserve aircraft, stores and equipment) at a cost not to exceed $10,000,000.
However, aircraft2 and stores for 803 and 825 Squadrons were included under the terms of the agreement (which ran to 1 March, 1946,) on the settlement of war claims between the Governments of Canada and the United Kingdom and therefore no actual money was paid for them.
In the month of July 1946 Warrior was fully occupied in carrying out exercises, both ship and flying, in the vicinity of Halifax and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Micmac joined the carrier to act as plane guard for all flying operations. Squadron 825 returned to the ship and 803 Squadron one week later, but owing to fog there was very little flying done until the surface vessels moved to the St. Lawrence area.
On the return trip to Halifax the Admiralty signalled that a supercharger clutch defect had been found in Seafires and advised that they should be temporarily suspended from carrier operations; ser-viceable planes of 803 were thereupon flown off to Dartmouth. 
When fog permitted, Warrior managed to go to sea for short periods in early August. During this time the first major accident occurred when a Firefly was ditched and lost. Micmac’s sea-boat was on the scene quickly and rescued both pilot and observer.
On 20 August in half a gale of wind the carrier slipped from her berth and put to sea. The following day a message from Dartmouth indicated that a Dakota aircraft on passage had sighted a broken-down motor boat, which was believed to have been drifting helplessly for two days, with one person on board.
At full speed Warrior closed the position and found the lighthouse keeper of West Point Light, Anti-costi, in good condition but with a disabled engine in his boat.
A harbour craft came out from Fox Point and, as the carrier shaped course for Quebec, the lighthouse keeper was towed away, in style, by this vessel.
†Back dated to 24 January, 1946, Warrior’s commissioning day.
Two upper St. Lawrence pilots and one apprentice pi-lot were on the bridge when Warrior weighed at 0800 on 23 August for Montreal.
At 1021 the rudder suddenly jammed to port and, although engine alterations were promptly rung down from the bridge to counteract this, the ship took the ground at Pointe St. Antoine on a mud bank with a falling tide. Tugs strained to get her off in the afternoon watch as the water began to flood and at 1545 Warrior floated clear.
The steering motors and hull were thoroughly checked on return to Quebec and found in good order.3 Passage up the St. Lawrence was suc-cessfully negotiated the next day and the carrier berthed alongside Laurier Pier, Montreal, to become the largest warship ever to enter the port.
After a five day visit Warrior returned down river and from 29 August to 2 September lay alongside at Quebec. When she sailed for Halifax hands manned the ship’s side and a salute was given in honour of the Governor-General* who appeared on the battlements with Lady Alexander.
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| Photo from www.navyphotos.co.uk/warrior.htm |
Back at the home base, leave was given to the East Coast members of Warrior’s company and in October trips were made to sea for the further training of 825 Squadron in flying techniques.
Afterwards final prepara-tions were made for the passage to Esquimalt, where it had been decided to send Warrior as she had not had the necessary alterations and additions made to adapt her for the Canadian winter in the eastern part of the country.
Sailing on 4 November had to be cancelled in view of an adverse weather forecast and Warrior proceeded to an anchorage in the harbour. HMCS Nootka took station on the carrier after she had weighed the next day and, as the ships headed seaward, they ran straight into a gale that lasted until 7 November and caused Warrior at times to roll to 30 degrees.  Off Bermuda Warrior embarked some RN air maintenance ratings, who had been sent out from the United Kingdom on loan to the RCN, before con-tinuing to Kingston, Jamaica, where she lay for three days.
On the day of departure six Fireflies were cata-pulted off the flight deck whilst the carrier was weighing HMCS WARRIOR 1945-1948 41
and flew over the capital as a farewell gesture. Ap-proaching the Panama Canal Nootka manned the side and cheered ship before heading back to Halifax, while Warrior continued to Colon.
The transit proved rather a tricky business as there was only 8½ inches clearance on each side and one row of Carley Floats had to be un-shipped.
Six pilots were closed up in different positions, all in communication by a special telephone system, on which might be heard the man on the port bow making such remarks to his opposite number as “take her over about two inches” when endeavouring to fit the ship into a particularly narrow lock.
The ship secured on Number 6 Jetty at Balboa in the evening twilight of 16 Novem-ber.
Firefly pecking the deck, HMCS Warrior.
Warrior now in company with the West Coast de-stroyer, HMCS Crescent, sailed four days later and, on 25 November, HMC Cruiser Uganda was met off Aca-pulco, Mexico. A National Salute to Mexico was fired by Warrior and all ships anchored in the outer harbour.
This was only a preliminary visit to make arrangements for the forthcoming official one. The squadron pro-ceeded to sea again on the same day for general exer-cises, including flying. On return a contingent of five officers and 95 men was flown to Mexico City.
Captain Houghton also flew to the capital and assumed the duties of Honorary Naval Attaché. Miguel Alemán was in-stalled as the new President of Mexico on Sunday,
1 December, and this event was celebrated as Inauguration Day throughout the country.
After the ceremony in Mex-ico City there was a parade in which the Canadian blue jackets provided a striking contrast to the almost unbe-lievable variety of elaborate uniforms in which the other units were attired. At Acapulco the ships were dressed over all and entertainment was provided ashore in hon-our of the occasion.
HMCS Warrior from stern of HMC Frigate Charlottetown, off British Columbia coast, December 1946.
 The squadron, somewhat exhausted after all these activities, left Mexico on 3 December, visited San Diego and then shaped course northward.
The weather became steadily worse, culminating in a series of snow-storms in the Strait of Juan de Fuca thereby affording the Halifax members some satisfaction; at Swiftsure Light Vessel Crescent, who had sailed independently from San Diego, rejoined with HMC Frigate Charlottetown. Later, the weather having improved, 12 Firefly aircraft were flown off opposite Beacon Hill Park.
The ships then formed line ahead to enter Esquimalt Harbour; the carrier, who was the last to enter, fired a salute to the Flag of the Commanding Officer Pacific Coast, Acting Rear-Admiral E. R. Mainguy, OBE, RCN.
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