Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Jack Thorpe fonds
General material designation
- Graphic material
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
12 photographs
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
At the start of WWII, the Royal Canadian Navy commandeered all merchant vessels--a total of 38 ships. By the end of the war, Canada had 400 ships, the world's third-largest fleet. Canada's merchant navy was vital to the Allied cause during the Second World War. The very outcome of the war depended on the successful transport of troops and cargo by sea, and our ships transported desperately needed equipment, fuel, supplies and personnel to Europe and around the world. Merchant seamen and women faced fierce attacks by German U-boat "Wolf Packs" and hazardous, life-threatening weather conditions in the North Atlantic. In total, 25,242 merchant ship voyages carried over 181,000,000 tons of cargo from North America to the Britain under Canadian Naval Escort. Jack Thorpe enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve when he turned 18, at the end of 1941. He completed Basic Training on the Nonsuch, a drydocked ship in Edmonton, then went on to Esquimalt (Vancouver Island) for further training, and finally to the Stadacona Base in Halifax for Radar Training. He served aboard HMCS Bayfield, a minesweeper which patrolled the east coast from Boston to Halifax; HMCS Orangeville, a Castle Class Corvette in the North Atlantic; and HMCS Atholl, on convoy duty from St. John's to Londonderry, Ireland.
Custodial history
Photographs were borrowed from Jack Thorpe for a Remembrance Day display in 2006, when permission was given to copy the photographs for inclusion in the archives.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of 12 photographs detailing Jack Thorpe's service with the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. Photographs include Jack's official Navy portrait, ships he served on and working on the ships.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Photographs were borrowed from Jack Thorpe for a Remembrance Day display in 2006, when permission was given to copy the photographs for inclusion in the archives.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on access.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
A finding aid is available at http://southpeacearchives.org/jack-thorpe-wwii-navy/
Associated materials
Accruals
No accruals are expected.
Alpha-numeric designations
Accession number: 2006.060
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Level of detail
Partial
Language of description
- English