CGS Margaret
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CGS ''Margaret'' was the first vessel to be built specifically for the Canadian Customs Preventive Service. Delivered in 1914, she was transferred to the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
and served as HMCS ''Margaret'' during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Following the war, ''Margaret'' was returned to the Customs Preventive Service spending most of the 1920s intercepting smugglers during
American Prohibition In the United States from 1920 to 1933, a nationwide constitutional law prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, and ...
. In 1932 the ship was transferred to the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
. The ship was sold shortly thereafter, and was subsequently acquired by the
Brazilian Navy ) , colors= Blue and white , colors_label= Colors , march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco'' , mascot= , equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...
and renamed ''Rio Branco'', utilized as a hydrographic survey vessel. ''Rio Branco'' was discarded in 1958.


Description

''Margaret'' was long with a
beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of and a draught of . The ship had a gross register tonnage (GRT) of 756 tons. The ship was powered by a steam
triple expansion engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tr ...
initially fuelled by coal driving two
screws A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to fa ...
rated at . The vessel had a maximum speed of and was armed with two unique QF guns forward. Due to the unique design of the guns, the amount of ammunition was limited. The ship was later converted to use oil fuel and in 1927, was rearmed with one 6-pounder gun and 17 rifles. In Brazilian service, the vessel had a complement of 91, was armed with two 6-pounder guns and had a
displacement Displacement may refer to: Physical sciences Mathematics and Physics *Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
of .


Service history


Construction and First World War

CGS ''Margaret'' was constructed by
Thornycroft Thornycroft was an English vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977. History In 1896, naval engineer John Isaac Thornycroft formed the Thornycroft Steam Carriage and Van Company which built its firs ...
's Woolston Works at their yard in
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, United Kingdom in 1914 and delivered to the Department of Customs at
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
in April 1914. The first ship ordered specifically for the Customs and Preventative Service (CPS), armed with her two 6-pounder guns, she was suitable for a patrol vessel, and given her similarities to a 1907 coastal defence cruiser that was never built, ''Margaret'' may in fact have been ordered in anticipation of war with Germany. CGS ''Margaret'' became HMCS ''Margaret'' when she was transferred, together with CGS ''Canada'', to the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
on 4 August 1914 following the outbreak of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. In CPS service, the ship was replaced by chartered ships. Commissioned on 3 February 1915, the CPS crew were given the option of joining the Royal Canadian Navy. All of them declined and in order to keep the ship active, the Royal Canadian Navy was forced to borrow personnel from the British
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
until sufficient Canadian personnel could be found. ''Margaret'' was used as an escort and patrol vessel in Atlantic coastal waters during the war, and was one of the first vessels in which
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
Leonard W. Murray Rear-Admiral Leonard Warren Murray, CB, CBE (22 June 1896 – 25 November 1971) was an officer of the Royal Canadian Navy who played a significant role in the Battle of the Atlantic. He commanded the Newfoundland Escort Force from 1941–1943 ...
served as a
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
. The ship was initially assigned to patrol the approaches to Halifax and employed until June, when the ship was laid up at Halifax to re-tube a boiler. On 15 July 1915, ''Margaret'' and were the first two vessels to arrive at
Sydney, Nova Scotia Sydney is a former city and urban community on the east coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Sydney was founded in 1785 by the British, was incorporated as a city in 1904, and dissolv ...
to begin patrolling the
Gulf of St. Lawrence The Gulf of St. Lawrence () is the outlet of the North American Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. The gulf is a semi-enclosed sea, covering an area of about and containing about of water, at an average depth of . ...
. In October, ''Sinmac'' was replaced by and ''Margaret''s captain,
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
Burrard Smith became the senior officer of the Gulf patrol. In 1916, ''Margaret'' began patrolling the Cabot Strait. On 13 December, ''Margaret'' was sent to search for the disabled which had been damaged in a storm. ''Grilse'' was able to make Shelburne, Nova Scotia under her own power, but ''Margaret'' was tasked with towing the damaged vessel to Halifax for refit. In 1917, ''Margaret'' returned to her patrol route in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, based again at Sydney. ''Margaret'' was alongside at Dockyard Jetty 2 in Halifax Harbour during the
Halifax Explosion On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the waters of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond ...
. She broke her moorings and suffered minor damage, while two of her crew were killed ashore. Commander
Walter Hose Rear Admiral Walter Hose, (2 October 1875 – 22 June 1965) was an officer of the Royal Navy (RN), the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and founder of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR). Along with Rear Admiral Charles Kingsmill, W ...
, the commander of the Canadian Atlantic Patrol, sought to rearm the ship with more capable guns positioned aft, but this never came to pass. In 1918, the appearance of German
U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
s along the east coast of North America led to the creation of coastal convoys. In August, ''Margaret'' was tasked with patrolling east of the
Magdalen Islands The Magdalen Islands (french: Îles de la Madeleine ) are a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of . While part of the Province of Quebec, the islands are in fact closer to the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland th ...
. In September, ''Margaret'' and ''Canada'' escorted HC convoys from Gaspé, Quebec through the Strait of Belle Isle.


Interwar Canadian service

Following the end of the war, HMCS ''Margaret'' was returned to the CPS in December 1918, and carried out her first patrols in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the
East Coast of Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundla ...
in early 1919. Based at Gaspé, the ship's patrol was later extended into the
Northumberland Strait The Northumberland Strait (French: ''détroit de Northumberland'') is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada. The strait is formed by Prince Edward Island and the gulf's eastern, southern, and western sho ...
as alcohol smuggling increased during
American Prohibition In the United States from 1920 to 1933, a nationwide constitutional law prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, and ...
. Due to the limits of CPS authority, all of the seizures made by ''Margaret'' between 1921 and 1923 were disallowed. However, in 1923, a memorandum by the department declared the Gulf of St. Lawrence and its estuaries and bays Canadian waters and vessels within the limit would be subject to Canadian law. By October, ''Margaret'' and fellow CPS ship had intercepted eleven vessels. In 1932, the CPS was absorbed by the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
(RCMP), and the service's personnel and ships were transferred to the RCMP's Marine Section.


Brazilian service

Following the transfer of the CPS's responsibilities to the RCMP in 1932, the number of personnel was reduced and some former CPS vessels were discarded. ''Margaret'' was among the CPS vessels sold later that year as a result of these cutbacks. Taken over by the Brazilian government, she was renamed ''Rio Branco'' and was converted to a hydrographic survey ship for the
Brazilian Navy ) , colors= Blue and white , colors_label= Colors , march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco'' , mascot= , equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...
in 1935. ''Rio Branco'' was discarded in 1958.


Notes


Citations


Sources

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External links


World War 1 Canadian Ship Listing - Converted civilian vessels
{{DEFAULTSORT:Margaret Patrol vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy World War I naval ships of Canada 1914 ships Auxiliary ships of the Royal Canadian Navy Service vessels of Canada Canadian Government Ship