MTB Base in Montreal???...

[David Dunlop]

OK Marc. Please give us some more details. Why was there an MTB Base in Montreal? I find this interesting because many years ago, Peter Ford told me that while he was based with the CBC in Montreal, one of his co-workers had purchased a surplus Fairmiles in Montreal and was living on it. I thought that was an odd place to surplus one of those boats, but now perhaps it makes more sense.

David

[John McGillivray]

I did a google search and found this site.

http://shipbuildinghistory.com/histo...ada/cpower.htm

[David Dunlop]

John.

Nice find! A short production history for the MTB but just for the heck of it, let's kick the ball into Hanno's side of the field now.

A large part of the Royal Navy contract was cancelled and then signed over to The Netherlands in 1942. Were these boats ever completed and delivered, and where were they operating out of for The Netherlands? and what happened to them at wars end?

David

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Nice find! A short production history for the MTB but just for the heck of it, let's kick the ball into Hanno's side of the field now.

A large part of the Royal Navy contract was concealed and then signed over to The Netherlands in 1942. Were these boats ever completed and delivered, and where were they operating out of for The Netherlands? and what happened to them at wars end?

The Royal Netherlands Navy adopted the MTB-type of class shortly before WW2. At least one was effectively used in the defence of Rotterdam harbour during the May 1940 attack by Germany. After the capitulation of the Netherlands the RNN continued to operate out of the UK, as were other elements of the Netherlands armed forces. Read more about the exploits of the Dutch MTB's in the English channel here: http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Special_mtb.htm

The above is only about the European part, this class of ship was effectively employed in the Netherlands East-Indies as well.

I did not realise we used Canadian-built MTB's, a quick search revealed it could have been the BPB 72 feet-type class of which 5 were taken into service by the RNN: http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/class/648.html

HTH,
Hanno

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by John McGillivray

I did a google search and found this site.
http://shipbuildinghistory.com/histo...ada/cpower.htm

A further search revealed that the subject MTB's were actually known as the TM-22 class MTB - see http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/TM22.htm

All eight of them were transferred to the Netherlands West-Indies (yes, we once truly ruled the world's seas ), after serving there they were transferred to other regions and Navies.

H.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

More info: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canad...r_Boat_Company

See pictures of the construction of these boats here: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/d...pl6smt7nsocuf0

And today: http://quebecindustrialheritage.blog...mpany.html?m=1

H.

[Dianaa]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

OK Marc. Please give us some more details. Why was there an MTB Base in Montreal? I find this interesting because many years ago, Peter Ford told me that while he was based with the CBC in Montreal, one of his co-workers had purchased a surplus Fairmiles in Montreal and was living on it. I thought that was an odd place to surplus one of those boats, but now perhaps it makes more sense.

David

I've come onto this thread late and don't know the precursor to the "please give us more" comment. However wasn't there a period where the U Boats were working inside the St Lawrence possibly as far as Quebec City.

Would this be a reason to have an MTB base in Montreal? or would the transit times to the gulf take too long?

Diana

Battle of the St Lawrence http://www.uboat.net/articles/29.html

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks for the info Dan ,

The Military District 1 HQ was indeed for a while at the corner of La Savanne and Bishop. I remember well being there for my officer candidate entry tests in the early 80's . The Mobile Command HQ was at that time in St-Hubert at the airfield. Mobile . I do not know where Mobile Command was prior to being in St-Hubert.

In Longueuil / St-Hubert , i know of no other military installation than the one at the airfield and Ile Sainte-Hélène barracks. Did you know that the Ile Sainte Hélène barracks had many uses in the past 300 years including a military prison ? Camilien Houde , mayor of Montéeal was detained there in an ugly passage of Québec history. Houde was an anti-war acticvist and opposed conscription in 42-43.He was arrested by the RCMP et detained for the remainder of the war. Fort Sainte-Hélène barracks was also a defensive Fort for the defense of Montréal thru the different wars ( 1760 against the British ,1812 against the Americans, Fenien raids ( irish rebels ) , WW1, WW2 ) . Curious t know about more military installations in Longueuil ?

Bob

[Robert Bergeron]

Diaana dear,

I think the MTB base was for construction , fitting and refitting the Fairmile boats . They were built in Montréal so were the torpedoes. There are no reports to my knowledge of U Boats ever sailing up the St-Lawrence past Québec. The farthest the could make it submerged would be Trois Rivières but i see no point in doing that . They would of been very vulnerable because of the narrowness and the shallowness of the river. They were regular visitors of the Gulf and sank quite a few merchant ships there.A torpedoe even beached near Rimouski after it failed to reach its mark. It is showcased ar the musem in Point au Père were the Canadian Navy submarine is .

Interesting part of WW2 history .

Cheers !

Bob