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| Admiral P.W. Nelles | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 7, 1892 Brantford, Ontario,  Canada |
| Died | June 13, 1951 (aged 59) |
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Biography
Admiral Percy Walker Nelles was an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Chief of the Naval Staff from 1934 to 1944. He oversaw the massive wartime expansion of the RCN and the transformation of Canada into a major player in the Battle of the Atlantic. During his tenure U-boats raided the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canadian Northwest Atlantic command was created, and the RCN was providing up to 40% of all escort forces in the North Atlantic. His handling of the RCN's war effort had its opponents however, and he was removed from his post as Chief of the Naval Staff in January, 1944. He was sent to London as Overseas Naval Attaché, coordinating the RCN operations for Operation Overlord. He retired in January 1945 as a full Admiral.
Naval career
Percy Nelles had an illustrious career serving with both the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy. As Midshipman he served aboard HMS Dreadnought. Over the next 10 years he would rise from the rank of Sub-Lieutenant to the rank of Captain as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff.
In 1940, Rear Admiral Percy W. Nelles, then chief of naval staff, led a group of Royal Naval College of Canada alumni who met with Angus Lewis Macdonald, then naval minister to discuss opening a college to train naval officers for the postwar navy and/or for civilian employment in the merchant marine. 1 The college was to be similar to the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth and to the former RNCC. In 1940, Angus Lewis Macdonald explained to the House of Commons "it will be a proud day for this country, when our Canadian naval effort will be directed by Canadian men, trained in Canada and operating in ships built in this country." 2
In November 1940, the Hatley Park and grounds was purchased by the Royal Canadian Navy for $75,000 to house a Naval Training Establishment, later Royal Roads Military College, now Royal Roads University.
Legacy
Admiral Percy Nelles has been memorialized in two distinct ways:
Firstly, Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps 'ADMIRAL NELLES' was formed to honour the Chief of Naval Staff in 1941. This Cadet Unit is located in Brantford, ON. It is currently under the command of Lieutenant(N) S.M. Downey and has approxiamately 45 cadets.
Secondly, the barracks Nelles Block at Naden, CFB Esquimalt, is named in honour of Admiral Nelles.
External links
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 16 November 2008, at 17:02.
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