RAF HSL built by Canadian Power Boat Company in Montreal

[AlexNortonesq]

I’m going to try again to spark some interest in this topic by repeating the post I first made on the old forum. I hope to find some additional information about these particular boats.

I'll lead off this new index, since I persuaded Bryan to include it.

This is a picture of a 70' RAF HSL operating in the Indian Ocean in 1945. When I found the picture in my fathers things a few years ago, I decided to see if I could find out more about the boat. I was surprised to find out that it had been built in Canada, by a subsidiary of Hubert Scott-Paine's British Power Boat Company, Canadian Power Boat Company, in Montreal. There is little enough written about this company. There is an article in the Northern Mariner, in July 1992 (volume II, no. 3) called "Hell Boats of the RCN," by Donald E. Graves. John Lambert and Al Ross have done 2 volumes on coastal forces in World War II. The 3rd should contain the boats by Canadian Power Boats, but it's publication has been delayed, it seems.

Several of the 70' boats were built as motor torpedo boats for the RCN, several as high speed launches for the RCAF, several for the Dutch Navy, 4 of which became American PT boats, and 10 that became RAF high speed launches, one of which was 333.

As you can see from the caption on the side of the picture it was taken from about 200' from a Sunderland (code letter "L") of No. 230 Squadron. It described the boat picking up a dinghy and body. I don't know anything more about the story than that. If anyone can enlighten us, I'd appreciate it.

I'd also ask for any other pictures of RAF launches generally, but my particular (chauvanistic) interest is those built in Canada.

The second picture is an enlargement from the other picture.

[ant]

From Canadian Power Boat Company records: HSL 333 was boat no 1001, first of Canadian production. Built 7/6/41 for the RCN (service no V254) as MTB 333.

[AlexNortonesq]

Thank you for that information.

Here are some pictures of V254 surrounded by others made at the time. I am curious about the notion that V254 would have been built before V250, V251, V252, and V253, however. Do you have any information about when the others in that service number sequence were built?

[ant]

Hi. Superb pics - many thanks.
Sorry, the boat no. sequence differs from that of service nos., and the dates are described as "planned launch dates"

Boat no 1000 V250 ex Hythe-built prototype PV70 (CMTB 1) - 12/1940
Boat no 1008 V251 - 30/6/41
Boat no 1002 V252 - 17/5/41
Boat no 1005 V253 - 31/5/41
Boat no 1012 V255 - 18/8/41

Info from 'Fast boats and Flying Boats' - Adrian Rance.

Cheers
Tony

[jchutter]

Just wanted to talk briefly about the hsl's pictured on this site
,http://theflyingboatforum.hostingdelivered.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5 . I
am thinking the pictures were taken in 1941 at the fitting out basin of the
Canadian power boat company in Montreal where all these boats were built. four(4)
of the HSL's pictured served on the west coast out of Jericho beach Vancouver during
the war years, then Patricia Bay ( Pat Bay) after the war. These are the
boats with the "M" numbers you can see in the different photo's. M231
Malacite, M234, Montagnais, M235, Huron, on dry land behind Montagnais,
and M231 Takuli, The Malacite is in Vancouvers False creek being used as a
dinner criuser, the Huron I believe is the Seaward now and is somewhere in
Vancouver, My father bought the Montagnais, M234 in 1962 and converted it to
a yacht, with the original type engine that was (2 Packard v12's, 1350 hp, supercharged )
used during the war, it was fast fast
fast. 42 Knots top speed, the boat has since been sold many different times,
she sank in the Fraser river at her moorings, was raised, refitted, and I
lost track of her after that, she had a stint as a dinner cruiser also in
False Creek Vancouver , nice talking to you, hope someone has more pictures, Sincerly,
John P. Chutter

[solidmodeler]

You may have visited the links listed below already, but they have photos and some history of the Montagnais-
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~andersonfamily/RCAFMarine.htm
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~andersonfamily/RCAF_Marine_Squadron_Photos.html

[AlexNortonesq]

I tracked the Seaward down to be linked to a club called the Centre Bay Yacht Station, with offices in North Vancouver BC , and a moorage on Gambier Island BC. I believe the owner is (or in 2006,) was Rick Tedder of Vancouver. I had an email address for his brother Steve, wrote to him, asking him to have Rick get in touch with me, to no avail.

If anyone knows the brothers Tedder, and can get either to furnish any information about the boat, including pictures in its current condition, I would appreciate it (as would Terry Holtham of the Small Craft Group of the World Ship Society, who is doing research into these boats).

[jchutter]

I would love it if someone know's the wherabouts of the Vancouver Spirit, ex HSL M234 Montanais, ex yacht Montagnais, last known location, bottom of the Fraser river in Richmond B.C. a few years ago. she was raised, taken to one of the local shipyards for temporary repairs ( a deadhead had pearced her hull) and from there is anyones guess, I think she was owned by someone in New westminister B.C. for a time after the Fraser river incident. Probably has gone through a name change, she was on the small ship registry for a time, but then she disappeared.??? The Takuli M232 is another Matter if anyone is interested, here is what became of her, a few years following the end of the war, she was sent around to the East coast ( halifax ) under her own power, the trip was succesful, but some time after arriving was destroyed in a fuelling accident, or so the story goes, that info comes to me from a person who served on the Huron and Montagnais during and after the war.... Cheers,
John Chutter