The Navy: A Century in Art
The Navy at Sea

The Canadian navy is a creature of the sea. Its ships, equipment, tactics, and experiences have been conditioned by the major environments in which it serves. Historically, the most important of these have been Canada's long and ragged coasts and the storm-tossed northern waters connecting Canada to the world.

Fog
Painted by Donald C. Mackay in 1943

Poor visibility or inattention could cause collisions as catastrophic as an enemy attack when ships assembled into convoys.

This work portrays an officer using a speaking trumpet to hail a merchant vessel that looms in the fog ahead. During the Second World War, several Canadian warships were damaged in collisions, four were sunk and many sailors killed.

Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 19710261-4221