My Genealogy / History Pages of
British Columbia
Canada

 

No 1 Armoured Train

 

Site Index

British Columbia

Terrace
Home Page
Post Office
Archive Pictures 1, 2, 3, 4
Aerial Picture, ca1950's
Founder, George Little
Hotel-Motel History
Town Plan, Oct 1911

Terrace Calcium Products Ltd.
Terrace Co-op Garden Centre
Grand Trunk Pathway
Cramer St History
Ferry Island
Relay for Life, May 3, 2008
Terrace-Kitimat Airport
Hospital- Early Doctors
Child Development Centre
Terrace Area War Memorial

Private Berger War Mystery

No 1, Armoured Train, WWII
WWII Mutiny
Military Headstones
Logging Archives
Water Towers / Reservoirs
Dairy History
Kitsumgallum Cemetery
Braun's Island
Hatt Brothers Store
Lanfear Hill
Kitsumkalum School
Albert & McCaffery Ltd.
Gordon & Anderson Ltd.

Prince Rupert
Home Index Page
Archive Photos:
Page 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
- 8- 9- 10
Albert & McCaffery Ltd
BC Govt. Court House
City Halls
Fire Department
Funeral Directors
Gordon & Anderson Ltd.
Grand Trunk Pacific, Page 1 - 2
GTP Steamships-SS Prince- Rupert/George
Hotel History
Knoxville
Lindsay's Cartage & Storage
Miller Bay Hospital
Post Office History
Prince Rupert Dry Dock
Prince Rupert Riots

Ridley
Seal Cove
Vickersville
Watson Island
First Around the World Flight
Rupert Area Cemeteries

Dodge- Hospital Island
Digby Island

North West BC Area
Aberdeen
Aiyansh
Aiyansh Tseax Volcano Cone
Aldermere
Alice Arm
Amsbury
Andimaul
Anyox 1, 2, 3
Barrett Lake
Bateman's Landing
Billmor
Carnaby
Cedarvale / Minskinish
Copper City
Dorreen
Ellison
Evelyn Station
Exstew
Falls River Hydro Dam (Pr Rupert)
Fiddler Creek
Glentanna
Hanall Point
Haysport
Hazeltons- Old / New / South
Houston
Hubert
Inverness
Kemano / Kitimat, mid 1950's
Kitsault
Kitselas- (Old Town/ Canyon)
Kitsumkalum Lake
Kitwanga
Kwinitsa
Lakelse Lake Valley
Lorne Creek
Nass Camp
North Bulkley
Pacific
Pitman
Port Edward
Port Essington
Prince Rupert
Quick Station
Remo
Ridley
Ritchie
Salvus
Sealy-Sealey-Seeley
Seaton
Shames
Skeena City
Skeena Crossing
Smithers
Stewart
Telkwa
Terrace
Tramville
Usk
Vanarsdol
Woodcock

Cassiar District
Centreville
Defot
Glenora Landing
Lake House
Laketon/Lake Town

McDame
Porter Landing/ Thibert Creek
Telegraph Creek

North Coast
Claxton
Ethelda Bay (DOT site)
Fort / Port Simpson

Georgetown Mills/ Georgetown
Woodcock's Landing

Skeena / Bulkley Pioneers
Arthur Lee Clore
Michaud Brothers
George Albert Kerr
John "David" Stuart
Rev. Thomas Jabez Marsh
James Darius Wells
Frank Lazelle

Frederick "Fred" Hampton
James Kelso Gordon
Frank Phiscator Jr. and Sr.
Oscar Olander / Paul Brodin
Dennis Tulley Christopher

Joel "Joe" Trulson
Samuel Arden Singlehurst
John Arthur Clark King Sealy
William Binnie "Tom" Forrest
Clair Leon Morris Giggey
Charles Merson "Charlie" Adam
Mrs Lanfear, Miss French

Grand Trunk Pacific History
GTP Railway Station Index

GTP Railway Contractors
GTP Railway Medical Service
Grand Trunk Pacific, Page 1 - 2
GTP Steamships-SS Prince Rupert
Foley, Welch and Stewart
Dr. William Percy Johns
Dr. Seymour Traynor
Daniel Joseph Dempsey
Edwin G. Russell
Adolph Butze
Frank Watrous Morse
George Alexander McNicholl
Joseph Frederick "Fred" Ritchie
Ernest Joseph Rowley
Allan Cameron Aldous
William Pitt Murray
Henry H. Brewer
Dr. Francis James Ewing
Western Canadian Immigration Association

Dominion Government Telegraph
Dominion Telegraph System
John Theodore Phelan

Enoch Roscoe Lukens Jones
Hugh Bernard Ashton Birch
Thomas Howard Walsh
John Franklin Richardson

Sternwheelers
Sternwheeler History
Capt. William Francis Madden
SS Mount Royal Sinking

Capt. George Hamilton Ritchie

Steamships
SS Princess Norah

SS Prince Rupert / Prince George

Misc Pages
Misc History Info
BC Tel Northern District History
Various Pictures, Northern BC

Skeena River Photos
Copper River Bridge
Russian Stone Fort Mystery
North Route Service Center

Ski Hill History
BC Coastal Airline History
NW BC Logger's Memorial, Usk
Usk Pioneer Chapel
Usk Ferry Page
Forestry Lookouts
Kitselas Tunnel Explosion
New Zealand Moose?
Bear Glacier

1978 Flood, Northwest BC
Sunsets, Mountains, Lakes, Creeks
Reg German Anyox Archive Photos
Robert Ridley
Arthur Marsden "Art" Priestley
Monckton Family
Postcard Photographers
Patrick Joseph Ryan
Oolichan Fish

Vancouver Island
Logging Archive Pictures
________________

Links below are
NOT my pages
but worth a visit for sure
Ext Links

Terrace Library

  Contact Me?
Contact Page

View My Feedback

Return to my BC History Index Page

 

 NO Reproduction in Whole or in Part, on ANY, and ALL of my Pages,
 Including Text and Pictures,
 May be made, without the express Written Permission
 of Web Editor, Doug Gent
© 2016

Want to add a link to my pages?
see my
Copyright Information Page
for the only Authorized Picture Link allowed.
All Pictures on all my web pages, are now Visibly Watermarked,
All my pages are now Right Click, (copy and paste), disabled.
I ask everyone that enjoys free history sites,
to start policing these violations.
If we don't stop this, no one will donate pictures to me, or anyone,
and we all loose.
If you see one of my pictures on Facebook, etc.
tell them to remove it.


No 1, Armoured Train

Canada's First Secret Armoured Train

Built in Spring of 1942 in the CNR Transcona Shops, in Transcona MB,
8 miles East of Winnipeg MB.  Today 2014, a suburb of Winnipeg.
These Shops were originally built for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad in 1909.
Train was delivered to Terrace, July 22, 1942
Put into service 7 days later, July 28, 1942 in Prince Rupert.
Sept-Nov 1942 modified in Vancouver Shops.
Back in service Nov 21, 1942, until Sept 17, 1943
Oct 5, 1943, partially dismantled at Pacific.
Further dismantled at Transcona Shops in Sept 1944.

This was a "Secret" Train?  How do you hide a train?
Jan 17, 1945 at Transcona, it was revealed Canada had the Armoured train


Summer 1944, in Terrace BC., Soldier Name unknown
From McRae Collection, via Lionel Desilets

Consisted of 6 armoured cars.
2 identical cars on each end, with the guns and searchlights,
and 2 more cars in the middle for the men.
2 modified flat cars on each end
Middle 2 cars were modified box cars.
A 7th car was sent later in August, from Transcona.


Dec 1928 Newspaper article


CNR Locomotive # 9000 was armour plated
and made to look like a box car from the air.
Built in Kingston, Nov 28, 1928,
One of the First Diesel-Electric Locomotives in Canada
Feb 1945 it was stripped of the armour
at Pointe St. Charles, Quebec, and returned to Passenger service.
It's original 12 cylinder engine was replaced
with a new V- type, two-cycle, 16 cylinder engine,
for use during the war.
(see links below for full details, and pictures.)

Served originally from Terrace to Prince Rupert, and return.
It was changed Aug 6, 1942 to run from Tyee to Prince Rupert, and return.


Part of a 1942 Dept of Defence Map of the Military Camp in Terrace
I don't see a copyright symbol on this map,
and since it is over 50 years old,
and I doubt if there is any military secrets contained in it,
I have decided to add it online now.
It was sent to me from a fellow doing environmental research
on buried oil and gas tanks from that time.
Note part of that spur is where the Lafarge Cement plant is today (2015)
Located south of the CNR tracks, between Eby and Munroe St.

Looking at the "Secret" Armed Train Schedule, dated Apr 21, 1943,
It clearly shows the train was kept at
Pacific Siding in Apr 1943.
This schedule shows it leaving
Pacific Apr 22, 1943, at 0620 hrs
arriving back at 1945 hrs.
Great old form, as it shows number of officers and men
on the train, each doing different jobs.
2 officers, in charge of: 24 men manning 4 x 40mm guns,
12 men manning 2 x 75 mm guns,
5 men manning the large Search lights.
They practiced shooting the guns at 74.8 mile,
which was between Exstew and Shames stations.
Form signed by Major J. C. Herbert
Officer Commanding No 1 Armed Train C. A.

click this link below to see the schedule in pdf form
Armoured Car Schedule, Apr 22, 1943, .pdf
Source- Library and Archives Canada
RG24, National Defence, Series C-3
Volume 14186, reel 12416
via the McRae Collection, Terrace

Operated by "A" Company, of the Winnipeg Grenadiers,
under command of Captain N. K. Gateson until Mar 16, 1943
Then by Major J. C. Herbert, of the Oxford Rifles, until the end of it's use.

During WWII the treat of a Japanese attack on the BC coast
was taken so seriously, they not only built protection
in the Rupert Harbour, they had this special train built.
It was to protect the CNR tracks along the Skeena River.
But as you can read in links below,
The train was so heavy, it wrecked the tracks.
Being a secret, unscheduled train,
it also killed a couple innocent folks along the tracks.

I have added many EXT links below which describe this train in detail,
so will not add too much here.
Didn't see that picture above on any site,
so wanted to get it visible, and add links below to other photos.


Bios

Captain Norman Keith Gateson
b- May 24, 1902, Surrey, Romford Reg dist, Essex, England
d- Aug 9, 1987 in Kelowna General Hospital, Kelowna, BC, age 85
served in WWI, reg #294324
farmer when he enlisted, May 11, 1916 in Winnipeg MB
when he enlisted he was born in 1900 to be old enough to serve.
He was in the Boy Scouts in Hamiota MB
Sailed from Greenock Scotland Mar 13, 1942,
heading to Ottawa, with other Army Troops on the U.S.S Fuller.
married 1st- Emily Susan Lord, Oct 15, 1928 in Winnipeg, MB

father-  George Gateson
b- May 30, 1875  In Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, England, age 41 in 1916
d- bet 1918 and 1921 in MB
1916 he was in the military stationed at Camp Hughes.
enlisted in WWI, Sept 30, 1916, in Winnipeg, reg # 1084028
immigrated in 1908 to Canada, occupation Shoemaker

mother- Florence Edith Gateson, nee Tredaway
 b- ca 1876 in England, age 45 in 1921
she was a widow in 1921
Immigrated in 1910
Parents married Apr-June 1898, Chelsea Reg dist, England

sister- Dorothy Madge Gateson
b- ca 1900, In England, age 21 in 1921
married Harry wilding, Sept 12, 1923, St. Boniface MB

brother- Douglas George Gateson
b- ca 1907, in England, age 14 in 1921
married Kathleen Mary Fowle, July 19, 1930 in Winnipeg NB

brother- Alvin George Gateson
b- ca 1917, in MB, age 4 in 1921

brother- Kenneth Norman Gateson
b- ca 1918, in MB, age 3 in 1921

1921 family living in East Kildonan, Springfield, MB
 


Major John C. Herbert
b- Mar 1908, on a farm at Mitchell ON, a Twin
d- July 7,1999, Alexandra Hospital, Ingersoll ON,  age 91
1929 graduate of Waterloo College,
Principal of Ingersoll Collegiate Institute.
He was teaching in the Collegiate before the war.
Served overseas with the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders
1941 he was transferred from the A & T staff of the Oxford rifles
to a staff post in Ottawa.
shown from Mitchell ON in one document.
His name is on a WWII plaque in Wilfred Laurier University
1953, 1958, 1965 and 1968 shown as High School Principal in Oxford, ON
1972 shown as retired.
wife- Helen E. Herbert, nee Taylor, she died before him in 1995
son- John T. Herbert
son- Martin Herbert

twin brother- Albert D. Herbert
older brother- Fred Herbert, b- ca1907
sister- Gertrude Herbert, b- ca 1915 in ON
son of John C. Herbert (Sr) and Louisa Herbert, farmers
1911 and 1921 family in Logan township, ON


Military Headstones

Return to my BC History Index Page

Disclaimer

I am an Amateur Historian, and Genealogist.
I use every source I can find, old newspapers, census, archives, etc.
I do a quick search for the names on these pages.
Therefore I do NOT profess to have 100% accurate information.
Use my info as a clue to do your own research.
I am not related to these folks, nor do I have hidden info.
I encourage everyone to visit their local Museum,
or buy a local history book for more info.
I attempt to connect people with their ancestor in these places.
If it works on just one person, per page, it is worth the time it takes me.
I do not charge for access to my pages,
I do not have any Ads on my pages.
Please "Link" to my page from Facebook, Blogs, etc.
Please do Not copy the pictures, or text on any page.
Please do Not ask to use pictures etc. on Facebook.
A "Link" to my pages, does the same thing.
Just copy the hyper link, URL, shown in your browser above,
and paste that into facebook etc.,
or copy the links I have on the left side.
That is the honest and proper way to do it!


Ext Links
note- NOT my sites.

http://northword.ca/october-2009/the-no-1-armoured-train

http://www.museevirtuel-virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/histoires_de_chez_nous-community_memories/pm_v2.php?id=story_line&lg=English&fl=0&ex=00000511&sl=3918&pos=1

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/19/armoredtrain.shtml

http://www.oil-electric.com/2009/04/port-townsend-today.html

book link

John C. Herbert story and picture
http://genealogy.ocl.net/jcherbert/index.shtml

CNR Loco 9000 history, excellent article here.
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/Various/early_diesels.htm

http://www.imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=19126603&id=55

 

 

My Quick Navigation Bar
Choose Your Next Step From Below

Return back to our Terrace PageClick this Icon to Return to My Home Index Page at any timeClick this Icon to go to Doug's Email Contact PageClick to Return to the Top of any PageReturn to my BC History Index Page

Page Created Mar 14, 2013
Revised Oct 27, 2015

Quick Links
Personal Family Pages
SE Sask. Web Pages / Dad's 1927 Map of SE Sask. / Hillside Public School
Estevan Collegiate Institute / Nor-West 1904 Newspaper / Terrace BC
BC Tel Terrace District History /
Contact Page

Maintained and Created by
Doug Gent © 2016