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UPPER LAKES CANALERS GO TO WAR by Skip Gillham During, the early years of World War II the German submarines were applying great pressure in the North Atlantic in an effort to starve the The Allied nations were losing several and the British Minis- realizing the ser- British Isles into submission. ships a day, try of Transport, iousness of the situation, approach- ed the Canadian government to seek their aid. They, ioned as many of the small canallers in turn, requisit- as possible for war time service. Each of the various lake companies but for the purpose of this article we shall contributed vessels, concentrate on the fleet of the Up- per Lakes and St. portation Company, now called Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. Lawrence Trans-= The Upper Lakes canallers were all built in Great Britain between 1923 and 1926 and were purchased from the Eastern Steamship Company of St. Catherines in 1936. Before the war they served in the lakes trade, but with the outbreak of hostilities most went into specialized service. The NORMAN P. CLEMENT, JOHN 3. RICHARDS, WILLIAM C. WARREN, NORMAN B. MacPHERSON (b. LOADMASTER) and SHIRLEY G. TAYLOR did not venture east of Quebec City. Their task was to carry bulk cargoes, (coal, etc. ), from the lakes to St. ce ports. As a precautionary step grain, Lawren- these vessels had gun placements, although they were unarmed. The ves- sels with square texas cabins had the gun placement atop a newly in- stalled 'doghouse' on the after cab- in. The ships with the turret-style forward cabins did not 'doghouse'. receive a Their gun-mount was on the after cabin. Machinegun nests were also set up on the bridge of one vessel, the SHIRLEY G. TAYLOR, which received a coat of wartime paint. The JOHN S. PILLS3URY and SHELTON WEED spent the summers of 1942 and 1943 operating as colliers and pulp- wood carriers in the Gulf of St.Law- rence. In 1944 the JUDGE HENEFICK (6. H.J. McMANUS; c. CHEMBARGE No 4) joined the run from Forestville to Quebec City. Since this region was