The Battle of Quiberon Bay off France’s South Brittany coast on Nov. 20, 1759, was the most decisive naval encounter during the Seven Years War, 1756-63. [N. Popcock/Royal Museums Greenwich]

Heart of Oak, ships of steel

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Proponents of the politically correct and “anti-woke” traditionalists opposed to change all have their knickers in a knot over the impending demise of the Royal Canadian Navy’s official march song—which was never theirs to begin with.

“Heart of Oak,” a reference to the wooden ships of Britain’s 18th century Royal Navy, actually predates Canada’s swabbie service by more than 150 years.

It was written by William Boyce, an English composer, with words by an actor named David Garrick to celebrate British victories at Lagos, Quebec and Quiberon Bay, all of which took place in 1759—the Annus mirabilis, or “wonderful year.”

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The First Army, under acting command of Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds (third from right), fought the critical Battle of the Scheldt. He is pictured here with Christopher Vokes (from left), Harry Crerar, Bernard Montgomery, Brian Horrocks (both British Army), Daniel Spry and Bruce Mathews, in February 1945. [Wikimedia]

An un-Canadian welcome: The Scheldt opening ceremony of 1944

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

On Nov. 28, 1944, dignitaries gathered at the docks of Antwerp.

The ceremonial guests, attempting to ignore the foul weather, stared out toward the Scheldt estuary, where 18 inbound ships made their historic approach to the Belgian port.

They were right to celebrate, even if the looming grey clouds above hadn’t gotten the memo, as the Allied vessels represented a proverbial turning of the tide.

Only a few months earlier, on Sept. 4, the British 11th Armoured Division had entered Antwerp with the intent of seizing, at the time, the second-largest port in Europe.

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