HMCS Galiano
Patrol Vessel · Canada · Lost 1918 · The British Columbia Coast
Canada's only warship lost in the First World War, a fisheries patrol cruiser, foundered with all 39 aboard in Barkley Sound in October 1918.
The Vessel and Her Loss
Built in Dublin in 1913 as a Canadian government fisheries patrol vessel, Galiano was requisitioned in 1917 for naval patrol and minesweeping duties on the BC coast. Returning from a resupply run to lightstations in the Queen Charlotte Islands and in need of boiler repairs, she was caught in a violent storm. On 30 October 1918 her wireless operator sent a final distress call reporting the hold full of water, and she foundered in Barkley Sound with all 39 aboard lost, making her the Royal Canadian Navy's only warship lost in the First World War.
Vessel
- 1913
- Dublin Dockyard
- Dublin, Ireland
- Steel
- 162.25 ft
- 27 ft
- 393
- Steam, triple-expansion engine, single screw
- Government of Canada / Royal Canadian Navy
Loss
- October 30, 1918
- Storm
- Barkley Sound, off Vancouver Island
- Barkley Sound, Pacific Ocean
- Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) → Esquimalt, British Columbia
- Not established
- 39
- 39
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island
Wreck site in Barkley Sound has not been located.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)
The precise wreck location in Barkley Sound has not been established.
Royal Canadian Navy official ship histories
Build details, service, loss date, location, and casualty count.
Canadian Military History, Wilfrid Laurier University
Detailed narrative of the final voyage and loss.
