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During the 1914-18 war the Admiralty offered one hundred permanent commissions R.N. to serving R.N.R. officers; those who accepted and became Royal Naval Officers earned themselves the title of ‘The Hungry Hundred’.
The boom defence was quickly thrown across the mouth of the river, from the Haile Sand Fort erected on the sand at Humberstone, to the Bull Sand Fort, thence North east across the deep water channel to the Trinity Sand just inside of Spurn Point. The gate was placed in the centre of that section which protected the deep water channel.
The piling for the defence had been done during the last year. Lieutenant Rosendale, a Humber pilot, was a boom defence officer.
The enemy quickly put their U boat campaign into operation and sank quite a number of merchant ships during the month of September. The mine however, was his most effective weapon for use in estuaries, rivers and enclosed waters. Reconnoitring by enemy planes over the Humber area frequently occurred. About the end of October with my senior officer I watched an enemy aircraft approach the Grimsby docks from seaward. It was about 3 pm on a fine afternoon. Flying very low, the plane just cleared the top of the Hydraulic Tower, the pilot flew over the docks and the town, then made off in an easterly direction. No doubt having photographed the area. As yet, no anti-aircraft guns had been established around the docks.
The first marine casualty to occur in the vicinity of the Humber was the loss of the fine passenger and liner ‘Canada’ owned by the Danish Asiatic Co. of Copenhagen. The ‘Canada’ sailed from Hull during the last week of October and proceeded to the convoy anchorage. Here she was boarded by the Naval Control Service routing officer, who informed the Master when the next convoy would sail. The Master requested permission to sail independently and being neutral, was entitled to do so. The officer, after pointing out the risks involved, routed the ship north from the Humber close into the Yorkshire coast.
On a fine morning at the beginning of November the ‘Canada’ left the Humber and shortly after midday was damaged by a heavy underwater explosion. On what eventually proved to be the same afternoon a number of Withernsea residents were strolling about the promenade reaping the benefits of the warm sunshine, for the moment not concerned with the war. Amongst them was a Miss K. Robinson, an ex WREN, who relates that at around 2pm everyone was startled by a heavy muffled explosion coming from seaward. Owing to the haze on the horizon nothing could be seen. This, she believed, was the explosion which wrecked the ‘Canada’.
It was soon learned at Grimsby that ‘Canada’ had been severely damaged, presumably by a mine in a position one and a half miles east of Holmpton, which lays 8 miles north of Spurn Point. A salvage tug was promptly dispatched to her assistance.
Under directions from my senior officer, I left Grimsby in the examination launch ‘Ferryman’ and arrived alongside the ‘Canada’ about 9pm. Locating a ladder, I climbed on board. It was my intention to persuade the Master to have his vessel towed back to Grimsby Reads, if at all possible.
Upon reaching the deck of this fine ship, I quickly noticed that she was very much down by the head, in fact her fore-deck was just awash. The salvage tug was along side forward to starboard — her pumps working at top pressure, sucking water out of the ships No. 1 hold, and the level of this could not be reduced.
I conferred with the Master, regarding the saving of the ship. He considered it would be impossible to tow her to the Humber because she was badly holed forward. In all probability, the bulkhead between No. 1 and No. 2 holds would collapse. I suggested she could be towed first with good assistance. To this he would not agree.
Soundings revealed that the ship was on the bottom forward, the depth of the water being forty feet. After further consultation, it was agreed to try and tow the ‘Canada’ closer into the land, this operation however was not successful.
About 7 am on the following morning, there being nothing more that could be done, I returned to Grimsby. The Master came with me. He was interrogated by the Naval Intelligence officers upon landing.
Toward evening the launch ‘Ferryman’ took the Master back to his ship after spending some time with the naval intelligence. There was a feeling amongst those of us who had come into contact with him, that he had not been very co-operative.
The ‘Canada’ became a total loss — quite a navigational hazard. She was subject to a number of collisions and it is said that the local inhabitants benefited from her flotsam and jetsam.

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