Rear Admiral Walter Hose (1875-1965) is known as the Father of the Naval Reserve.  After twenty-two years service in the Royal Navy, he was lent to the newly formed RCN as Commanding Officer of HMCS RAINBOW, the cruiser acquired from the RN the year before.  Transferring to the RCN, he began advocating for the formation of a naval reserve but when he explained his idea to Rear Admiral Kingsmill, the CNS (Chief of Naval Staff) he was told, “My dear Hose, you don’t understand.  It can’t be done!” 

In 1921, he succeeded Kingsmill as the Director of the Naval Service of Canada.  The navy’s budget having been slashed by the government, he laid up ships and used the funds to start the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1923.

Our display is situated outside the boardroom and consists of two artistic interpretations of Walter Hose and two interpretive plaques.

Walter Hose visited STAR in 1954 when he unveiled a gallery of portraits of former Commanding Officers that still graces the flats outside the CO’s cabin as well as laying the cornerstone of Building #1, which was to be the Headquarters of the Naval Reserve. The trowel he used is part of our collection.