Sea Logistics: Keeping the Navy Ready Aye Ready

J.L. Granatstein, Distinguished Research Professor of History Emeritus,
York University, served as Director of the Canadian War Museum from 1998
to 2000. His latest works are Who Killed Canadian History?, Who Killed
the Canadian Military, and Hell’s Cor

Navies, like armies, march (or sail) on their stomachs, and the task of
keeping a fleet supplied with all it needs to operate is a daunting one.
The Canadian Navy’s sea logisticians form a small part of Canada’s
present tiny navy, but they have a history of rising to the challenge.
So did their predecessors, and Watson’s well-researched, generally
well-written, and well-illustrated volume lays out the logisticians’
story. Sea Logistics may not attract many general readers, but it will
appeal to naval types. Most striking to this reader was the author’s
comment on the way the unification of Canada’s three services opened
up vast new opportunities for naval supply officers. Instead of their
being confined to a small navy, the whole Canadian Forces was now their
oyster, and several officers rose to three-star rank, something hitherto
beyond any naval logistician’s grasp. It was an ill wind that did blow
some good to talented officers.