HMCS Prevost

HMCS Prevost
Active	1938–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Royal Canadian Navy
Type	Stone Frigate
Garrison/HQ	London, Ontario
Motto(s)	By Valour not Deception

HMCS Prevost is a Naval Reserve unit commissioned Her Majesty's Canadian Ship, of the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve based in London, Ontario.

London Division Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) was organized following a visit in July by Commander E.R. Mainguy, RCN. Authority for this decision was received together with the appointment of E.E. Hart in command, as a Lieutenant, 8 August 1938. The division was to consist of a half ship's company – 6 officers and 45 men. Quarters for the division were situated on the second floor of the Darch Building on Talbot Street, and the Market Square was used for parade ground activities.

After the outbreak of war, and the apparent inadequacy of the quarters, a move was made on 15 November 1939, to the Carling Block at Richmond and Carling Streets, a property which had been vacated by the Postal Department upon completion of the Federal Building.

The decision, in 1941, to create independent commands in all shore establishments, brought about the search for appropriate names. As all Naval Divisions were affected, and to perpetuate names of ships that had served Naval Forces, but whose names were not currently allocated, it was decided to rename the division, for the most part, after ships that had served in the Great Lakes during the War of 1812. Such was the beginning of HMCS Prevost, named after HMS Lady Prevost, a schooner brig serving with the Lake Erie Squadron, so named in honour of the wife of Sir George Prevost, the then Governor General of Canada and Commander-in-Chief, of the British Forces in North America. The commissioning pennant was therefore hoisted on 1 November 1941.

In the interest of operational efficiency, the Navy had to employ a common language, English, since the majority of its members were English-speaking. Canadians speaking only French were recruited, but their inadequate knowledge of English, produced high percentages of failures among the French-speaking recruits. In the summer of 1941 an English language course was established at HMCS Montcalm at Quebec. Little progress was made, however, and in 1943 the school was transferred to HMCS Prevost. The naval schoolmasters were professional language teachers, and the ratings were quartered with English-speaking families in the city. At the end of a three-month course the men were returned to their respective divisions for further training and subsequent draft to HMCS Cornwallis. The school was moved to HMCS Cornwallis, in January 1945.

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