This is the record of a voyage through the canadian arctic across the northwest passage. In 1928, he joined the royal canadian mounted police rcmp. For the second year, crystal serenitys 32day northwest passage voyage is captained by master birger j. Shortly thereafter he was assigned as master of the st. Roch on her voyage through the northwest passage from west to east in 1942 and from east to west in 1944. The polar medal has a separate bar for the 1944 northwest passage voyage of st roch.
In this film he relates anecdotes of his voyages in the tiny schooner, the st. In 194042 he made the first west to east transit of the northwest passage in the rcmp schooner st. The navigator henry larsen, who made the second and third full northwest passage transits in the 1940s, made the first successful westtoeast completion northwest passage, using a route that. Rcm police st roch completes first westtoeast northwest passage route 6 on october 11, 1942 under the command of sgt. In search of the northwest passage amazing stories amazing stories heritage house henry hudson. Roch by henry a larsen 1958, english, book edition. Henrylarsencollectiondescription by vanmaritime issuu. Anyone relying on the fact that the northwest passage was navigated in the. From vancouver to halifax, 194042 the northwest passage, a series of channels which wind their way through the arctic archipelago, has long been the object of attention for arctic explorers.
Roch by henry a larsen author see all 5 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Henry larsen would remain in command of st roch for the next two decades, during which time he and his dauntless schooner became legends in the north. Rising to the rank of sergeant, in 1940 larsen was ordered to attempt to navigate the northwest passage. From henry hudson in 1611 to the doomed franklin party in 184548, the promise of prestige and discovery not to mention large prizes from the british admiralty drew men to. Roch, into halifax harbour, having been the first to sail through the passage from west to east. Henry asbjorn larsen september 30, 1899 october 29, 1964 was a canadian arctic. The northwest passage, 19401942 and 1944 by sergeant henry. The northwest passage, 19401942 and 1944 the famous voyages of the royal canadian mounted police schooner st. Amundsen, the first to bring a ship through the northwest passage, and the leader of the first. Back home through the northwest passage, east to west 14. Henry larsen, departs from vancouver bound for halifax, nova scotia via the northwest passage. Henry larsen married mary hargreaves on february 7, 1935 in vancouver, and they had three children, doreen, henry gordon, and beverly. Sheer and edward omholtjensen, 1967 page 2 of 3 from the basic version of northwest passage has been navigated in.
Roch an excellent one book introduction to the historical quest for the nw passage is farley mowats ordeal by ice. Ccgs henry larsen is a canadian coast guard improved pierre radissonclass icebreaker serving in the newfoundland and labrador region and based in st johns, newfoundland and labrador. Captain henry larsen and the northwest passage youtube. We went through one of the most infamous washington post. Through northwest passage in a month, icefree the new. Canadian sovereignty and the environment in the northwest passage are at risk 16. Under larsen, called by the inuit hanorie umiarjuag or henry with the big ship, the st. Following the same east to west route norwegian explorer roald amundsen made 38 years earlier, the crew reach halifax on oct. This was the real northwest passage, i felt, and it had never been navigated, larsen wrote in his book, the big ship. As the anchorage here was dangerous so early in the season we did not linger long, but pushed on in order to round barrow point itself. Roch, into the fabled northwest passage, his boat was frozen in arctic ice. End of the northwest passage, 19401942 and 1944, by henry larsen.
Henry larsen is the author of the northwest passage, 19401942 and 1944. Larsen was born on a small island, herfol, south of fredrikstad in norway. Larsen who had now obtained the rank of sergeant was ordered to leave from vancouver with supplies for eighteen months, to visit the northern outposts. Larsen immigrated to canada, and became a british subject in 1927 canadian citizen in 1947. Im in my pjs and dads wearing the robe mom made him a zillion christmases ago. The literature is comprised of books and pamphlet histories of. After three winters in the ice, roald amundsen in 1906 was the first explorer to navigate the northwest passage. The promise of a trade route connecting the atlantic and pacific oceans was an irresistible beacon for nations, which sought proof of a way through, and for.
The northwest passage is a sea corridor through canadas arctic archipelago and along the northern coast of north america. Inspector henry larsen aboard the rcmp patrol vessel, st roch, nwt, nd, circa 1944 courtesy library and archives canadac70771. This volume reproduces three important documents offering diverse perspectives on the wartime voyages. Northwest passage commemorative coffee table book added to exclusively crystal collection, benefitting arctic inuit communities as crystals second arctic transit embarks, travelers can. Though neither passage was found, his attempts contributed. The northwest passage 19401942 and 1944 the famous. The northwest passage, 19401942 and 1944 by sergeant. Entering service in 1988, henry larsen is the fourth ship and of an improved design over the rest of the ships in her class. He said the coast guard ship henry larsen was nearby. Rcm police st roch completes first westtoeast northwest. A cruise ship exploring the northwest passage in the arctic also ran aground last week when it hit a rock that wasnt on the map.
Scenes from this video were used in tvos 2014 the polar sea tv series. Henry larsen, not john franklin, is true canadas arctic hero. Canadian sovereignty and the environment in the northwest passage are at risk 15. Larsen by susin nielsen, page 34 now dad and i are both in the living room, watching tv. Henry asbjorn larsen september 30, 1899 october 29, 1964 was a canadian arctic explorer. The captain was henry larsen and the ship was the st. The adventurous voyage tells the story of the rcmp schooners famous transits through the northwest passages during the second world war. Shortly before his death about three years ago he wrote a book called fifty years below zero. The first ship to traverse the northwest passage from west to east 194042, it was the first to make the passage in both directions 1944.
Roch was the first vessel to traverse the northwest passage from west to east 19401942, the first to complete the passage in one season 1944 and the first to circumnavigate north america. The institute holds many archival collections which deal with the search for a northwest passage during the nineteenth century. In 1609, the merchants of the dutch east india company hired english explorer henry hudson to find the northwest passage from the atlantic to the pacific. Vorland, who last year entered an exclusive club of maritime explorers to successfully lead a vessel through the northwest passage, and joined norwegianborn sailors roald amundsen and henry larsen on achieving the professional milestone. Born in fredikstad, norway, larsen took out canadian citizenship in 1927 and in 1928 he enlisted in the royal canadian mounted police. Northwest passage now ice free and easier to traverse.
Find the perfect northwest passage film stock photo. The route was nearly the same as roald amundsens 1903 coasthugging. Roch, by henry larsen, is a mass market paperback, published by commissioner rcmp 1969. Henry larsen, not john franklin, is true canadas arctic. At the age of 15 he went to sea aboard a squarerigger and later served his compulsory two years with the norwegian navy. As a youth, he read the books of his national heroes nansen. By dean hadley on october 11, 1942, the rcmp ship st. Northwest passage commemorative coffee table book added to. There are numerous used copies online worldwide for just a few dollars. John m bassett biography of the second man to sail the northwest passage, and the first to conquer the more northerly deepwater route in the rcmp patrol boat st. Roch patrolled the canadian arctic coast, often wintering in the north.
After graduating from nautical school in oslo and serving in the norwegian navy and merchant navy, he emigrated to canada in 1923, later becoming a naturalized canadian in 1928. Henry asbjorn larsen was born on 30 september 1899 in fredrikstad, norway. The northwest passage is a sea corridor connecting the atlantic and pacific oceans through canadas arctic archipelago. Henry larsen, born in norway in 1899, set about building a career path to realize his dream to sail the northwest passage. European explorers searched in vain for the passage for 300 years, intent on finding a commercially viable western sea route between europe and asia. The famous voyages of the royal canadian mounted police schooner st. Roch and its captain henry larsen were the first to travel the northwest passage from west to east and the first to do it in a single season.
Canadian explorer henry larsen was the first to transit the northwest passage from west to east. Bellot strait, the northwest passage too often, we tend to talk about the. United nations convention on the law of the sea unclos 17. Seeking the northwest passage in the footsteps of explorers northwest. Google books downloader ipad the north west passage 1940 1942 and 1944 the famous voyages of the royal canadian mounted police buy the northwest passage, 19401942 and 1944. Larsen, henry henry asbjorn 18991964 date of first publication. November december 2012 by gerard kenney in memory of albert frenchy chartrand this year, 2012, canadians celebrate the seventieth anniversary of a canadian ship sailing through the northwest passage in the westtoeast direction for the first time ever. In 1942, after two winters in the ice, staffsergeant henry larsen of the royal canadian mounted police guided his ship, the st. Roch for various voyages including the 1950 voyage that circumnavigated north america. In 1942, following his first epic voyage through the northwest passage, larsen was promoted again to staff sergeant, and later to inspector. Roch through the northwest passage, the first to accomplish the feat from west to east courtesy maritime museum, vancouver. Norwegianborn superintendent henry larsen of the royal canadian mounted police was the first man to navigate the northwest passage in both directions. The vessel circumnavigated north america in 1944 making an east to west transit of northwest passage.
Henry larsen author of the northwest passage, 19401942. He was mate to christian klengenberg in the arctic 1924 in the old maid. This journey was the second ship crossing of the northwest passage and the first from west to. Northwest passage commemorative coffee table book added to exclusively crystal collection, benefitting arctic inuit communities as crystals second arctic transit embarks, travelers can swoon. The ship operates in the arctic ocean during summer months. Roch and its trips through the northwest passage taken from the accounts from henry larsen, the boats captain see pictures of him and the. Henry larsen frcgs 18991964 vancouver by george kourounis rcgs explorerinresidence perhaps no part of canadas far north has had such a pull on explorers as the northwest passage. The institute also holds archival collections for roald amundsen who made the first successful complete transit of the passage in 1906. The navigator henry larsen, who made the second and third full. This journey was the second ship crossing of the northwest passage and the first from west to east. The northwest passage, 19401942 and 1944 the famous. While the arctic may seem a wasteland to some, to henry larsen it beckoned as a. Henry larson, arrived in halifax after completing the first westtoeast crossing of the northwest passage.
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