Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 61 continued ... The first woman to command a ship in the British Commonwealth, she was captain of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Conestoga in Galt, Ont., during the Second World War. She was also the only woman outside the British Royal Family to rate being piped aboard a warship, an honour usually reserved for flag officers or special guests. But although MacNeill commanded a ship, she was a long way from the sea. Conestoga was a “stone frigate”, which in naval terms refers to a commissioned shore establishment of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) with the HMCS designation. It was established in the fall of 1942 to train members of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS), commonly known as Wrens. Intended to provide an introduction to military life, courses included physical training and drills, as well as instruction in naval customs and traditions. Born in Halifax in 1908, MacNeill was educated at the Halifax Ladies’ College, Mount Saint Vincent Academy, the Nova Scotia College of Art and the Heatherley School of Art, London, England. From the beginning of the Second World War, she was associated with volunteer work, and when the naval service in Canada was opened to women in August 1942, she immediately joined up. One of the first class of Wrens, she trained initially in Ottawa, was commissioned as an officer, graduated from the first course at Conestoga, and was appointed commanding officer the following year. Lieutenant-Commander Isabel MacNeill Born 4 June 1908 Halifax, NS Died 18 Aug 1990 in Mill Village, NS
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