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Distributed for University of British Columbia Press

Betrayed

Scandal, Politics, and Canadian Naval Leadership

In January 1944, Vice Admiral Percy Walker Nelles was fired from his position as head of the Royal Canadian Navy. Betrayed reveals the true story behind the dismissal: a divisive power struggle between two elite groups within the RCN pitted the navy’s regular officers against a small group of self-appointed spokesmen for the voluntary naval reserve. Threats of public scandal, mass insurrection, and political intimidation caused one of the worst breakdowns ever in Canadian civil-military relations. This fascinating investigation into the machinations of a divided navy tackles important questions of military professionalism, leadership, and identity.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Game and Its Players

1 Confused Seas

2 Equal Privileges for Greater Sacrifices

3 The Strange Interpretation

4 Trying to Keep Afloat

5 Informers, Collaborators, and Promise Breakers

6 A Loaded Investigation

7 Covering Up the Conspiracy

Afterword: Game’s End and the Final Score 

Appendices

Notes

Bibliography

Index

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