'' Lady Evelyn '' was one of a number of Canadian government ships taken over by the Royal Canadian Navy during the First World War . Commissioned in June 1917 , she spent her career on the East Coast . The ship 's ability as a patrol vessel was limited by her 9-knot maximum speed . However , the ship was still assigned to seaward patrols against German U-boats , even though the ship was not capable of operating in heavy seas . At the time of the December 1917 Halifax Explosion , '' Lady Evelyn '' was patrolling off the harbour 's approaches . On 18 August 1918 '' Lady Evelyn '' dropped depth charges on a possible submarine contact after spotting a periscope . As attacks on shipping in Canadian waters increased , '' Lady Evelyn '' was used to escort convoys . Following the war , the ship was decommissioned in 1919
Halifax Explosion
Halifax Explosion
HMCS Lady Evelyn