Honours and Awards

Issued to Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Members

PORTEOUS, William Walter

Officer - Order of the British Empire

PORTEOUS, William Walter, Captain (E), RCN, Director of Engineering

Issued: 5-Jan-1946, Canada Gazette

"Under the direction of this Officer, the Engineering Department of the Royal Canadian Navy has increased from approximately 47 officers and 1,500 ratings to 1,000 officers and 20,000 ratings. During the time of rapid expansion, tremendous difficulties had to be overcome, since the vast majority of both officers and men had to be trained to become efficient engineers in a very short time. Captain Porteous has shown outstanding zeal and resourcefulness in making use of every available facility throughout Canada for this purpose, and it is largely due to his leadership and ability that the engineering branch of the Royal Canadian Navy has arrived at it present high state of efficiency."