HMCS Somers Isles to do during the war once activated. By May 1945, 119 Canadian ships had passed through the facility. Towards the end of the war, the base was used to prepare frigates for service in the Pacific theatre. The RCN abandoned HMCS "Somers Isles" at the end of the war, one of eleven facilities that was disbanded by March 1946. Prior to closure, the RCN had intended to keep four motor launches at "Somers Isles" for target practice, but this idea was abandoned when the base was shuttered and the motor launches were deemed obsolete. HMCS Somers Isles HMCS "Somers Isles"
Slate Islands Slate Islands The Slate Islands are an island group in the Inner Hebrides, lying immediately off the west coast of Scotland, north of Jura and southwest of Oban. The main islands are Seil, Easdale, Luing, Lunga, Shuna, Torsa and Belnahua. Scarba and Kerrera which lie nearby, are not usually included. The underlying geology of the islands is Dalradian slate, which was quarried widely until the mid-twentieth century. Quarry working began in 1630 and at the turn of the 20th century, the quarries were yielding some eight million slates every year. Eilean-a-beithich ("island of the birches") was once one of the