Yorke Island lies approximately 150 miles northwest of Vancouver in Johnstone Strait. In September 1937, the Department of National Defence reserved the right to use the island for military purposes. By the end of the year, construction of the fort was underway. The Department of National Defence, however, paid little attention to the fort in the year leading up to the Second World War, their efforts being concentrated on the East Coast where there was a greater threat of German attack- At this time, the 5th Heavy Battery at Esquimalt provided security and maintenance to the newly constructed fort.
The 85th Heavy Battery war diaries tell the story of the occupation of the island starting August 26th, 1939.

The following pages are provided as a resource for the Yorke Island story.

Yorke Page 1 - Aerial Views
Yorke Page 2 - Guns
Yorke Page 3 - Observation Post
Yorke Page 4 - Searchlights
Yorke Page 5 - Wharf
Yorke Page 6 - Boats
Yorke Page 7 - Equipment
Yorke Page 8- Buildings
Yorke Page 9 - Maps
Yorke Page 10 - Airplanes
Yorke Page 11 - Group Photos
Yorke Page 12 - Photos of Individuals
​Yorke Page 13 - Orville Fisher
Yorke Page 14 - War Diaries

Other Yorke Island pages:
Bdr Blackburn 1942
Yorke island August 1981
Yorke Island 1996
Yorke Island June 2009
Yorke Island 2010 Canadian Ranger Patrol
Yorke Island 2010 Western Command
Yorke Island 2010 Catherine Gilbert visit
Yorke Island 2010 70th Anniversary
Yorke Island 2011 Spring Cleanup
​Yorke Island 2014 Western Command
​Yorke Island September 2014 75th Anniversary 
​Yorke Island August 2016 A 
Yorke Island August 2016 B
​Yorke Island December 2016
Yorke Island October 2017 
​Yorke Island April 2021
​Yorke July 2021
​Yorke Island - LUSAR Ex 2021​

Yorke Island Project
Project Page
Drawings
​​Tools

Info Sheet - Gun emplacement #1
Info Sheet - Gun emplacement #2