Larsen, Henry Asbjorn, 1899-1964

Henry Asbjorn Larsen was born on 30 September 1899 in Fredrikstad, Norway. After graduating from nautical school in Oslo and serving in the Norwegian Navy and Merchant Navy, he emigrated to Canada in 1923, later becoming a naturalized Canadian in 1928. After making two voyages to the Arctic as mate and navigator in the Maid of Orleans, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1928. Shortly afterwards, he was appointed to the newly commissioned patrol vessel St. Roch, commanding all her voyages until 1949 when he was appointed officer commanding northern G division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. During his command, St. Roch made the first west to east voyage through the Northwest Passage from Vancouver to Halifax between 23 June 1940 and 11 October 1942. Two years later, he made the return voyage. He was awarded the Polar Medal and the Patron's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in recognition of his achievements and was the first recipient of the Massey Medal of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in 1959. Retiring from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with the rank of superintendent in 1961, he died on 29 October 1964 in Vancouver, Canada.