A case in point is the February 1942 secret visit of the R.M.S. Queen Elizabeth passenger liner to Victoria. The pride of the Cunard Line was scheduled for a major refit at the Esquimalt Graving Dock. Because of the possible threat from enemy saboteurs the 85,000-ton liner was dubbed the S.S. Fall and the Navy imposed strict security. Even though the vessel was clearly visible on its approach to Esquimalt Harbour for the 12 days of the refit and over 2,000 men worked on the vessel, no newspaper or radio broadcast made any mention of the frenzied activity to convert the Queen to a 15,000-person troop carrier. But the activity was soon general knowledge, particularly among Tom Quayle's students from the Vic High metalworking shops. Manpower was in short supply and 'the powers that be' requested the services of: “...60 specifically picked high school boys...”, to clean the Queen's boilers. At the appointed hour, under guidance from Tom and four lead hands, the boys were taken to the engine room and spent the day cleaning the accumulated coal soot from the boilers and other vital surfaces.

After completing the assignment the boys were returned to the school and allowed to go home to clean up after a dirty, but necessary, job. The Queen was then on her way to spend the balance of WW II transporting troops from North America to Europe.