Breaking News! Redux

I had gotten this comment five years ago from Norm Gervais and I had posted it on the blog.

This is the original post…

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Mon père Jacques Gervais peut-être nommé comme James Gervais était je crois CPO lors de l’attaque. Il a dit très peu de choses lorsque il vivait au sujet de l’événement. Il doit sûrement sa vie au fait qu’il a été très sérieusement blessé et que à cause de ses blessure il a été placé dans un canot de sauvetage. Il paraitrait que plusieurs des marins non blessés ont dû s’accrocher au radeau parce qu’il n’y avait pas de place dans le canot. Certains de ceux-ci auraient été attaqué par des requins alors que d’autres seraient décédés à cause de l’eau froide. Mon père a été un de ceux qui n’a pas été fait prisonnier mais secouru par HMCS HAIDA.

Translation

My father Jacques Gervais, maybe going by the name James Gervais was I believe CPO (Chief Petty Officer) during the attack. He said very little about the event when he was living. He surely owed his life by the fact that he was very seriously injured, and because of this was put aboard a lifeboat. It would seem that several uninjured sailors had stayed in the water, and had to hold on to the lifeboat because there was not enough place. Some of them would have been attacked by sharks  while others died of hypothermia. My father was one of those not taken prisoner but rescued by HMCS HAIDA.

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The name James Gervais or Jacques Gervais is not on the list found in the book Unlucky Lady.

This is the second time someone has written me about the list being incomplete.

The first time was in 2012 and I wrote about it.

Click here.

Norm wrote me a second time and he told me he thinks his father was working in the engine room… just like my wife’s uncle.

I got thinking…

Could Norm’s father be on these pictures taken early April 1944?

To be continued…?

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Norm phoned me this afternoon and we should be meeting very soon. He is going to bring his father’s photos for me to scan.

To be continued…

Who remembers William Wallace Seymour?

Message from a reader

I am the oldest son of Wallace Edgar Seymour. He was a Chief Petty Officer Telegrapher aboard the RCN Destroyer Escort Athabaskan, on convoy patrol in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Second World War.

Fondly known as “Leggy”, I am told because of his height. My father was on leave when the Athabaskan was torpedoed by the Germans in the English Channel.

Lucky for me, as I was born in March, 1942. If you, or your readers have any anecdotes, or stories about my father, his children would be very grateful.

Sincerely,

William Wallace Seymour

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You can leave a comment to contribute.

Message from Holland to Jane

Bussum – Holland 19th August 2019

Hello Jane, I have about finished the family-tree Sulkers in honour of your father and published it on internet a couple of days ago., my best friend ever ! As you may remember your father and I searched for the grave of his aunt Adriana and visited Canadian wargraves. We met in Holland several times, the last time being the moment (august 2003) when finally I found the grave of Adriana in 2003. You may see the tree via the following link:

https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom-sulkers/I1.php.

I would love to come into contact with you and brother Neil as I am planning to visit the grave of father Herm in due time.

Kindest regards,

Roelf Schrik – Bussum – Holland

Fund Raising

Karl Kjarsgaard – Curator – Bomber Command Museum and Halifax 57 Rescue sent me this link.

Support the Recovery of a RCAF Halifax Bomber.

Click below…

https://fundrazr.com/417498?ref=ab_15ZpC7_ab_7vgoUHInpy47vgoUHInpy4

A comment on a post

Last night I got this comment made on a post I wrote on August 28, 2009.

My husband’s Uncle was William Donald McCrindle. He is one of the missing men from that fatal night. We are going to France next week and making our way to Roscoff, Isle de Batz and area by end of month. He will be the first of his family to go to Donald’s final resting place. Donald was very close to my husband’s mother and his last letter was to her. Overwhelming to finally have family go.

I was just starting to write about something I had never heard about. What made me write about the sinking of the Unlucky Lady was something my wife’s uncle told us at a family reunion in July 2009.

I just got curious…

Click here…

Excerpt

MCCRINDLE, William Donald, AB, V-1854, RCNVR, MPK – 29 Apr 1944 – MISSING: AB William Donald McCrindle, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.J. McCrindle, Nipawin, was reported missing after the sinking of the Athabaskan in a channel engagement last week. He was born at Codette, Sask., educated at Pontrilas, and enlisted in the navy at Saskatoon in 1942. About six months ago he was posted to the Athabaskan. Besides the parents there is a brother, Barry, at home; two sisters, Cora, at home, and Mrs. J. Clarke, at Choiceland, Sask. (The Regina Leader-Post 08 May 1944)

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This is Post 1339 on Lest We Forget.

HMCS Athabaskan revisited

Updated 17 August 2020

Comment from Sandra

Hello!
In reference to the second pow photo with no names or numbers to identify any of these brave men.
Second from left , standing is Stanley Dick, from Toronto my uncle.

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At first this blog was about a Canadian destroyer I had never heard about.

Then it was about how some sailors were rescued when the ship was torpedoed and a few were rescued by HMCS Haida.

In July 2009, my wife’s uncle said in a family reunion that he was among them.

That’s almost all he said about his ordeal adding he was a stoker.

Then relatives of sailors who were aboard HMCS Athabaskan on that faithful night started to contact me. Some were the sons of sailors taken prisoners, and they had photos to share.

One relative was Jim L’Esperance’s son who has shared all he had about his father. He had these two pictures of the sailors who were taken prisoners.

It will be hard to identify who is who until more people find this blog except for Gérard Tourangeau (6) and Jim L’Esperance (1).

To be continued later after I approve this comment…

The Mystery of AB William Dearl Trickett, Stoker (1st Class), HMCS Athabaskan G07

I thought you might be interested in a little project I’m working on especially in the light of the 75th anniversary of the sinking of G07 next year on Apr 29, 2019. Also, I’m trying to track down more information on my Great Uncle and the possible whereabouts of his missing Wartime Logbook.

RCAF 404 Squadron

Something I wrote a long time ago and wished a relative would contact me…

https://wp.me/pCDNR-2gu

HMCS Louisburg – Update

Update on a post written in 2009…

This comment:

My name is Ian D. MacDonald.

My Uncle was Leading Seaman Donald M. MacDonald, who survived the sinking of the H.M.C.S. Louisburg, but later died on February 8th 1943, from injuries. My mother, sister, and I met with O/S William Quinsey, and his family before his passing, as my uncle had saved Mr. Quinsey from drowning. My uncle Donnie was an avid swimmer. I have a copy of the book as my mother bought several copies to pass on to family members. I’m not sure if she has any left but I will inquire.
Respectfully submitted,
I.D. MacDonald.
Nov 11, 2017.

ORIGINAL POST

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I had received this comment on my blog Souvenirs de guerre…

Someone had written this comment:

My father, who survived the sinking of HCMS Louisbourg in the Mediterrean in 1943, did not have very happy memories of the contemptuous and injust way Quebec sailors were treated on their ships and even after the war.

My father sustained an injury to his backbone, and his lungs were affected by toxic fumes caused by the fire on board the ship. This French-Canadian who was decorated never received a war veteran pension and we had to live in poverty until we settled in Sept-Îles during the industrial and housing boom of the town.

My father was even sent to the brig in Gibraltar because he defended himself against a Canadian who was constantly insulting him and other francophone crew members!!!

My father died in 1973.

This person never wrote back.

I went on sailing on Google and found a lot of pictures.

Here are a few…

HCMS Louisburg…

This how it was called, HMCS Louisburg and not Louisbourg.

Here is a painting I also caught in a net on the Net…

This is a list of sailors who died.

Flower Class Corvette
Builder: Morton Engineering and Dry Dock, Quebec City PQ
Commissioned: 2 Oct 1941
Fate: Torpedoed off Oran 6 Feb 1943
Casualties: 2 officers, 35 ratings, 5 RN

The Casualty Roll

AB	ALDRED	L.	V 22924	RCNVR	ONT,TORONTO
STO 1	ANDERSON	A.F.	V 14692	RCNVR	BC,VANCOUVER
L/SIG	ANDERSON	C.F.	V 8276	RCNVR	ONT,HAMILTON
OS	ANNABLE	G.C.	V 33367	RCNVR	QUE,MONTREAL
AB	BANKS	M.A.	A 4891	RCNR	BC,VANCOUVER
AB	BENJAMIN	S.	V 2320	RCNVR	NB,ST JOHN
AB	BETTESS	E.	V 24438	RCNVR	MAN,WINNIPEG
L/CDR	CAMPBELL	W.F.	O 11898	RCNVR	SASK,SASKATOON
STO 1	COURNOYER	R.	V 4453	RCNVR	QUE,MONTREAL
ERA 4	FORREST	G.A.C.	V 33125	RCNVR	QUE,MONTREAL
ERA 4	GARDEN	R.V.	V 25691	RCNVR	NS,ENFIELD
OS	GAUVIN	J.M.R.	V 35564	RCNVR	QUE,MONTREAL
TEL	GILBERT	W.M.	V 13821	RCNVR	ALTA,CALGARY
AB	GRAVES	C.S.	A 1369	RCNR	NS,NEW GLASGOW
AB	GRIFFIN	E.F.	V 22559	RCNVR	ONT,TORONTO
AB	HALL	J.	V 18600	RCNVR	ONT,BELLEVILLE
AB	LEWIS	W.E.	V 1595	RCNVR	PEI,ALBERTON
STO 1	MacGREGOR	D.	V 19596	RCNVR	ONT,WINDSOR
SIG	MacLEOD	G.I.	V 319	RCNVR	NS,SYDNEY
STO 1	MacPHAIL	S.J.	V 456	RCNVR	NS,PICTOU
CODER	MacPHAIL	J.A.	V 1588	RCNVR	PEI,QUEENS CO
AB	McCLELLAN	J.F.	4612	RCN	SASK,MOOSE JAW
LS	MacDONALD	D.M.	V 6251	RCNVR	ONT,OTTAWA
AB	McDONALD	R.J.	V 11491	RCNVR	SASK,SASKATOON
CERA	McNEILL	D.	V 23718	RCNVR	QUE,VERDUN
CODER	MERRYWEATHER	H.	V 12751	RCNVR	ALTA,EDMONTON
OS	MORIN	J.G.E.V.	V 3985	RCNVR	QUE,LEVIS
O/TEL	NINIAN	T.M.	V 13776	RCNVR	ALTA,CALGARY
SIG	PATERSON	R.L.	V 24617	RCNVR	MAN,WINNIPEG
STO 2	RICE	S.N.	V 31943	RCNVR	ONT,TORONTO
TEL	ROBINSON	E.	V 22987	RCNVR	ONT,TORONTO
PO TEL	SMITH	A.J.	V 9368	RCNVR	MAN,WINNIPEG
L/S	STEVENSON	J.C.R.	V 5282	RCNVR	NS,HALIFAX
AB	TANNER	J.A.	V 22913	RCNVR	ONT,SAULT STE MARIE
AB	VIKSTROM	J.R.	V 33099	RCNVR	QUE,MONTREAL
STO	WATSON	N.R.	V 9654	RCNVR	MAN,WINNIPEG
LT	WILSON	E.	O 78775	RCNR	ONT,OTTAWA

The HCMS Louisbourg was part of the Flower class.

HCMS Levis

It was built by Morton Engineering and Dry Dock, in Québec. It was commissioned on October 2, 1941.
The Louisbourg was torpedoed off the coast of Oran on February 6, 1943.

Breaking News!

I got this comment last week from Norm Gervais, but I did not have time to post something on the blog.

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Mon père Jacques Gervais peut-être nommé comme James Gervais était je crois CPO lors de l’attaque. Il a dit très peu de choses lorsque il vivait au sujet de l’événement. Il doit sûrement sa vie au fait qu’il a été très sérieusement blessé et que à cause de ses blessure il a été placé dans un canot de sauvetage. Il paraitrait que plusieurs des marins non blessés ont dû s’accrocher au radeau parce qu’il n’y avait pas de place dans le canot. Certains de ceux-ci auraient été attaqué par des requins alors que d’autres seraient décédés à cause de l’eau froide. Mon père a été un de ceux qui n’a pas été fait prisonnier mais secouru par HMCS HAIDA.

Translation

My father Jacques Gervais, maybe going by the name James Gervais was I believe CPO (Chief Petty Officer) during the attack. He said very little about the event when he was living. He surely owed his life by the fact that he was very seriously injured, and because of this was put aboard a lifeboat. It would seem that several uninjured sailors had stayed in the water, and had to hold on to the lifeboat because there was not enough place. Some of them would have been attacked by sharks  while others died of hypothermia. My father was one of those not taken prisoner but rescued by HMCS HAIDA.

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The name James Gervais or Jacques Gervais is not on the list found in the book Unlucky Lady.

This is the second time someone has written me about the list being incomplete.

The first time was in 2012 and I wrote about it.

Click here.

Norm wrote me a second time and he told me he thinks his father was working in the engine room… just like my wife’s uncle.

I got thinking…

Could Norm’s father be on these pictures taken early April 1944?

To be continued?

Remembering a comment

A comment left earlier in April…

My Great Uncle Alfred (George) Berkeley is listed in the names of the lost. George was killed while at his station at the Y gun he was 19. The first torpedo hit. George was new to the ship, so there are no pictures of him on board. I have uploaded a picture of George on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial. The HMCS Athabaskan was sunk while engaging German Ebling class torpedo boats that had attacked and killed over 1000 CDN/US and British service men, while on maneuvers called operation TIGER practicing for D-DAY off the coast of England. I had also met many survivors here in BC in the late 80 and early 90’s. they all had very different memories and trauma. I also have a personal letter from Len Burrow the author of the Unlucky Lady. What a great generation.

LEST WE FORGET

Link to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2557483?Alfred%20George%20Berkeley

I wrote this earlier in April. I had asked his relative to look for great-uncle George on these two photos shared by Herman Sulkers’ son.

I know it’s not easy to find one of the greatest generation.