Rifleman Henry Andrew “Harry” Surette—Killed in Action December 25, 1941

Henry Andrew “Harry” Surette was born at Round Hill, Annapolis County, on June 2, 1908. Harry’s father Nicholas was a native of Surette’s Island, Yarmouth County, while his mother, Mary J. Saulnier, was born at nearby Tusket. At the time the 1911 Canadian census, the family was residing in the town of Yarmouth, where Harry is listed as the second youngest of the couple’s six sons. Two more boys joined the household prior to the outbreak of the First World War.

Rifleman Henry Andrew "Harry" Surette

 The Surette family experienced a crisis in 1915, although its exact nature remains a mystery. While the 1921 census lists Nicholas as a widower, there is no formal record of Mary’s passing and subsequent military documents indicate that she was alive as late as 1917. Whatever the circumstances, in 1915 Harry was placed in the Home for Delinquent and Neglected Children, Halifax, where superintendent Ernest Blois became his legal guardian. Before year’s end, Harry was adopted by John Samuel and Nancy Jane (Keizer) Taylor, Port Bickerton.

During the First World War, several members of Harry’s family enlisted for military service. Louis John, his oldest brother, joined the 25th Battalion at Halifax on November 12, 1914. He crossed the English Channel to France with the unit in September 1915 and served in Belgium’s Ypres Salient for almost one year. Louis saw combat at the Somme in September and October 1916, and was wounded above his right eye at Vimy Ridge, France, on April 9, 1917. He was invalided to England shortly afterward, and subsequent health issues prevented his return to the front. According to his service file, Louis married while overseas and returned to Canada in the spring of 1919.

Peter Kenneth, the second-oldest of the Surette boys, enlisted with a local militia unit and officially became a part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force as an “active militiaman on duty” on June 22, 1918. He formally attested with the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery at Halifax on November 8, 1918, having logged almost two years of service with the unit. Discharged at Halifax on June 16, 1919, Peter returned to the Yarmouth area, where he married Mary Jane Surette on June 16, 1919.

Douglas Charles, the fourth of Nicholas and Mary’s sons, attested with the 256th Battalion (Canadian Railway Troops) at Yarmouth on January 22, 1917. At the time, the 17-year-old exaggerated his age by two years. When officials discovered the deception, Douglas was discharged at Yarmouth on March 31, 1917.

Perhaps the most surprising enlistment was Harry’s father Nicholas, who joined the 256th Battalion three days after his son Douglas’s enlistment. Although 44 years old at the time, Nicholas managed to pass the required medical examination and departed for overseas on March 28, 1917. Following the unit’s arrival in the United Kingdom, it was re-designated the 10th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops (10th CRT). While Nicholas was treated for arteriosclerosis in England, he was deemed fit for service at the front and proceeded to France with 10th CRT in mid-June 1917.

Before month’s end, the unit made its way to Koksijde, Belgium, where it commenced work on rail lines in the area, amidst intermittent German artillery fire. On July 20, 1917, Nicholas suffered a fractured rib and a shrapnel wound to his back when an artillery shell exploded near his work party. The injuries proved to be minor and he returned to duty in mid-August.

Nicholas served at the front without incident for the remainder of the war and returned to England with 10th CRT on February 1, 1919. He departed for Canada in mid-April and was discharged at Halifax on May 1, 1919. The 1921 Canadian census lists Nicholas as a “widower,” residing at Yarmouth with his son Douglas and 22-year-old Susie Hayes, a “female servant.” No other individuals are present in the household. Douglas later died of pulmonary tuberculosis at Wedgeport, Yarmouth County, on December 6, 1936, while Nicholas passed away from the same illness at Yarmouth on February 14, 1939.

According to the 1921 Canadian census, 14-year-old Harry Surette was residing at Port Bickerton, the “adopted son” of John and Nancy Taylor. He remained in the community into adulthood, earning a living in the local mines and inshore fishery. On June 20, 1934, Harry married Dola Marie Josey, a resident of Spry Harbour, Halifax County, in a ceremony held at Holy Trinity Church, Tangier.

Harry and Dola established residence at Goldboro, where three boys soon joined the family—Victor Austen (DOB June 10, 1935), Henry Frederick “Fred” (DOB June 30,1936) and Percy Samuel (DOB May 24, 1938). Nine months after the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe, Harry enlisted with the West Nova Scotia Regiment at Camp Aldershot, near Kentville, NS, on June 10, 1940. He listed his occupation as “gold miner” and identified his wife Dola as his next of kin.

Within one week of his attestation, Harry was transferred to the Infantry Training Centre, Camp Aldershot, where he was assigned to Company “A.” While he received brief furloughs in July and August, there is no indication that he travelled to Goldboro. Subsequent events, however, suggest that there may have been ample reason to do so.

On September 1, Dola passed away at St. Martha’s Hospital, Antigonish, the cause of death identified as pulmonary tuberculosis. According to her death certificate, Dola had been under medical care since early May 1940. On the day of her passing, Harry received a six-day furlough that was later extended by four days. Presumably, the leave allowed him to travel home, make final arrangements for his late wife, and arrange care for his three sons. Dola was laid to rest in Hillside Cemetery, Port Bickerton, and Harry returned to Camp Aldershot, where he resumed military training.

Harry and his three sons (date and location unknown)

On November 28, 1940, Harry was transferred to the Royal Rifles of Canada (RRC), which was training at Sussex Camp, NB, at the time. Upon assuming in camp, he was assigned to the unit’s “D” Company. Harry’s new unit was one of Canada’s oldest, tracing its roots to 1862, when the 8th Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles was established at Quebec, QC. As a “rifle regiment,” its soldiers received the rank of “Rifleman” upon enlistment. Officially re-named the Royal Rifles of Canada on March 29, 1920, the regiment was called out for service on August 26, 1939, and placed on active duty at the first of the following month.

Shortly after Harry’s transfer, the RRC departed for Botwood, a small town in north-central Newfoundland. While the island was still a British colony at the time of the war’s outbreak, Canada assumed responsibility for its defence in September 1939. In subsequent months, Canadian infantry, artillery, air force and navy personnel were deployed at strategic locations across the island and along the Labrador coast.

Botwood is located on the shores of Bay of Exploits, a deep natural harbour, and an airfield had been constructed near the town in 1920. In the late 1930s, Pan American and the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) made the airfield a regular stop on their trans-Atlantic flights. Following the outbreak of war, Botwood became an RCAF patrol and bombing seaplane base that housed two squadrons of PBY Canso flying boats, equipped with torpedoes and depth charges.

Canadian infantry units established a garrison in the town, constructing a barracks, water system and full-scale military hospital. The soldiers were deployed at two gun batteries that defended the harbour’s entrance, and manned several anti-aircraft batteries located throughout the community. Approximately 10,000 Canadian and British personnel were stationed at Botwood during the war.

While serving at Botwood, Harry met Marie Esther Noseworthy, a native of St. Johns, NL. With the permission of his commanding officers, Harry and Esther were married on June 4, 1941. Their time together, however, was short-lived. On August 18, the Royal Rifles departed Newfoundland and returned to Canada. Sometime afterward, Esther made her way to Port Bickerton, where she assumed responsibility for Harry’s three boys.

Harry and his second wife Esther

Meanwhile, the Royal Rifles prepared for a second garrison assignment in a distant part of the British Empire—Hong Kong. On October 27, 1941, having made its way by train to the west coast of Canada, the unit departed for the British territory aboard the Awatea, accompanied by the Winnipeg Grenadiers. Altogether, approximately 2,000 soldiers were crammed aboard the vessel. HMCS Prince Rupert escorted the Canadian battalions to their destination.

Harry (centre) and two unknown companions

As Hong Kong was considered a safe deployment, the two infantry units had received only minimal training. At that time, Allied forces did not anticipate any Japanese aggression in the Pacific region. Rather, military authorities expected the soldiers to carry out routine garrison duties in the British territory and assessed the likelihood of combat as extremely low.

The Awatea arrived in Hong Kong on November 16, at which time the two Canadian units co-ordinated with a third British battalion in establishing defensive positions throughout the territory. The Royal Rifles and Grenadiers were assigned to Hong Kong island, where they focused on defending its southern coastline from invasion. The soldiers engaged in intensive training and familiarized themselves with the local geography, information that later proved valuable.

Altogether, a total force of 14,000 military personnel—Canadian, British, Hong Kong and Singapore—faced the challenge of defending the territory, should it come under attack. Indian and Chinese soldiers comprised approximately 35 % of the entire force. The territory, however, lacked significant aerial and naval defences, relying almost entirely on the infantry units for its security.

The situation in Hong Kong changed dramatically in the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, when Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on the American military base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. That same day, as Japan entered the war on the side of Axis Powers Germany and Italy, its forces commenced a series of attacks on British and American territories and military bases in the Asia-Pacific region.

Hong Kong was high on the list of Japanese targets. As soon as news of the Pearl Harbour attack reached the British territory, the entire garrison was ordered to assume battle stations. The two Canadian units immediately left their barracks on Hong Kong island and were in position along its southern shores before day’s end.

The anticipated attack commenced at 8:00 am December 8, when Japanese forces damaged or destroyed the few British Royal Air Force planes on the ground at Kai Tak Airport. Later that morning, Japanese ground forces moved across the northern border on the Hong Kong mainland and engaged British forces. By the following day, the invaders had captured a strategic area of high ground along the northwest section of the territory’s mainland border.

In an attempt to strengthen the British line of defence, military commanders dispatched the Winnipeg Grenadiers’ “D” Company to the mainland on December 10. The following day, the unit made contact with Japanese forces, thus becoming the first Canadian soldiers to engage in combat during the Second World War. However, their efforts alongside their British comrades proved futile and all mainland forces retreated to Hong Kong island on December 12.

The following day, the commander of the invading Japanese forces issued the first of several surrender demands. British military and civilian leaders refused and set about organizing their Hong Kong island forces into two groups. The Royal Rifles of Canada were assigned to the East Brigade, while the Winnipeg unit was attached to the West Brigade. Both units retained responsibility for defending the island’s southern approaches from an amphibious attack.

Shortly afterward, Japanese units launched a heavy artillery and aerial bombardment of the island, systematically destroying defensive structures along its northern shore. While British commanders rejected a second surrender demand on December 17, their circumstances were becoming increasingly grim. It was obvious that there was no hope of relief from outside forces, placing the defenders in an impossible situation.

At midnight December 18, Japanese forces launched four simultaneous amphibious assaults along a three-kilometre stretch of the island’s northern beaches. Once ashore, the invading units fanned out to the east and west. The Royal Rifles’ “C” Company, in reserve at a location close to the landing, counter-attacked during the early morning hours, inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers while suffering heavy losses.

Other RRC platoons entered combat on the western side of Mount Parker, located in the island’s northeastern corner. Their ranks suffered considerable losses from Japanese forces that had established well-entrenched positions along the hilly terrain. By December 20, the invaders reached Repulse Bay on the southern coast, effectively cutting the island in two.

Exhausted, sleep-deprived and lacking sufficient supplies, the remaining Royal Rifles soldiers nevertheless attempted to push northward over rugged terrain, in an effort to dislodge the enemy and establish contact with their West Brigade counterparts. Despite the riflemen’s determined effort, Japanese forces held their ground.

During the evening hours of December 23, the remaining East Brigade forces received orders to retreat to a barracks located on Stanley Peninsula, the island’s southernmost tip, for a rest. Their time out of the line was brief, as Japanese forces continued to press the attack. The remaining Royal Rifles personnel returned to combat the following day, as the situation grew increasingly dim.

By midnight December 24, the Royal Rifles found themselves in a precarious situation, pushed back to the tip of Stanley Peninsula. Despite their hopeless situation, the men fought on along a narrow line near Stanley Village, stretching from the western to the eastern side of the peninsula. With no hope of victory, the unit prepared to resist to the last man.

On the morning of December 25, “D” Company received orders to launch an attack on a concentration of Japanese forces at nearby Stanley Village. The operation commenced at noon, on a hot, sunny day. Despite constant enemy fire, the soldiers managed to reach the designated assembly point and prepared to attack.

Japanese forces held the higher ground, forcing the attacking forces to quickly close on the enemy or suffer heavy casualties. The riflemen fixed their bayonets and charged, yelling loudly as they approached the enemy line. Taken by surprise, Japanese forces were overrun and the Canadians managed to enter several of the houses on the high ground. Fierce fighting soon developed as Japanese reinforcements arrived in the area.

With the support of artillery fire, enemy forces launched a counter-attack on “D” Company’s position. In danger of being cut off from retreat, officers ordered the men to withdraw in small parties. Within minutes, Japanese forces turned the tide of battle, forcing the remaining riflemen to withdraw toward the barracks. In total, “D” Company recorded 16 fatalities and 78 wounded during the attack, which lasted into the early evening hours. A total of 44 able-bodied men and walking wounded made their way back to Stanley Barracks.

Unbeknownst to the Royal Rifles, the fighting had officially ended almost four hours previously. Heavy losses on the western flank, where Japanese units had steadily advanced southward, forced the British Commander, Major-General Christopher Maltby, and the British Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Christopher Young, to officially surrender to Japanese forces at 3:15 December 25, 1941.

The severely outnumbered British and Canadian forces had endured almost 18 days of fighting before succumbing to the invaders, a tribute to their determination, despite their lack of combat training, experience and reinforcements. In the aftermath of the surrender, the Royal Rifles organized working parties to bury their dead comrades. The two Canadian infantry units lost a total of 290 men during the Battle of Hong Kong, while another 493 were wounded. In Harry’s 17th Platoon, 17 men were killed in action, while another 19 were wounded.

The survivors—almost 1,700 soldiers from the Royal Rifles and Winnipeg Grenadiers’ ranks—became prisoners of war, enduring almost four years of interment in Japanese camps under horrendous conditions. More than 200 died in captivity before war’s end. Today, with the benefit of hindsight, we know the names of those who lost their lives in combat during the Battle of Hong Kong and afterward in Japanese POW camps. As news of the territory’s capture spread around the world, however, none of the Canadian soldiers’ relatives knew their loved ones’ fate.

For months, there was no word from Canadian authorities. On December 15, 1942, Harry’s second wife Esther wrote to National Defence Headquarters from Port Bickerton, requesting “any information regarding my husband since the fall of Hong Kong…. It will be one year [on] the 25th of this month since I heard from my husband[,] so you see 12 months have been trying ones for myself and my three little boys.”

On January 8, 1943, the Department of National Defence sent Esther an “Official Canadian Army Overseas Casualty Notification,” informing her that her husband, Rifleman Henry Andrew Surette, RRC, had been killed in action at Hong Kong “between 8th and 25th Dec. 1941.” Five days later, Esther responded that the news of her husband’s death “has left me and his three little children broken-hearted…. I would like to know the date on which my dear husband was killed[,]… if he died instantly or from wounds[,] and how he was buried.”

Unfortunately, Canadian authorities were unable to provide further details on Harry’s death until several months after fighting in the Pacific ceased. On November 21, 1945, an official letter informed Esther that her husband was killed at Hong Kong on December 25, 1941, meaning that his death took place during “D” Company’s heroic final attack on Stanley Village.

Initially laid to rest in Stanley Hospital Cemetery, Harry’s remains were re-interred in Sai Wan Military Cemetery, Hong Kong, on June 16, 1947. Three months later, the Department of National Defence informed Esther of her husband’s reburial. The following spring, authorities forwarded a photograph of Harry’s grave and marker. On April 16, 1948, Esther wrote to the Department of Veterans Affairs, expressing her thanks “for the photographs of my late husband’s grave…. [L]ooking at them brings things fresh in my mind, because he was a dear husband to me and his three dear boys and we miss him terribly…. [W]e will always remember him while ever we live.”

Harry's wooden grave marker

Victor and Fred spent their formative years in the Sherbrooke area of Guysborough County. Victor later relocated to the Halifax area. He never married and passed away at Dykeland Lodge Retirement Home, Windsor, NS, on January 26, 2017. Victor was laid to rest in Hillside Cemetery, Port Bickerton.

Fred moved to Pictou County, where he married Margaret Ross, whose family had immigrated to Nova Scotia from Scotland. The couple settled in Trenton, where they raised a family of two boys. Fred worked for Maritime Tel and Tel for more than three decades and spent his retirement years in the drapery business. He passed away at Aberdeen Hospital, New Glasgow, on December 12, 2018, and was laid to rest in Heatherdale Memorial Gardens, Westville.

Percy remained at Pouch Cove, NL, throughout his entire life. He married and raised a family of five children—two daughters and three sons, one of whom was named after his paternal grandfather Harry. He eventually established contact with his Nova Scotia siblings, particularly Fred, who made regular trips to the island for visits. Percy passed away at the Health Sciences Centre, St. John’s, NL, on May 4, 2014.

Special thanks to Margaret (Mrs. Fred) Surette, Trenton, NS, who provided the photographs displayed in this post and verified the information on the Surette family.

Sergeant (Observer) James Edward "Jimmy" Jamieson—Died in the Line of Duty July 1, 1941

 James Edward “Jimmy” Jamieson was born at Canso, Guysborough County, on August 17, 1913. Jimmy’s mother, Helen “Nellie,” was the daughter of James and Annie “Nan” (Mitchell) Reid, Lossiemouth, Scotland, where Nellie was born. According to Canadian census records, she immigrated to Canada in 1905. Jimmy’s father, Roy Edward, was the son of Edward and Lucinda (Myers) Jamieson, Canso.

Sgt. (Observer) James Edward "Jimmy" Jamieson

Roy and Nellie married at Port Mulgrave, NS, on October 13, 1905. While the couple’s marriage license lists Roy’s occupation as “carpenter,” the Jamieson family had a lengthy history of involvement in the Canso fishery. Roy’s grandfather John was a fisherman, while his father Edward was a master mariner and “wharfinger” (commercial wharf operator).

According to the 1911 Canadian census, Roy and Nellie were residing at Canso, where Roy was employed at a “fish store” and “storage” facility, presumably operated by his father. Sometime after Jimmy’s 1913 birth, the family relocated to North Rustico, PEI, where Roy continued to work in the fish buying and processing business. The couple’s second son, Joseph Thomas “Joe,” was born there on September 8, 1916. Shortly afterward, the family returned to Canso, where a daughter, Jean Lucinda, joined the family on March 19, 1918.

According to available documents, Nellie and her two young sons made at least one trans-Atlantic voyage to Scotland, returning to Canada in June 1920. A later note in Jimmy’s service file indicated that he attended one year of public school at Lossiemouth. The trans-Atlantic passenger records suggest it may have been the 1919-20 school year, not 1920-21 as stated in military documents.

Nellie and her three children were residing at Port Hawkesbury at the time of the 1921 Canadian census, although Roy is not listed among the household’s members. According to his service record, Jimmy attended elementary school at Canso from 1921 to 1923, and completed his public and high school education—Grades 10 and 11—at Port Hawkesbury from 1923 to 1931. During his adolescent years, Jimmy played baseball and was captain of the “1st team” at Hawkesbury High. Family descendants recall that he was an excellent swimmer.

After his Grade 11 year, Jimmy worked as a foreman for his father’s Canso-based company, R. E. Jamieson Ltd. Family sources state that, among other ventures, the company pioneered in the export of live lobster to the United States, packing the crustaceans in barrels between layers of seaweed.

After four years’ employment in his home community, Jimmy decided it was time to broaden his horizons. In the spring of 1935, Jimmy departed for central Canada. According to a reference letter from Canso Mayor Leslie R. Croucher, he planned “to visit Toronto and other places on a vacation.” In the event that Jimmy should seek employment, Mayor Croucher assured prospective employers: “He is a young man of the highest character,… fully qualified to fill any position for which he may apply.”

A second reference from Rev. George E. Levy, United Baptist Church Minister, Canso, described Jimmy as “a young man of good character, temperate habits, worthwhile ideals and a good student. Furthermore, I should say that [there is] no need [to] have any fears in employing Mr. Jamieson in a position [where] honesty, industry and trustworthiness are expected.”

The letters of recommendation earned Jimmy a position as a salesman with White & Co. Wholesalers Ltd., Toronto. During his first four years in the city, he boarded at the Toronto YMCA, 40 College St. When he departed the facility for other accommodations in the spring of 1939, the YMCA’s Residence Secretary described Jimmy’s time there in glowing terms:

“It gives me great pleasure to state that at all times his conduct has been that of a gentleman. He can be trusted absolutely to meet his financial obligations, and he is the type of man whose presence is highly desirable in any Association building or elsewhere.”

Shortly after Canada’s September 10, 1939 declaration of war on Germany, Jimmy applied for a commission as a “provisional pilot officer” with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). On October 9, he completed the required medical examination at Toronto. The resulting report included only common childhood ailments—measles and whooping cough—on an otherwise clear bill of health. Jimmy listed hockey and cricket as his sporting activities, while boating was a recreational hobby.

The RCAF application process stretched into the following year. On April 29, 1940, Jimmy completed an interview and personality assessment at the RCAF Toronto Recruiting Centre. At the time, he stood five feet six inches and weighed 145 pounds (66 kilograms). Documents related to the interview describe his appearance as “healthy, short, refined [and] clean,” and his dress as “conservative, clean and neat, smart.”

Jimmy’s personality assessment describes his demeanour as “very polite and gentlemanly,” his intellect as “quick, organized [and] accurate,” and his personality as “confident, mature [and] pleasant.” Overall, Jimmy received an “average” rating, his examiners recommending him for training as an “observer.” Considering his educational background, this was his likely RCAF path, as standards for the “pilot” training stream favoured at least partial completion of a post-secondary program.

On June 6, 1940, Jimmy formally attested for “air crew std. [standard]” service with the RCAF at Toronto. Before month’s end, he commenced “Course No. 3” at No. 1 Initial Training School (ITS), Toronto. Comments on his “Air Observer Pupil Report” describe Jimmy in these words: “Good reliable type. Will make a good observer.”

Jimmy completed his initial training on July 20 and enjoyed eight day’s leave before departing for No. 2 Air Observers’ School, Edmonton, AB. From August 5 to October 26, he completed Course No. 4, a program that consisted of two components. One portion involved daytime and night-time flights as 1st and 2nd Navigator in a Lockheed Anson. Altogether, Jimmy logged 52.5 hours of flight time, eight of which took place at night. His flight assessment report described him as “good material” for the role.

The second component—ground training—involved navigational and flight-related courses, covering such topics as compasses and instruments, signals, maps and charts, meteorology, photography and reconnaissance. Jimmy scored 758 out of a possible 1,000 points and placed 16th in a class of 40 air observer cadets. Comments on his final report described him as a “conscientious, careful worker.” While his Air Navigation rating was “average,” Jimmy earned an “above average” rating as an Air Observer.

On October 27, Jimmy reported to No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School, Mossbank, SK, where he commenced Armament Training Course No. 1. Over the ensuing six weeks, he logged 8.45 hours of bombing drill and 2.30 hours of gunnery training, all daytime flights. Jimmy achieved a score of 204 out of 300 points in bombing, and 137 out of 200 point in gunnery. Overall, he earned a percentage mark of 77 and ranked fourth in a class of 36 cadets.

An evaluation report made several comments on Jimmy’s performance. With regard to bombing, instructors stated: “Will be a very good bomb-aimer. Some inexperienced pilots. Bombs could not be plotted on B 6 exercises because of snow.” In reference to his air gunner training, “inexperienced pilots” meant that there was “insufficient time to complete [the] exercise.” Overall, Jimmy received a very positive assessment: “Thorough, studious[,] and at the same time, a very good, soldierly airman. Should be considered for commission[,] pending results of A. N. S. [Air Navigation School]. Air work above average.”

On December 9, 1940, Jimmy received his Air Observer’s Badge and was promoted to the rank of T[emporary]/Sergeant. That same day, he commenced Course No. 4 at Air Navigation School (ANS), Rivers, MB. Jimmy logged 32.50 hours in the air as 1st and 2nd Navigator, under both daytime and night-time conditions. His performance warranted a score of 185 out of 250 points and another positive assessment: “Keen worker, will improve with experience.”

In the ground training component, Jimmy completed a course in Astronomical Navigation (Plotting and Training), achieving 170 out of 250 points. While his rating was “average” and he placed 28th in a class of 36, written comments were once again impressive: “Hard worker, has grasped the subject well…. Resourceful. Should make a dependable air observer.”

While stationed at Rivers, MB, Jimmy completed his RCAF Officers’ Application, listing a total of 73 hours and 35 minutes of flying time. His final ANS assessment, dated January 13, 1941, stated that Jimmy had passed with an overall mark of 73.6 percent and a rank of 15 in a class of 36 cadets. Assessed as “above average,” his superiors recommended Jimmy for a Commissioned Rank, with the supporting comment: “Quiet and gentlemanly. Should make a good officer.”

On January 26, Jimmy was assigned to No. 3 Manning Depot, RCAF Station, Rockcliffe, located along the banks of the Ottawa River, east of the national capitol. Upon arrival, he was placed in the Embarkation Pool, which contained RCAF personnel destined for overseas service. On February 8, Jimmy was officially “taken on strength” by Eastern Air Command Embarkation. One week later, he departed for the United Kingdom, and was officially “taken on strength” overseas on March 2.

Jimmy was assigned to No. 15 Operational Training Unit (OTU) on March 15, 1941. As the name suggests, OTUs represented the final stage of training before assignment to an active squadron. All air crew trainees completed three months with an OTU before being assigned to an operational squadron. While OTUs training bomber crews occasionally participated in actual missions, their personnel usually performed more routine operations, such as coastal surveillance and home defence. Each OTU focused on training crews for a specific branch of the RAF—bomber, fighter or transport.

No. 15 OTU was formed in August 1940 and was based at Harwell, Berkshire, west of London, at the time of Jimmy’s arrival. The unit was part of No. 6 Group, RAF Bomber Command, and prepared its personnel for service with night bomber crews aboard Vickers Wellington aircraft. The planes flown by OTU personnel had been discarded by operational squadrons and thus were prone to various malfunctions, often resulting in precarious experiences for their crews. In fact, RAF OTUs lost more than 1,600 aircraft during the war, many due to accidental crashes over land and sea. The majority of the lost planes were Wellingtons.

On June 23, 1941, Jimmy was assigned to Middle East Command (MEC), which oversaw RAF aircraft operations in North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea. The major Allied focus at the time was the island of Malta, located south of Sicily. Controlled by the United Kingdom at the outbreak of the war, the small island’s strategic location was crucial to the Allies’ ability to attack Italian supply lines from the air and sea. The opening of a new front in North Africa in June 1940 enhanced Malta’s importance and resulted in a sustained German and Italian campaign to bomb the island into submission. The air assault continued until late 1942, when significant German losses in North Africa finally relieved the pressure.

One of the tasks assigned to RAF crews during the “siege of Malta” involved “ferrying” the required aircraft from the United Kingdom to the island. One week after Jimmy was assigned to MEC, he found himself fulfilling air observer duties aboard a Lockheed Hudson destined for Malta. The twin-engine, American-built plane was designed for light bomber, coastal reconnaissance, transport and maritime patrol duties.

On July 1, 1941, Jimmy’s aircraft was officially reported missing. Family sources state that crew members in an accompanying aircraft later reported observing it explode in mid-air, possibly the result of hostile fire. The aircraft and its crew were never located. A note in Jimmy’s service record states that he was presumed dead, due to a “flying accident [while on] ferrying duty, overseas, continent of Europe.”

Sergeant (Observer) James Edward Jamieson’s name is inscribed on the Malta Memorial, erected at Floriana, Malta, in 1954. The monument is dedicated to the memory of 2,298 Commonwealth air personnel who perished in the Mediterranean Theatre during the Second World War and who have no known final resting place.

Malta Memorial, Floriana, Malta

Jimmy’s younger brother Joe also enlisted with the Canadian armed forces during the war. He was later selected for the First Special Service Force (FSSF), a joint Canadian - American unit organized in 1942 that came to be known as the “Devil’s Brigade.” FSSF personnel served in the Aleutian Islands, Italy and France before the unit was disbanded in December 1944, its members dispersed to other existing units. During his time with the unit, Joe rose to the rank of Sergeant and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal in February 1945, “in recognition of distinguished services in the cause of the Allies.”

Sgt. Joseph Thomas "Joe" Jamieson

After the war’s conclusion, Joe returned to Guysborough County, where he married Sarah “Sadie” Feltmate, took up residence at Guysborough and raised a family of three sons. Joe Jamieson passed away at Guysborough Memorial Hospital on March 18, 2007, and was laid to rest in Fourth Hill Cemetery, Canso.

Photographs of Jimmy and Joe Jamieson courtesy of Paul Long, Guysborough, NS.

Able Seaman Charles Seyward Goodwin—Perished at Sea March 16, 1941

Charles Seyward Goodwin was born at Canso, Guysborough County, on March 18, 1917. Charles’ father, Howard Glenwood Goodwin, was a native of Argyle, Yarmouth County, while his mother, Minnie Olivia, was the daughter of Elisha and Christina Carter, Queensport, Guysborough County. The couple married at Canso on January 24, 1914, and welcomed two daughters—Catherine (1914) and Doris Christine (1915)—into their home before Charles’ arrival. Minnie gave birth two more sons, Laurier Howard (1919) and Reginald (1921), before tragedy struck the family.

 

Howard’s marriage license lists his occupation as “fisherman.” On December 8, 1921, he and a crew-mate were ”overcome with coal gas” while working aboard a fishing vessel near Sekonnet Point, Rhode Island. Howard was rushed to Truesdale Hospital in nearby Fall River, MA, but medical staff were unable to revive him. According to a contemporary item in a local newspaper, Howard’s remains were transported to Canso for interment, although there appears to be no headstone there marking his final resting place.

Left to raise a family of five young children following her husband’s death, Minnie never re-married and remained at Canso, where her family could provide support, for two decades. Charles, the oldest of her three sons, followed in his father’s footsteps, earning a living at sea. Sometime after the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the crew of the steam merchant J. B. White as an Able Seaman, a rank that implies at least two years’ experience at sea.

Built in 1919 by Skinner & Eddy Corp., Seattle, WA, for the United States Shipping Board (USSB), the J. B. White was initially christened the Jadden. After a lengthy period of service with USSB, the 7,375-ton vessel was placed in its reserve fleet. A shortage of available steam merchants resulted in its transfer to Canada in 1941, at which time the ship was assigned to Atlantic Transportation Co., Montreal, QC, and re-named the J. B. White.

In February 1941, the newly acquired vessel, under the command of Master J. W. R. Woodward, loaded 2,500 tons of steel and 4,500 tons of newsprint at Mobile, AL, and departed for Halifax, where it was assigned to Convoy HX-112. On March 1, the 41-vessel convoy departed for Manchester, UK, traveling northeastward past Newfoundland and the southern tip of Greenland before heading eastward, south of Iceland, across the North Atlantic toward its final destination.

On March 15, German submarine U-110 first sighted the convoy west-southwest of the Faroe Islands and alerted other U-boats in the area. The following day, two submarines—U-110 and U-99—attacked the convoy. U-99, under the command of Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer, sank five vessels and damaged a sixth, while U-110 damaged a seventh vessel. U-99’s first sinking victim was the J. B. White. Master Woodward and 37 crew members successfully abandoned ship. Rescued by HMS Walker, the survivors safely arrived at Liverpool, UK, on March 21.

Two members of the J. B. White’s crew perished in the March 16, 1941 sinking—Boatswain Jack Henry Visser, Braughing, Hertfordshire, UK, and Able Seaman Charles Seyward Goodwin, Canso, NS. Charles’ name is engraved on the Halifax Memorial, Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, NS, erected in memory of military personnel and merchant seamen who perished at sea during the First and Second World Wars.

In the early 1940s, Minnie and her children moved to the Halifax area. Following her passing in 1972, she was laid to rest in Fourth Hill Cemetery, Canso. Minnie and Howard’s oldest child Catherine relocated to Montreal, QC, where she married and raised a family. Her sister Doris married Appleton Hurst Roberts, a Canso native, and settled in Dartmouth. Doris passed away in 2015 at the age of 100.

Minnie and Howard’s son Laurier emigrated to the mid-western United States after the Second World War. After his passing, his remains were returned to Canso, where he was buried. His brother Reginald served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War and lived in the Halifax area for the remainder of his life.

Ordinary Seaman Bayne W. Gammon—Perished at Sea September 22, 1940

 Bayne W. Gammon was born at New Harbour, Guysborough County, in 1921. His father Garfield was a native of Tor Bay, the son of Edward and Sarah (Barss) Gammon. Bayne’s mother Lila Belle was the daughter of Joseph and Roseanne Slater, Roachvale. The couple married at Roachvale on November 27, 1912, and welcomed two daughters—Viola Rosanna (DOB September 26, 1913) and Evelyn Melinda (DOB March 9, 1916)—into their home before Bayne joined the family. 

Left to right: Viola, Bayne & Evelyn Gammon

 

On January 31, 1938, Garfield unexpectedly passed away at home. Sometime after his father’s death, Bayne left home and travelled to Hampton, Prince Edward Island, where he found employment as a farm labourer. On June 3, 1939, he wrote a letter to his mother Lila, providing her with an update on his circumstances:

“I have been getting your letters all right[,] but when I am done work in the evening, I feel like dropping in my tracks wherever I may be….[My employer] is a driver…, a pretty hard man to work for, although I like him and his sister pretty good…. I was using the single and gang ploughs this afternoon and I had to drive the three horses and hold the ploughs [at] the same time. Boy, it was hard work and a warm day at that…. It certainly brought the sweat out onto me. I was some hungry and tired when supper time came….

“I don’t have much time to myself, only when I go to bed and on Sundays, but I always have to milk the cows and feed the calves and do all the barn work up before I can go to church, both in the morning and at night. So don’t worry if you don’t hear from me… often, because I am so tired when I am through work that I don’t feel like writing or anything else."

 

Bayne Gammon (school photo)

 

The demands of farm labour may explain why Bayne contemplated finding another line of work. Having been born and raised in a coastal community, it is perhaps not surprising that he decided to pursue a career at sea. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he enlisted with the merchant marine and was assigned to the crew of SS Frederick S. Fales with the entry rating of “Ordinary Seaman.”

Bayne Gammon (c. 1939)

 

The 10,525-ton merchant marine tanker was built for Oriental Tankers Ltd., Hong Kong at Monfalcone, Italy. Launched in 1939, the ship transported vital fuel supplies from South America to the United Kingdom after the outbreak of war in Europe. In late summer 1940, the Frederick S. Fales loaded its cargo—14,000 tons of fuel oil—at Curaçao, Venezuela, and set sail for Halifax, NS.

Upon reaching its destination, the vessel was assigned to Convoy HX-72, which consisted of 41merchant ships, and spent several days in port before departing for Glasgow, Scotland. On the eve of the vessel’s departure, Bayne sent a postcard with a brief note to his mother Lila, postmarked 11:30 pm September 3: “Dear Mamma, I am leaving on an oil tanker for England in a little while, like it good. Have to go on board again at midnight…. will be gone for a little while.”

Convoy HX-72 departed for the United Kingdom shortly afterward. On September 20, the German submarine U-47 first sighted the convoy as it approached the British Isles and broadcast its location to other U-boats. On the night of September 20/21, German submarines sank three vessels and claimed a fourth victim shortly after daybreak. The losses continued throughout the evening of September 21 as other submarines arrived in the area. One U-boat—U-100—managed to sink an astonishing seven vessels over a 48-hour span.

Among U-100’s victims was the Frederick S. Fales, targeted at 01.52 hours September 22, 1940, while located 340 miles west of Bloody Foreland, Ireland. Struck on its port side by two torpedoes, the Frederick S. Fales’ stern went under in less than five minutes. While HMS La Malouine rescued 28 crew members later that day, the vessel’s Master Frank Ramsay, 19 crew members, and one gunner perished in the sinking. Most of the losses occurred when the sinking ship capsized to its starboard side, striking one of its lifeboats.

Ordinary Seaman Bayne Gammon was one of 19 crew members who lost their lives in the sinking. His name is engraved on the Halifax Memorial, Point Pleasant Park, erected in memory of Canadian military and merchant marine personnel who perished at sea during both world wars.

Halifax Memorial, Point Pleasant Park

Several months after Bayne’s death, an unidentified crew mate—a resident of Musquodoboit Harbour, Halifax, County—wrote a letter to his grieving mother Lila, dated December 1, 1940:

“Dear Madam:

I am a survivor of the Frederick S. Fales [on] which your dear son had lost his life. As I was one of the last to join the ship, I did not know Bayne very well but I knew he was a[n] ordinary seaman and was on duty at the time my ship [sank]. John [“Jack”] Beanland [Montreal, QC] was with him and told Bayne if anything happened to come [to] where he was, and he did. He never said a word and when the boat was going down they lowered a life boat and Bayne was in it…. [T]he bow of the ship struck the boat which Bayne was in and it was the last his ship mate seen [sic] him. As I was a wiper in the engine room, I never seen [sic] much of them on the deck. The ship was torpedoed two times at about 11 o’clock at night. We was [sic] off the Irish coast about 500 miles…. I know it must be sad for those loved ones to realize that their only boy is gone, but he died for his country. If there is anything I could do to help you, I would wish you would let me know….”

Altogether, Convoy HX-72 lost 11 ships, while three other vessels suffered damage. The number represents the greatest losses to that point in the war—a total of six vessels were lost in August 1940. The sinkings increased in subsequent months—German U-boats claimed another 32 vessels in November 1940—and continued at a frightening pace throughout the next three years. It was not until 1944 that Germany’s ability to wage war at sea declined significantly as Allied forces applied increasing military pressure on enemy forces in Europe.

Gammon family photographs and letters courtesy of Gary Sponagle, Dartmouth, NS.

Fireman/Trimmer Henry Winfield Douglas Baker—Perished at Sea August 28, 1940

Henry Winfield Douglas Baker was born at Marie Joseph, Guysborough County, on September 24, 1913, the son of Charles Henry and Marion Louise (Douglas) Baker. Douglas’s father Charles was also a native of Marie Joseph, where he worked as a fish-buyer and operated a local inn. Douglas’s paternal grandfather Henry was a local merchant.

Douglas Baker's name on the Halifax Memorial—1940 Merchant Marine Fatalities

While Douglas’s mother Marion was residing at Spanish Ship Bay at the time of her marriage to Henry, she was born at Liverpool, England, the daughter of David Douglas, whose occupation is listed as “navigator” on the couple’s marriage license.

Born and raised in a coastal community, Douglas made a living at sea. His 1932 marriage license lists his occupation as “fisherman.” On August 20 of that year, the 19-year-old married Nellie Alice Croft, age 18, a native of Gegoggin and daughter of Jacob E. and Maria Jane (MacDonald) Croft. The following year, the couple welcomed a son Wendell into their home.

At some point prior to or shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, Douglas joined the crew of the freighter SS Kyno. Built in the shipyard of Goole, east of Leeds, UK, the 4,000-ton vessel was completed in 1924 and operated by Ellerman’s Wilson Line [EWL], located at nearby Hull, UK. The Kyno became part of EWL’s considerable trans-Atlantic commercial fleet.

SS Kyno

Following Britain’s September 3, 1939, declaration of war on Germany, the Kyno joined the merchant marine fleet that carried crucial supplies from North American to the United Kingdom throughout the Second World War. The vessels traveled in convoys, following a number of different routes across the North Atlantic, depending on their final destination.

Aboard the Kyno, Douglas worked as a fireman and trimmer, two tasks critical to the operation of a coal-fired, steam-powered vessel. Firemen maintained the furnaces that generated the steam required to power the boat, while trimmers ensured that there was a constant supply of coal available in the furnace room. These men laboured in the ship’s hot and treacherous “stokehold,” where the prospects of escape, in the event that a torpedo struck the vessel, were poor.

On August 16, 1940, the Kyno, under the command of Master William Andsell Thompson, departed from Halifax, NS, destined for the United Kingdom. The vessel was part of Convoy HX-66, and followed the designated “HX” route, travelling northeastward past Newfoundland’s Avalon peninsula to the southern tip of Greenland. The ships then steamed eastward past Iceland before curving southward into the Irish Sea toward their final destination at Liverpool.

At this point in the war, Germany’s U-boats operated only on the European side of the North Atlantic, as the United States did not enter the conflict until early December 1941. Prowling the waters west of the British Isles, the submarines sought to intercept a convoy and launch a night-time attack on its ships. As HX-66 passed south of Iceland and veered southeastward toward the waters between Scotland and Ireland, the German submarine U-28, under the command of Korvettehapitän Günter Kuhnke—one of Germany’s top "U-boat Aces"—spotted Convoy HX-66 and prepared to attack.

At 2057 hours August 28, 1940, a torpedo from U-28 struck SS Kyno when the vessel was located approximately 50 kilometres north-northeast of Rockall, an uninhabited granite islet approximately 400 kilometres west of South Uist, Scotland. While 32 of its crew members were able to scramble into lifeboats as the vessel sank, five men perished as the Kyno slipped beneath the water. All were part of the engine room crew—three firemen and trimmers, one “donkeyman” [the person in charge of the engine room] and the ship’s second engineer officer.

Douglas Baker was one of the three firemen/trimmers lost at sea in the SS Kyno’s sinking. His name is engraved on the Halifax Memorial, erected in Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, in memory of the men and women of the navy, army and merchant navy who perished at sea during the Second World War.  Douglas was Guysborough County’s first Second World War fatality.

Halifax Memorial, Point Pleasant Park

 After her husband’s passing, Nellie married Henry Schrider and gave birth to a second son, Harvey. She passed away at Halifax on August 22, 2002, and was laid to rest in St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Liscomb. Wendell, her son by her first marriage, passed away at Oxford, NS, on October 12, 2013.

Second World War Honour Roll of Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

Avery, Alphonso: Born at Larry’s River on December 26, 1921, son of Abraham and Martha (Avery) Avery. Killed in action in France on July 26, 1944.

Baker, Henry Winfield Douglas: Born at Marie Joseph on September 24, 1913, son of Charles Henry and Marion Louise (Douglas) Baker; husband of Millie Alice (Croft) Baker. Perished at sea aboard SS Kyno on August 28, 1940.

Barnard, Walter Ernest: Born at Ecum Secum on January 8, 1920, son of Henry Samuel and Prudence Rosella (Pye) Barnard. Killed in action in France on August 2, 1944.

Barss, Walter Charles: Born at Louisbourg on March 19, 1918, son of Walter Dinsmore and Edna Evelyn (Horton) Barss, Sydney River. Perished at sea aboard HMCS Alberni on August 21, 1944. [Parents were Guysborough County natives.]

Bond, Joseph Placide: Born at East Port Felix on August 21, 1921, son of William T. and Marie Therese (Cashen) Bond. Killed in action in Italy on August 30, 1944.

Boudreau, Vernon William: Born at Little Dover on November 20, 1920, son of John and Margaret (Rhynold) Boudreau. Killed in action in France on August 28, 1944.

Boutilier, Burnham Edward: Born at Sherbrooke on November 24, 1919, son of James and Susan (Mortimer) Boutilier. Killed in action in France on June 21, 1945.

Brophy, John Lawrence Douglas: Born at Mulgrave on October 17, 1919, son of John and Rose Ann (O’Neill) Brophy. Killed in a flying accident in the United Kingdom on August 16, 1942.

Cameron, Allan Cantley: Born at New Glasgow on October 16, 1920, son of Alexander Christopher and Queenie Mae (Fanning) Cameron, Canso. Died of sickness at Toronto, ON, on June 30, 1943.

Cameron, Douglas Seaman: Born at Aspen on June 18, 1917, son of Leibert and Alma (McKeen) Cameron. Killed in action in the Mediterranean theatre on June 30, 1943.

Carr, Samuel James: Born at Manasette Lake on February 12, 1924, son of Howard and Eviva (Diggins) Carr. Killed in action in Italy on May 23, 1944.

Clarke, John Fred: Born at Trenton on February 8, 1918, son of Alexander and Edith (Clyburn) Clarke, Goldboro. Killed in action in France on August 8, 1944.

Cluney, Robert Doyle: Born at Half Island Cove on September 22, 1923, son of James Burton and Ethel Leona (Munro) Cluney. Killed in action in Italy on December 12, 1943.

Cole, Benjamin Havelock: Born at Canso on May 8, 1921, son of Howard William and Melinda Caroline (Greencorn) Cole. Died of sickness at Debert Military Hospital, NS, on November 7, 1945.

Corkum, James Wallace: Born at Port Bickerton on September 9, 1919, son of Judson Randolph and Alma (Turple) Corkum. Killed in action in Italy on June 8, 1944.

Cottreau, Joseph: Born in September 1903 at Tusket Wedge, NS, son of Arthur and Helen (Doucet) Cottreau; step-son of Rose (Manuel) Cottreau, Canso. Perished at sea aboard SS Torondoc on May 28, 1942.

Cox, David Reid: Born at Isaac’s Harbour on August 3, 1918, son of Harry Joseph and Lucetta Emma (Reid) Cox. Killed in a flying accident in the United Kingdom on April 14, 1942.

Croft, Wilfred Burton: Born at Spanish Ship Bay on November 18, 1920, son of George Henry and Lydia Olive (Jack) Croft. Killed in action in France on August 14, 1944.

Crooks, John Malcolm: Born at Wine Harbour on July 23, 1891, son of Ruben and Mary (Robinson) Crooks; husband of Muriel R. Crooks. Died of sickness at Christie St. Hospital, Toronto, ON, on July 30, 1944.

Dandurant, Harvey McGrath: Born at Sherbrooke on June 13, 1927, son of Harvey and Elizabeth Grace (McGrath) Dandurant. Died on September 25, 1946 while serving with the United States Armed Forces.

Davidson, Andrew: Born at Goldboro on October 7, 1913, son of William Marshall and Sadie McLeod (Fanning) Davidson. Killed in action in France on September 17, 1944.

Davies, William John Ross: Born at Baltimore, MD, on January 24, 1918, son of Dr. James William and Eva Muriel (Williams) Davies, Sherbrooke. Killed in action over Europe on March 5, 1943.

Diggins, John Andrew: Born at Canso on January 12, 1912, son of Walter A. and Elizabeth Sarah “Bessie” (Ryan) Diggins. Killed in action in the Mediterranean theatre on July 13, 1943.

Dort, Colin David: Born at Cole Harbour on November 20, 1923, son of Joseph Wilfred and Jane Mary (Murray) Dort. Killed in action in Italy on September 16, 1944.

Dort, James David: Born at Little Dover on February 19, 1923, son of David Leander and Bertha (Reynolds) Dort; ward and nephew of Frances Carrigan, Springhill. Killed in action in Italy on February 29, 1944.

Dunning, William John Anderson: Born in Newfoundland on November 19, 1915, son of John Carmichael and Jessie Emma (Cook) Dunning, Hazel Hill; husband of Eva C. Dunning, Bass River. Died from injuries received in an accident at Sydney, NS, on February 15, 1945.

Fader, James Vincent: Born at Dover on July 20, 1911, son of Ivan William and Mary Delena (Barry) Fader. Killed in action in Italy on September 19, 1944.

Fanning, Huntley Allison: Born at Drumhead on October 29, 1921, son of Leonard R. and Theresa Evelyn (Manthorne) Fanning. Perished at sea aboard HMCS Esquimalt on April 16, 1945.

Fleming, Marshall Douglas: Born at Port Hilford on September 24, 1920, son of David C. and Eva M. (Langille) Fleming. Accidentally killed at No. 6 Service Flight Training School, Dunnville, ON, on November 3, 1942.

Gammon, Alfred Vincent: Born at Tor Bay on August 25, 1917, son of Albert Alexander and Hattie Lucretia (Gammon) Gammon; husband of Ruby (Tucker) Gammon, Truro. Killed in action in Italy on September 15, 1944.

Gammon, Bayne: Born at New Harbour in 1921, son of Garfield A. and Leila B. (Slater) Gammon. Perished at sea aboard SS Frederick S. Fales on September 22, 1940.

George, John Kingston: Born at Halfway Cove on September 18, 1922, son of Austin and Hazel (Davis) George. Killed in action in Belgium on October 24, 1944.

Giffin, Huntley Osborne: Born at Isaac’s Harbour on January 9, 1890, son of Theodore Harding and Martha (Lintlop) Giffin; husband of Matilda Matthewson (Holland) Giffin, Montreal, QC. Perished at sea aboard SS Lady Hawkins on January 19, 1942.

Giffin, William Ira: Born at Halifax on February 8, 1916, son of Edgar Ethelbert and Marguerite Maud (Weatherdon) Giffin, Halifax. Died of wounds at Christie St. Hospital, Halifax, on October 6, 1943. [Father was Guysborough County native.]

Gillis, Roderick James: Born at Mulgrave c. 1913, son of Neil and Mary E. (Hayes) Gillis. Perished at sea aboard SS Roxby on November 7, 1942.

Goodwin, Charles: Born at Canso on March 18, 1917, son of Howard Glenwood and Minnie Olivia (Carter) Goodwin. Perished at sea aboard SS J. B. White on March 16, 1941.

Gordon, Nelson Leslie: Born at Bay Roberts, NL, on July 10, 1924, son of Alexander and Violet Lillian (Parsons) Gordon, Canso. Killed in a flying accident at Woodbridge, UK, on February 2, 1945.

Grady, William Leland: Born at Port Shoreham on February 22, 1902, son of William Henry and Eliza Sophia (Porper) Grady. Killed in action in France on August 10, 1944.

Greencorn, Clarence Henry: Born at Half Island Cove on November 21, 1914, son of George and Margaret (Greencorn) Greencorn. Killed in action in Italy on September 19, 1944.

Hadley, Douglas Albert: Born at New Waterford, Cape Breton, on December 26, 1920, son of Lewis and Elizabeth May (Jamison) Hadley, Oyster Ponds; foster son of George and Bertha Seaman, West River Station, Pictou County. Killed in action in Italy on September 28, 1944.

Hanlon, Carl Alphonse: Born at Canso on February 2, 1924, son of Joseph and Caroline “Carrie” (Fanning) Hanlon. Killed in action in Italy on July 13, 1944.

Hart, Cyril Robert: Born at Boylston on November 1, 1923, son of Levi Robert and Minnie Eliza (Peart) Hart. Killed in action in France on July 25, 1944.

Hartling, Gordon Rudolph: Born at Spanish Ship Bay on May 5, 1921, son of Frank Burton and Mary Elizabeth “Bessie” (Rudolph) Hartling. Killed in action in France on June 9, 1944.

Hattie, Bert MacIntosh: Born at Barney’s River on July 12, 1919, son of Robert C. and Margaret R. (MacDonald) Hattie, Caledonia. Killed in action in Italy on May 20, 1944.

Hodgson, Marshall McLaren: Born at Country Harbour Mines on May 9, 1923, son of Murray Wilbert and Helen Grace (McLaren) Hodgson. Died of illness related to combat wounds at Halifax, NS, on June 23, 1945.

Hubbard, Frederick Leo: Born at Canso on March 25, 1919, son of Clifton Daniel and Cora Anna (Hurst) Hubbard. Killed in action in the Solomon Islands on March 11, 1944, while serving with the US Infantry.

Hudson, Claude Harold: Born at Country Harbour Mines on June 2, 1922, son of Harold Vans and Sarah Elizabeth (Fisher) Hudson. Killed in action over Europe on January 12, 1945.

Jamieson, James Edward: Born at Canso on August 17, 1913, son of Roy Edward and Helen (Reid) Jamieson. Killed in action in the Mediterranean theatre on July 1, 1941.

Jamieson, John Christopher: Born at Halfway Cove on May 26, 1900, son of John Patrick and Margaret Ellen “Maggie” (Murphy) Jamieson. Died of sickness at Fredericton, NB, on October 19, 1945.

Jewers, Baxter Milton Edwin: Born at Halifax on February 26, 1920, son of Milton Adam and Gertrude Alice (Rood) Jewers, Stewiacke. Killed in action in Italy on September 8, 1944. [Parents were natives of Guysborough County.]

Johnson, Lorimer Leigh: Born at Hazel Hill on February 12, 1917, son of James and Laura (Lawrence) Johnson. Killed in the Netherlands on April 21, 1945.

Jordan, George Ernest: Born at Giant’s Lake, Guysborough County, on March 3, 1922, son of Ernest and Evelyn (Jordan McCaul) Jordan. Killed in action in France on June 7, 1944.

Jost, Burton Norris: Born at Guysborough on August 2, 1911, son of Arthur C. and C. Victoria (Martin) Jost. Killed in action in the Netherlands on June 25, 1943.

Kelly, John Dennis: Born at Mulgrave on January 24, 1918, son of John and Bridgit Anastasia (Keys) Kelly. Accidentally killed at Seebe, AB, on August 19, 1945.

King, Joseph Henry “Harry”: Born at Minto, NB, on November 14, 1921, son of Murray McNab and Edith (Beal) King, Dorchester, NB; husband of Mildred Irene King, Londonderry Mines. Killed in action in France on June 28, 1944. [Residing at Eight Island Lake at time of enlistment.]

Lawrence, Robert Leonard: Born at New Glasgow on March 28, 1924, son of Norman H. and Mae Alice Lawrence, Guysborough (foster parents). Killed in action in France on August 13, 1944.

Leslie, Norwood Kitchener: Born at Sherbrooke on November 11, 1914, son of John W. and Beatrice Leslie. Killed in action in the Netherlands on October 13, 1944.

Lucas, Lawrence Edward: Born at Guysborough on December 9, 1925, son of Charles Joseph and Amelia Hattie (Andrews) Lucas. Killed in action in the Netherlands on April 23, 1945.

MacDonald, Duncan Joseph: Born at Mulgrave on June 14, 1918, son of Osborne and Catherine Ann (Ryan) MacDonald. Killed in a training accident while serving at Dartmouth, NS, on April 19, 1944.

MacDonald, James Gordon: Born at Greenwood, Pictou County, on June 12, 1922, son of Alexander "Sander" and Gladys (Jordan) McDonald. Killed in action in Italy on May 17, 1944. [Mother was Guysborough County native.]

MacHattie, Harvey Donald: Born in China on June 6, 1920, son of Rev. James Blake and Janet MacHattie, Toronto, ON. Killed in action in Italy on January 27, 1945. [Parents were Guysborough County natives.]

MacKenzie, Floyd Irwin: Born at Roachvale on May 18, 1921, son of Alexander Edward and Mildred Sophia (Horton) MacKenzie. Killed in action in France on June 7, 1944.

MacPherson, Lawrence Patrick: Born at Antigonish on November 16, 1919, son of Alexander and Isabel (O’Connor) MacPherson, North Riverside. Died of sickness in Italy on October 5, 1944.

Malloy, William Alexander: Born at South Lochaber on December 13, 1920, son of George and Edna Blanche (Smith) Malloy. Killed in action in Italy on February 2, 1945.

Markie, Thomas: Born at East Erinville on July 21, 1924, son of Andrew William and Margaret Ann (MacPherson) Markie. Killed in action in Belgium on October 24, 1944.

Mattie, Leonard William: Born at Mattie Settlement on October 28, 1921, son of Arthur Norman and Mary Jane (DeWolfe) Mattie. Killed in action in Italy on January 24, 1944.

McIntosh, Edward James: Born at Stillwater on November 29, 1899, son of William and Olive (Hingley) McIntosh; husband of Beulah McIntosh, Sherbrooke. Died of sickness at Sherbrooke on December 24, 1942, while serving with the Veterans Guard of Canada.

McKinley, McGregor: Born at Spanish Ship Bay on August 1, 1902, son of Seth and Caroline (Baker) McKinlay; husband of Bessie (Blackett) McKinley, Liscomb. Perished at sea aboard SS Mildred Pauline on May 1, 1942.

McNeary, Joseph Leo: Born at Canso on February 9, 1924, son of Walter Dennis and Mary (Maney) McNeary. Killed in action in France on July 28, 1944.

Munroe, Austin Havelock: Born at Little Dover on December 2, 1919, son of Edward and Mary Munroe; husband of Anna Elizabeth Munroe, Little Dover. Killed in action in the Netherlands on March 25, 1945.

Munroe, Garfield J.: Born at Little Dover on September 12, 1921, son of Daniel and Annie (Harnish) Munroe. Killed in action in France on September 27, 1944.

Myers, Clyde Elmer: Born at Grace Bay on April 3, 1925, son of Delbert Sturgeon and Gladys Maud (Horton) Myers, Queensport. Died of sickness in Canada on March 17, 1944.

Myers, George Wilbur: Born at Cook’s Cove on September 16, 1919, son of Wilbur John and Myrtle Powell (Jones) Myers. Killed in action in France on July 19, 1944.

Newell, Gordon Melvin: Born at Canso on May 14, 1924, son of Mansfield and Lila (Feltmate) Newell. Killed in action in Italy on May 20, 1944.

Nickerson, Harold Judson: Born at Canso on April 13, 1913, son of George Frederick and Caroline “Carrie” (Nickerson) Dobson. Died of sickness at Cornwallis Veterans’ Hospital, Halifax, on June 18, 1946.

Nickerson, William James Murdoch: Born at Calgary, AB, on April 18, 1918, son of James Glenright and Grace Elizabeth (Murdoch) Nickerson, Vancouver, BC. Killed in action over Germany on November 18, 1943. [Mother was a Guysborough County native.]

O’Hara, Loren Stanton: Born at New Harbour on November 16, 1903, son of George W. and Sarah Jane (Humber) O’Hara, Sherbrooke. Died of sickness at General Hospital, Regina, SK, on September 18, 1945.

Peart, Hilbert Joseph: Born at Canso on February 28, 1916, son of Roy and Elizabeth Lillian “Bessie” (Scott) Peart, Halifax. Perished at sea aboard HMCS Athabaskan on April 29, 1944.

Pelrine, Raymond Francis: Born at Port Felix on July 30, 1922, son of Charles Martin and Clara (Fougere) Pelrine, Havre Boucher. Killed in air raid near Bournemouth, UK, on May 23, 1943.

Power, Lawrence Fabian: Born at Mulgrave on January 16, 1916, son of William Patrick and Rose Ann (O’Neill) Power. Killed in action over the English Channel on August 18, 1943.

Pye, Franklyn Richard Samuel: Born at Ecum Secum River on December 5, 1916, son of Archibald A. and Margaret Jane Florence (Jewers) Pye. Killed in action over Germany on August 27, 1942.

Pye, Howard Leslie: Born at Liscomb on December 8, 1913, son of Leonard W. and Ida Alexandra (Hartling) Pye. Died at Surrey, UK, on January 24, 1943.

Ray, Irvin Kirwin: Born at St. Mary’s River on March 12, 1921, son of Joseph Elijah and Melissa Angeline (Jack) Ray, East River St. Mary’s. Died while a prisoner of war at Yokohama, Japan, on November 13, 1943.

Richard, Thomas Joseph: Born at Charlos Cove on August 25, 1918, son of Martin Samuel and Margaret Jane Richard; husband of Elizabeth A. (Mannette) Richard, New Glasgow. Killed in action in France on July 4, 1944.

Richardson, Roland Elwood: Born at Goldboro on February 21, 1921, son of Howard and Clara (Cottie) Richardson, Timmins, ON. Died of accidental wounds received during training at Botwood, NL, on June 18, 1942.

Rudolph, Lawrence Arthur: Born at Liscomb on December 31, 1923, son of Basil Melbourne and Elsie  (Walters) Rudolph. Killed in action in the Netherlands on February 27, 1945.

Rutherford, James Ross: Born at Canso on January 30, 1917, son of James McGregor and Lillie M. (Webster) Rutherford. Killed in a motorcycle accident at Aldershot, UK, on March 18, 1942.

Ryan, Austin Edward: Born at Mulgrave on May 11, 1923, son of James Edward and Florence Eloise (Cunningham) Ryan. Killed in action in Italy on September 30, 1944.

Shea, Henry George Charles: Born at Miles End, London, UK, on April 2, 1918, son of Patrick and Eva (Bates) Shea, Guysborough; husband of Priscilla (Levangie) Shea, Frankville. Killed in action in France on July 27, 1944.

Sinclair, Ian Andrew: Born at Goshen on February 22, 1924, son of John Alfred and Nellie Jane (Sinclair) Sinclair. Killed in a night-time air crash near Dishforth, UK, on February 24, 1944.

Skinner, Norman Clayton: Born at Guysborough on February 4, 1918, son of John Gordon and Laura May (Gero) Skinner. Killed in action in Italy on August 30, 1944.

Smith, Edison Reynolds: Born at Port Hood on May 11, 1924, son of Henry Guy and Emma Grace (Watts) Smith, Cook’s Cove. Killed in action in Belgium on October 16, 1944.

Smith, Henry Edward: Born at Canso on March 30, 1913, son of James and Theresa (Murphy) Smith, Boylston. Killed in action in Italy on September 28, 1944.

Snyder, Charles Henry: Born at Halfway Cove on March 5, 1913, son of John James and Mary Elizabeth (George) Snyder. Killed in action in France on September 25, 1944.

Sponagle, Neil Trueman: Born at Coddles Harbour on May 11, 1919, son of George Roy and Clara May (Jones) Sponagle. Killed in action in the Netherlands on March 18, 1945.

Strachan, James Anthony Osborne: Born at Antigonish on April 4, 1920, son of John O. and Clara (McMillan) Strachan, Mulgrave. Killed in action over Germany on October 10, 1943.

Strople, Howard Nightingale: Born at North Intervale on July 4, 1887, son of James and Mary (Lipsett) Strople. Died of sickness at Toronto, ON, on May 9, 1943.

Surette, Henry Andrew: Born at Round Hill, Annapolis County, on June 2, 1908, adopted son of John Samuel and Nancy (Keizer) Taylor, Port Bickerton; husband of Marie Esther (Noseworthy) Surette, St. John’s, NL. Killed in action at Hong Kong on December 25, 1941.

Uloth, Ray Douglas: Born at Dort’s Cove on March 29, 1925, son of Sylvester Philip and Nita (Peart) Uloth. Killed in action in the Netherlands on October 14, 1944.

Veinotte, Joseph Victor Wilkins: Born at Ecum Secum on May 24, 1916, son of Daniel Kenneth and Mary Florence (Ashton) Veinotte. Perished at sea aboard HMCS Athabaskan on April 29, 1944.

Westhaver, Robert Irvine: Born at Marie Joseph on February 16, 1911, son of George Allen and Effie Mae (Clarke) Westhaver. Killed in action in France on August 10, 1944.

Williams, John Whitney: Born at Halfway Cove on August 12, 1912, son of George Henry and Gertrude Cordelia (Dickie) Williams, Guysborough. Killed in action in Italy on May 17, 1944.

Worth, Irving William: Born at Cross Roads Country Harbour on June 23, 1918, son of Henry and Sarah Jane “Sadie” (Mason) Worth. Killed in action in France on July 25, 1944.

This honour roll was assembled from information available on online sources:

1. Veterans of Guysborough County, a site created by Diane Lynn Tibert, Milford, NS, and Kelly Kaiser, Sherbrooke, NS.

2. Nova Scotia Casualties - WWII, a site created and managed by George Egna, Yarmouth, NS, and Glen Gaudet, Halifax, NS.

If you notice any errors, or know of a name that should be added to the list, please contact me at the e-mail address posted at the top of this blog.