Private James Gordon MacDonald—Killed in Action May 17, 1944

 James Gordon MacDonald was born in Greenwood, near Thorburn, Pictou County, on June 12, 1922, the only child of Alexander “Sanders” and Vera Gladys (Jordan) MacDonald. Alexander was a native of Stellarton, NS, the son of David and Lydia Ann “Annie” (Marshall) MacDonald. Gladys was born in Goldenville, Guysborough County, the daughter of James Gordon and Ella May (Helpard) Jordan.

Private James Gordon MacDonald

 

Gladys and Alexander were married at the Presbyterian Manse, Thorburn, on January 23, 1922. At the time of his wedding, Alexander was working as a “brakeman.” The 1931 Canadian census lists “Sanders,” Gladys and their nine-year-old son James Gordon living in Thorburn. At that time, Alexander was working in the local coal mines.

Gordon attended school for nine years, leaving at age 16 to work at a variety of jobs. He was employed as a “tire adjuster” at Dominion Rubber Company for a year and a half. He also drove a truck and did “service station work” for two years. At the time of his 1942 enlistment, he had been working as a service station attendant for Mr. Harold March, Halifax, for two years. While employed, Gordon learned to drive cars and trucks, was capable of completing “minor repairs” to vehicles, and had “supervised men.”

Gordon was active in a number of sports—baseball, hockey, softball, swimming and tennis—and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He also played the violin and sang. His pastimes included reading, attending dances and shows, and playing his violin.

On November 10, 1942, Gordon enlisted with the Canadian Active Service Force. He was residing at 32 Inglis St., Halifax. It appears that his parents had parted ways some time earlier, as Gladys was living at the same address. Meanwhile, Sanders resided in Greenwood. Gordon stated that he was his mother’s “sole support,” providing her with the sum of $40.00 a month. While he initially listed his father as next of kin, he later re-assigned this role to his mother.

A Personnel Selection Record interview with Gordon, conducted shortly after his enlistment, described him in these words:

“Well-built, healthy young man, Neat, tidy appearance. Pleasant, friendly and willing. Capable, co-operative and dependable. Held responsible position with Dominion Rubber Company as air adjuster for the Maritime Provinces. Likes the army and would like to work on cars or trucks in any unit.”

The interviewer recommended an “Infantry (Motor)” placement, as this was in keeping with his work experience and interests.

On November 20, Gordon was posted to No. 60 Basic Training Centre, Yarmouth, NS, for the initial stage of military training. In late January 1943, he was transferred to No. 14 Infantry Training Centre, Aldershot, for advanced instruction. Gordon remained there until mid-May, when he departed for overseas, arriving in the United Kingdom on May 22, 1943.

Gordon was immediately assigned to No. 7 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU) and awaited orders to report to an infantry unit. After a nine-day leave in mid-June, he was assigned to the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade’s reinforcement list on July 22, 1943. He remained in the UK for the rest of the year, spending five days in mid-December working with 12 Field Hygiene Section, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, before returning to No. 7 CIRU.

The New Year saw several important developments in Gordon’s military career. On February 4, 1944, he was transferred to No. 3 CIRU. Shortly afterward, he changed his next of kin from his father Alexander to his mother Gladys, an indication that active military service was imminent. On February 18, Gordon was assigned to the Canadian Army’s Mediterranean Force. Shortly afterward, he departed for the region, disembarking in Italy on March 3, 1944. He was immediately placed on the Royal Canadian Regiment’s reinforcement list.

The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) was initially established as the Infantry School Corps on December 21, 1883, and formed the infantry portion of Canada’s permanent military force. After transitioning through several name changes, the unit was officially designated the Royal Canadian Regiment on November 1, 1901.

The RCR was called to active duty on August 6, 1914, and served overseas for the duration of the First World War. Once again mobilized after the September 10, 1939 Canadian declaration of war on Germany, the RCR departed Halifax on December 22, 1939, and arrived in the United Kingdom eight days later.

The unit briefly deployed in France from June 13 to 17, 1940, landing at Brest and advancing inland as far as Chateaubriand before the rapid collapse of French forces in the face of a massive German invasion resulted in a quick retreat to Brest and return to the UK. The RCR’s personnel spent the next three years training and fulfilling various defensive roles in England and Scotland.

On June 28, 1943, the RCR departed from Gourock, Scotland, as part of an Allied Mediterranean Force destined for Italy. The unit was part of the 1st Canadian Division’s 1st Brigade, where it served alongside two Ontario units, the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment and the 48th Highlanders of Canada (Toronto).

On July 10, the RCR’s soldiers were among the Allied units that landed at Pachino, Sicily, as the Allied invasion of Italy commenced. In less than two months, the invading forces had liberated the island. On September 3, the RCR crossed the Strait of Messina to a beach north of Riggio as part of a Canadian invasion of the southernmost portion of the Italian mainland. Over the next eight months, the Canadians pushed northward, moving up the mountainous central region of the Italian peninsula before veering east to coastal plains along the Adriatic Sea.

Meanwhile, a large Allied force led by the United States landed south of Naples, Italy, one week after the Canadians and proceeded northward along the western coast. By year’s end, the Canadians were anchoring the eastern portions of an Allied line north of the recently liberated town of Ortona. Both sides settled into their positions for the winter months, awaiting the resumption of active combat in the spring of 1944.

In late April 1944, Canadian units in the Adriatic sectors north of Ortona were relieved and quietly made their way inland. The RCR arrived in the Oratino area, north of Campobasso, Italy, on April 22 and encamped for several days’ rest. Before month’s end, the soldiers exchanged their winter battledress for bush shorts and slacks. On April 30, the unit relocated to a location 16 kilometers north of Lucera.

Several days of training in conjunction with a British tank regiment followed. On May 4, the unit was on the move again, heading southwest through mountainous terrain to billets 16 kilometers east of Caserta. Personnel carefully camouflaged their vehicles and equipment to avoid enemy identification. As far as German commanders were concerned, the Canadians were still on the Adriatic coast.

The following day, a short journey brought the RCR to Limatola, near the upper waters of the Volturno River, about 50 kilometers inland from the city of Naples and the same distance south of Cassino, where the unit had fought months earlier. An abundance of insects raised concerns over malaria and prompted relocation to a camp on higher ground. For several days, the soldiers rehearsed river crossings in preparation for upcoming operations.

Private James Gordon MacDonald joined the RCR’s ranks during its time near Limatola. On May 8, he was officially “taken on strength” by the unit, which was busy preparing for its next combat assignment—an Allied assault on the strategically important Liri Valley, a passageway to the Italian capital of Rome.

The Liri Valley ran northwesterly for approximately 30 kilometers, stretching from the Garigliano - Bari - Rapido river system to a German defensive network known as the Gustav Line. 10 kilometers wide at its mouth, the valley gradually narrowed into a canyon in the Abruzzi Apennines. A massive promontory known as Monte Cassino rose above its eastern opening. Atop the heights sat a monastery that provided German forces with a clear view of Allied units spread out across the valley’s entrance. Any movement or concentration of forces prompted a fierce response from enemy artillery.

The Canadian Corps was in reserve at 2300 hours May 11, when a massive bombardment to the north of its location signalled the commencement of the Liri Valley offensive. British and Commonwealth units commenced their push into the valley while American forces to the west launched a similar offensive along the Italian coast.

Progress was slow during the offensive’s opening hours, British units barely managing to cross the Gari River and establish small beach-heads on its northern shores. Canadian units, under the command of the British XIII Corps, moved forward the following day and “recce” parties visited the sectors they would soon occupy, 20 kilometers southwest of Cassino.

On May 13, the RCR began its journey into the line, reaching its assigned position by 0200 hours May 14. Young Private Gordon MacDonald was among the soldiers settling into a section of the line located on the Canadian sector’s left flank. To their left was the Liri River, while Monte Cassino rose on the horizon to the north. The British 78th Division and 8th Indian Division occupied the centre of the line.

Eight kilometers to the northwest lay the beginning of a second German defensive network called the Hitler Line. It consisted of defensive positions built into mountain walls on both sides of the valley, 14 kilometers north of the village of Pignatoro. While Polish forces on the right flank failed to make significant progress in their efforts to dislodge German forces from Monte Cassino, moderate success on the left flank prompted Allied commanders to move Canadian units forward in an effort to take advantage of progress made by the 8th Indian Division.

On the afternoon of May 15, the RCR crossed the Gari River and passed through the remnants of the Gustav Line into positions behind the 6th Bengal Lancers. Its companies dug in under persistent mortar and artillery fire as Canadian units prepared to relieved Indian forces in the front line.

At 0700 hours May 16, the RCR passed through Indian reserve positions and advanced almost five kilometers in the face of light opposition. As the soldiers attempted to push forward into an area between the Liri River on their left and the village of Pignatoro on their right, they encountered strong resistance from German positions atop a low ridge.

The RCR’s A Company moved forward, attacked the enemy position and successfully captured the ridge. As its soldiers set about consolidating the location, a torrent of mortar and artillery fire struck the area, indicating that the enemy had deliberately withdrawn to set up a trap.

C Company, which had moved forward in support of their A Company comrades, was driven to the ground by the enemy bombardment. As the shelling continued, A Company’s was forced to withdraw from the ridge. A total of 12 RCR soldiers were killed and another 20 wounded during the day’s fighting.

On the morning of May 17, the RCR received orders to resume the advance. Allied forces were unaware of a dried watercourse that ran across the line of advance at an angle. While little more than a deep ditch, the natural feature was a perfect “tank trap,” preventing armoured units from supporting the advance. Beyond the obstacle, German forces had placed a minefield. Their soldiers lay in wait in small wooded areas and tall grain fields beyond the personnel mines.

On the afternoon of May 17, the RCR resumed the advance. Despite harassing enemy fire and several obstacles in their path, the soldiers captured German positions five kilometers west of Pignatoro. By nightfall, 1st Canadian Division forces had established a continuous front line along the Allied left flank. The following day, the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade’s soldiers advanced to the outskirts at Pontecarro and established a new defensive line.

The RCR’s May 17, 1944 advance came at considerable cost. The unit suffered a total of 18 fatalities as it secured the area west of Pignatoro. Among the soldiers lost that day was Private James Gordon MacDonald, killed in action during his first tour in the front line. The following day, Gordon and his fallen RCR comrades were buried in temporary graves located at map reference MR/805132, sheet 160, Cassino, “100 yards north on side road, west side of road.”

On May 24, military officials sent a telegram to Gladys MacDonald, informing her that “F/75989 Private James Gordon MacDonald [was] officially reported killed in action 17th May 1944.” Nine days later, Canadian officials sent a letter of condolence. Gordon’s remains were re-interred in Cassino War Cemetery, Cassino, Italy, on January 3, 1945.

Gordon’s father Alexander passed away in Aberdeen Hospital, New Glasgow, on October 29, 1949. He was 47 years and six months old at the time of his death. Alexander was interred alongside his father David in Mount William Cemetery, Pictou County. Gladys (Jordan) MacDonald died in the Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, on March 31, 1965, and was laid to rest in Fairview Cemetery.

Alexander’s mother Lydia Ann “Annie” (Marshall) MaDonald outlived her son, grandson and daughter-in-law. She passed away in Aberdeen Hospital, New Glasgow, on June 14, 1968, and was laid to rest in Mount William Cemetery beside her husband and son.

Two of Gladys (Jordan) MacDonald’s cousins—sons of her uncle, John Abner Jordan—also served during the Second World War. Frank Wendell Jordan, born inSherbrooke on November 17, 1916. enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force on July 30, 1941, and served at airfields across eastern Canada. During his time in uniform, Frank advanced to the non-commissioned rank of Sergeant.

Discharged from military service on September 11, 1945, Frank returned to Sherbrooke, where he married Joan Frances Armstrong and raised a family of two daughters. He owned and operated a store in the community for more than two decades and was also postmaster for a period of time. An active member of Royal Canadian Legion Branch #56, Sherbrooke, Frank passed away on May 31, 2012.

Frank’s older brother Stanley Arthur Jordan was born in Sherbrooke on February 26, 1906, and enlisted with the Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE) in Winnipeg, MB, on June 3, 1940. Stanley spent five years overseas, serving in the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany with the RCE. Following his October 11, 1945 discharge, he returned to Churchill, Manitoba, where he owned and operated a barber shop. Stanley never marred and passed away on April 27, 1985.

Special thanks to Kelly Kaiser, Sherbrooke, NS, for contributing a picture of Private Gordon MacDonald on display in the Royal Canadian Legion, Sherbrooke, and providing information on the Jordan brothers’ military service.

Supply Petty Officer Joseph Victor Wilkins Veinotte—Perished At Sea April 29, 1944

 Joseph Victor Wilkins Veinotte was born in Ecum Secum, Guysborough County, on May 24, 1916. Nova Scotia’s Veinotte families trace their ancestry to Leopold Frederick Veinot, born on October 15, 1704, in Blamont, Principality of Montbéliard, France, near the Swiss border. The region was one of the few Protestant enclaves in France.

The son of Jean Hori Veinot and Jeanne Masson, Leopold married Jeanne Melière, who was born in Blamont on October 18, 1704. The couple raised a family of eight children—five boys and three girls—all born in Blamont. On May 16, 1752, Leopold, Jean and their children departed from Rotterdam, Netherlands, aboard the ship Betty, destined for Halifax, NS..

The Veinots’ arrival in Nova Scotia was part of a British campaign to bring Protestant settlers to the colony, to counter-balance its mainly Roman Catholic Acadian population. Notices posted throughout central Europe attracted approximately 2,700 “foreign Protestants” from agricultural communities to the largely unsettled colony. The settlers came from three main areas—the Upper Rhine area of present-day Germany; French- and German-speaking Swiss cantons; and the French-speaking principality of Montbéliard.

In the spring of 1753, males old enough to qualify as landowners gathered in St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Halifax, where they drew for lots of land in a planned settlement near Lunenburg. Leopold received lots in the Moreau, Northwest and Third Divisions, and established his residence in the second location. He passed away there in 1783 at 80 years of age.

Christopher Jacques Veinot, one of Leopold and Jeanne’s five sons, married Elizabeth Catherine Robar in Lunenburg on April 13, 1761. Christopher Jacques and Elizabeth had at least three children—a daughter Catharine Elizabeth and two sons, James Frederick and Jean George—all born in Lunenburg. In 1800, James Frederick (1768 - 1843) married Mary Catherine Boucher (1785 - 1837) in Lunenburg.

Jacob Veinot (1809 - 1834), one of James Frederick and Mary’s sons, married Elizabeth Langille (1813 - 1891) in Lunenburg on October 6, 1831. The following year, their oldest child, John Frederick “Fred,” was born in Martin’s River, located between Chester and Mahone Bay, and relocated to Ecum Secum, Guysborough County, in the 1850s.

A lumberman and millwright by occupation, Fred married Elizabeth Ann “Annie” Fleet, daughter of David Fleet and Sarah Jewers, Ecum Secum, on January 24, 1859. The couple raised a large family of 13 children—10 daughters and three sons—in their home. Fred passed away in Ecum Secum on March 8, 1895, and was laid to rest in St. Barnabas Cemetery, Ecum Secum.

David Kenneth Veinotte, the third youngest of Fred and Annie’s children, was born in 1878. Kenneth married Mary Florence Ashton, daughter of Nathaniel Ashton, “trader,” and Mary Catherine Publicover, in a Church of England ceremony held in Ecum Secum on August 28, 1907. At the time of his marriage, Kenneth listed his occupation as “farmer.” He eventually opened a general store in Ecum Secum and later opened a funeral home business in the community. During the early years of the Second World War, Kenneth was the foreman in charge of the construction of Shearwater Air Force Base, Dartmouth.

Kenneth and Florence raised a family of six children, four sons and two daughters. At the time of the 1921 Canadian census, their household included Frederick “Fred,” age 13; David Roger, age 11; Mary Catherine, age eight; Victor, age five, and Anna Louisa “Annie,” age one. Kenneth’s mother Annie, age 83, also resided in the Veinotte home. Kenneth and Florence’s youngest child, Charles Stewart, was born before year’s end.

Victor Veinotte, the third of Kenneth and Florence’s four sons, left school at age 17 after completing eight years of public education. He then worked as a clerk in the “grocery store run by [his] father” in Ecum Secum. One year after the outbreak of war overseas, Victor enlisted with the Royal Canadian Navy at Halifax on August 8, 1940. As a result of his experience in retail business, Victor was awarded the initial rank of V. A. [VIctualling Assistant] Prob. [Probationary],” a branch of the naval service responsible for the provision of food and other stores aboard its vessels.

On November 7, 1940, Victor was promoted to the full rank of Victualling Assistant (VA). Before month’s end, he was assigned to HMCS Venture, a three-masted training ship used as an accommodation vessel in Halifax Harbour. The New Year brought another significant event in Victor’s life. On January 30, 1941, he married Irma May Pace, daughter of Harold Pace, Marie Joseph, and May Baker, in a ceremony held in Trinity Church, Halifax.

Victor remained in Halifax for almost two years. On July 18, 1941, he was assigned to HMCS Stadacona, Halifax, the RCN’s main base. Four months later, he was promoted to the rank of Leading VA. During that time, Victor and Irma’s first child, a son, was born. Irma was pregnant with their second child, a daughter, when Victor was posted to HMCS Niobe, the RCN’s United Kingdom headquarters, on November 5, 1942. He travelled to the RCN base at St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, aboard HMCS Orillia, and departed for overseas aboard HMS Monkshood, a British Navy corvette.

On February 4, 1943, Victor was assigned to the crew of HMCS Athabaskan. Commissioned at Newcastle-on-Tyne on February 3, 1943, the Athabaskan was the first of three RCN ships to bear this name. A tribal-class destroyer, assigned to the British Home Fleet, the vessel suffered a number of mishaps during its brief time in service. Four months after joining the Athabaskan’s crew, Victor was promoted to the rank of Supply Petty Officer.

In late March 1943, the Athabaskan commenced active duty, patrolling the area between Iceland and the Faroe Islands in search of “blockade runners.” Heavy seas encountered during the assignment damaged the vessel’s hull, resulting in a five-week repair job in a South Shields dry dock, east of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Shortly after returning to duty, the Athabaskan was assigned to Operation Gearbox III. The undertaking was the third mission connected to an Allied effort to secure the Arctic island of Spitsbergen, located in the Barents Sea, north of Scandinavia. After the outbreak of war, German forces had occupied the island, which contained valuable coal deposits.

The first two operations, joint Norwegian and British efforts, established an Allied presence the island. The third mission transported reinforcements and supplies to the garrison stationed there. Several ships departed from Iceland on June 7. As the Athabaskan made its way northward from the UK to join its comrades, the ship collided with a boom defence vessel at Scape Flow, Orkney Islands, on June 18. The incident forced the destroyer to sail to Devonport, where it remained under repair for one month.

Upon returning to sea, the Athabaskan operated out of Plymouth, UK, conducting anti-submarine patrols in the Bay of Biscay, north of Spain and west of France, throughout the summer months. On August 27, the destroyer was engaged in an anti-submarine pursuit off Cape Ortegal, Spain, when a squadron of 18 Dornier Do 217 enemy aircraft attacked its Support Group.

The planes carried under their wings a new weapon deployed in combat for the first time only two days earlier—the Henschel Hs 293 glide bomb, a radio-guided weapon equipped with a small rocket engine. The aircraft launched the weapon at a distance from its targets sufficient to avoid retaliatory fire.

During the aerial attack, a glide bomb passed through the Athabaskan’s hull and detonated after exiting the vessel. While the ship was heavily damaged in the attack, it remained afloat. The British sloop HMS Egret, also targeted in the same incident, was not so fortunate. A glide bomb sunk the vessel, resulting in the loss of 198 lives. In response, Allied naval commanders immediately suspended the Bay of Biscay patrols.

The Athabaskan suffered four fatalities and several casualties in the August 27 incident. The vessel nevertheless pulled 35 Egret survivors from the water and managed to make its way to Devonport, UK, for repairs, despite a serious list to starboard. Before year’s end, the ship was back at sea.

In December 1943, the destroyer returned to the Orkneys and escorted convoy JW55A to the Soviet Union. The ship arrived to Plymouth in February 1944 and was assigned to the newly-formed 10th Destroyer Flotilla. The group commenced mine-laying and patrol missions off the coast of France as Allied forces began preparations for the D-Day landings.

On April 26, the Athabaskan assisted in the destruction of a German Elbing-Class torpedo boat while on patrol off the coast of Ushant, France. During the early morning hours of April 29, 1944, the Athabaskan and her sister Tribal-class destroyer Haida were providing support to a British mine-laying operation near the mouth of the Morlaix River, France, when the vessels received orders to intercept German warships near Île Bataz, at the entrance to Morlaix harbour.

There are varying accounts of the naval battle that ensued, as the encounter occurred under cover of darkness. Some members of the Athabaskan’s crew claim that the ship was first struck by shells from a German shore battery, followed by a torpedo launched from German torpedo boat T24. Another sailor claimed that a second torpedo struck the ship 15 minutes later, but naval authorities eventually concluded that a fire aboard the ship caused an explosion in its ammunition magazine.

The Haida managed to rescue 44 of the Athabaskan’s crew as the vessel slipped beneath the waters. Another 83 men were taken prisoner by three German minesweepers that searched the area after the Haida’s departure. A total of 129 crew members perished in the sinking. Among them was the Athabaskan’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander John Stubbs, who was killed in action after declining rescue by the Haida and swimming back toward the ship to assist surviving crew members.

While approaching daylight forced the Haida to depart the area, due to heightened risk of air and sea attack, its motor cutter remained at the site of the sinking. Manned by four crew members, the small vessel managed to rescue six Athabaskan survivors and two Haida crew members who had fallen from its scramble nets as the destroyer departed. While the German minesweepers initially pursued the motor cutter, they eventually abandoned the chase. After several breakdowns and encounters with enemy aircraft, the boat safely made it to the UK just before midnight April 29.

On May 1, 1944, Canadian naval authorities wrote to Irma, informing her that her husband, Supply Petty Officer Joseph Victor Wilkins Veinotte, was missing:

“According to the report received from overseas, your husband’s loss occurred when HMCS Athabaskan was torpedoed and sunk by enemy action on the 29th of April, 1944, in the English Channel…. While Petty Officer Veinotte is reported as ‘missing,’ there is a possibility of his survival. It is understood that a number of the crew have been taken prisoner of war by the enemy. The Red Cross have been informed and are attempting to obtain from the German Government a list of those taken. Please be assured that as soon as any information respecting your husband has been received you will be informed.”

Irma received no further word from authorities until January 12, 1945, when she was notified that her husband was now officially considered “missing, reported dead” on April 29, 1944. Two months later, Canadian authorities dispatched a War Memorial Cross to Irma at Marie Joseph and a second to Victor’s mother May Florence, who resided in nearby Ecum Secum.

Supply Petty Officer Victor Veinotte and his Athabaskan comrades are commemorated on the Halifax Memorial, erected in Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, in 1967 in memory of more than 3,000 sailors, merchant seamen and other military personnel who perished at sea during the two world wars and Korean conflict, and have no known graves.

In 2002, Jacques Ouchakoff, a French marine historian, located the shattered remains of the Athabaskan scattered over the sea bed in 90 meters of water near Île de Batz. The government of France subsequently placed the wreck under the authority of the French Heritage Code, providing legal protection for the vessel and its contents. Two years after the wreck’s discovery, the Royal Canadian Navy provided the French government with a brass plaque to be placed on the wreckage, in commemoration of its lost crew members.

Two of Irma Veinotte’s brothers enlisted for service during the Second World War. Earl Stillman Pace joined the merchant marine. Shipwrecked twice during the war, he survived both incidents. Gordon Amos Pace enlisted with the North Nova Scotia Regiment. Wounded during combat in the Netherlands, he also safely returned home.

Victor’s father David Kenneth Veinotte passed away in Armdale, Halifax, NS, on March 28, 1957, and was laid to rest in Ecum Secum. In 1948, Irma Veinotte and her two young children relocated to Windsor, ON, where Irma initially worked on a local assembly line. Determined to improve her situation, she completed several training programs and earned a position with the local taxation center.

Several years later, Revenue Canada offered Irma the opportunity to relocate to Ottawa for a year to work on a project. She moved to the national capital and spent the rest of her years there, eventually earning a managerial position with the department. Irma never re-married and passed away in Ottawa on June 10, 2019. Her ashes were “taken to Nova Scotia to be interred in the family cemetery.”

Special thanks to Victor's son Dennis Veinotte, Arnprior, ON, who provided information on the Veinotte family's story, and Dennis's son Victor, Ottawa, ON, who contributed a photograph of his grandfather and namesake.

Able Seaman Hilbert Joseph Peart—Perished at Sea April 29, 1944

Hilbert Joseph Peart was born in Canso, Guysborough County, on February 28, 1916, the youngest of Roy Walter and Elizabeth Lillian “Bessie” (Scott) Peart’s five children. Roy was the son of William Henry and Ida Alice (Hadley) Peart, Philips Harbour, while Bessie was the daughter of Joseph B. and Sarah A. Scott, Guysborough.

Able Seaman Hilbert Joseph Peart

Roy and Bessie were married in Boylston on December 30, 1908, and established residence in Cooks Cove. Their first child, Dorothy Jean, was born in Guysborough on February 14, 1910, but died in infancy. Over the next four years, four sons joined the Peart household—James Scott (DOB June 4, 1911) and William “Bill” (DOB May 2, 1912) were born in Guysborough, while Raymond Roy (DOB March 13, 1914) and Hilbert were born in Canso, where Roy worked as a “fireman” aboard one of the local fishing boats.

Raymond Roy died in Canso from a combination of bronchitis and pneumonia on November 9, 1917. Sometime before 1921, the family unit disintegrated when Bessie and Roy parted ways. At the time of the 1921 census, Bill was residing in Guysborough with his grandparents, William and Ida Peart, while Hilbert was living in Canso, the “adopted son” of Patrick and Alice Dollard (no apparent relationship). The Nova Scotia census data contains no record of James Scott or parents Roy and Bessie.

Hilbert was still living in Canso with the Dollard family at the time of the 1931 census. While he was listed as a student at the time, he left school shortly afterward and went to work in the local fishery. By the mid-1930s, Hilbert had relocated to Halifax, where he worked for National Fish Co. as a “seaman” aboard a steam trawler. His duties included “fishing, curing and packing.”

On October 17, 1939, Hilbert enlisted with the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve at Halifax. He identified his father Roy Peart, 451 Agricola St., Halifax, as his next of kin. At the time of his enlistment, he expressed an interest in working as a “railway labourer or [joining the] Coast Guard” after completing his military service.

Hilbert commenced his service aboard HMCS Viernoe, the commercial vessel on which he was employed at the time of his enlistment. The Viernoe had received an RCN commission only six days before Hilbert’s enlistment and operated out of Sydney, NS, as a “boom defense” vessel. Hlibert served aboard the Viernoe until May 31, 1940, at which time he was assigned to HMCS Stadacona Naval Base, Halifax.

In early August 1940, Hilbert returned to the Sydney area when he was assigned to HMCS Protector, the RCN’s Point Edward Naval Base. While stationed there, he met Mary Dorothy Boudreau, daughter of Alphonse and Minnie (Robinson) Boudreau, D’Escousse, Isle Madame. The couple were married at Sacred Heart Church, Sydney, on November 30, 1940.

In late March 1942, Hilbert travelled to Halifax to join the crew of HMCS Grandmère, a minesweeper assigned to the Western Local Escort Force, which provided protection for convoys. The vessel operated out of Sydney, which was convenient as Dorothy had established residence in the city. In fact, during the early years of their marriage, Dorothy gave birth to two children—a daughter Patricia Elizabeth (c. 1941) and a son Roy Alphonse (c. 1942).

After logging 315 days of Atlantic service aboard the Grandmère, Hilbert was transferred to HMCS Niobe, the RCN’s overseas headquarters at Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland, on March 21, 1943. The location also served as a “transit camp” for RCN crewmen as they transitioned from one assignment to another. On June 19, 1943, Hilbert was posted to HMCS Athabaskan.

Crew of HMCS Athabaskan

Commissioned at Newcastle-on-Tyne on February 3, 1943, the Athabaskan was the first of three RCN ships to bear the name. A tribal-class destroyer assigned to the British Home Fleet, the vessel suffered a series of mishaps during its brief time in service.

In late March 1943, the Athabaskan commenced active duty, patrolling the area between Iceland and the Faroe Islands in search of “blockade runners.” Heavy seas encountered during the assignment damaged the vessel’s hull, resulting in a five-week repair job in a South Shields dry dock, east of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Shortly after returning to duty, the Athabaskan was assigned to Operation Gearbox III. The assignment was the third mission connected to Allied efforts to secure possession of the Arctic island of Spitsbergen, located in the Barents Sea, north of Scandinavia. After the outbreak of war, German forces had occupied the island, which contained valuable coal deposits.

The first two operations—joint Norwegian and British efforts—established an Allied presence on the island. The third mission transported reinforcements and supplies to the garrison stationed there. Several ships departed from Iceland on June 7. As the Athabaskan made its way northward from the UK to join the convoy, the ship collided with a boom defence vessel at Scape Flow, located in the Orkney Islands, on June 18. The incident forced the destroyer to sail to Devonport, where it spent one month undergoing repairs.

Upon returning to sea, the Athabaskan operated out of Plymouth, UK, throughout the summer months, conducting anti-submarine patrols in the Bay of Biscay, north of Spain and west of France. On August 27, the destroyer was engaged in an anti-submarine pursuit off Cape Ortegal, Spain, when a German squadron of 18 Dornier Do 217 aircraft attacked its Support Group.

The planes carried under their wings a new weapon deployed in combat for the first time only two days earlier—the Henschel Hs 293 glide bomb, a radio-guided weapon equipped with a small rocket engine. The aircraft would launch the bomb at a distance from a target sufficient to avoid retaliatory fire.

During the aerial attack, a glide bomb passed through the Athabaskan’s hull and detonated after exiting the ship. While the vessel was heavily damaged in the attack, it remained afloat. The British sloop HMS Egret, also targeted in the same incident, was not so fortunate. A glide bomb sunk the vessel, resulting in the loss of 198 lives. In response, Allied naval commanders immediately suspended the Bay of Biscay patrols.

The Athabaskan suffered four fatalities and several casualties in the August 27 incident. The vessel nevertheless pulled 35 Egret survivors from the water and despite a serious list to starboard successfully made its way to Devonport, UK, for repairs. The ship was back at sea before year’s end.

In December 1943, the destroyer returned to the Orkneys and escorted convoy JW55A to the Soviet Union. The vessel arrived in Plymouth in February 1944 and was assigned to the newly-formed 10th Destroyer Flotilla shortly afterward. The group commenced mine-laying and patrol missions off the coast of France as Allied forces began preparations for the D-Day landings.

On April 26, the Athabaskan assisted in the destruction of a German Elbing-class torpedo boat while on patrol off the coast of Ushant, France. During the early morning hours of April 29, 1944, the Athabaskan and her sister Tribal-class destroyer Haida were providing support for a British mine-laying operation near the mouth of the Morlaix River, France, when the vessel received orders to intercept German warships near Île Bataz, at the entrance to Morlaix Harbour.

There are varying accounts of the naval battle that ensued, as the encounter occurred under cover of darkness. Some members of the Athabaskan’s crew claim that the ship was first struck by shells from a German shore battery, followed by a torpedo launched from German torpedo boat T24. Another sailor claimed that a second torpedo struck the ship 15 minutes later, but naval authorities eventually concluded that a fire aboard the ship caused an explosion in its ammunition magazine.

The Haida managed to rescue 44 of the Athabaskan’s crew as the vessel slipped beneath the waters. A total of 83 survivors were taken prisoner by three German minesweepers that searched the area after the Haida’s departure. Altogether, 129 Athabaskan crew members perished in the sinking. Among them was its Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander John Stubbs, who was killed in action after declining rescue by the Haida and swimming back toward the ship to assist surviving crew.

While approaching daylight forced the Haida to depart the area, due to heightened risk of enemy attack, its motor cutter remained in the area. Manned by four crew members, the small vessel managed to rescue six Athabaskan survivors and two Haida crew members who had fallen from its scramble nets as the destroyer departed. While the German minesweepers initially pursued the motor cutter, they eventually abandoned the chase. After several breakdowns and encounters with enemy aircraft, the boat safely made it to the UK just before midnight April 29.

In the aftermath of the Athabaskan’s sinking, naval officials were unable to account for the fate of its missing crew members. On May 1, 1944, the Secretary of the Naval Board wrote to Dorothy Peart, who was now living at 106 Connaught Avenue, Glace Bay:

“It is with deepest regret that I must confirm the telegram of the 1st of May, 1944, from the Minister of National Defence for Naval Services, informing you that your husband, Hilbert Joseph Peart, Able Seaman, Royal Canadian Naval Reserve,… is missing from HMCS Athabaskan. According to the report received from overseas, your husband’s loss occurred when HMCS Athabaskan was torpedoed and sunk by enemy action on the 29th of April, 1944, in the English Channel.

“While Able Seaman Peart is reported as ‘missing,’ there is a possibility of his survival. It is understood that a number of the crew have been taken prisoners of war by the enemy. The Red Cross have been informed and are attempting to obtain from the German Government a list of those taken. Please be assured that as soon as any further information respecting your husband has been received you will be informed.”

For four months, there was no further word on Hilbert’s fate. Finally, on January 12, 1945, a document from the Secretary of the Naval Board confirmed that Able Seaman Hilbert Joseph Peart was now officially “missing, presumed dead, date 29 April, 1944, when HMCS Athabaskan was torpedoed and sunk by enemy action in the English Channel.”

On April 14, 1946, Roy Walter Peart passed away at 451 Agricola St., Halifax, at age 58. According to his death certificate, Roy had been employed as a “fireman” with Nova Scotia Light & Power Company for 22 years prior to his death. He was laid to rest in Camp Hill Cemetery, Halifax. Three months later, Hilbert’s widow Dorothy married Maurice Jeoffrey Fougere, son of Simon and Victoria (Frasie) Fougere, New Victoria, Cape Breton, in a ceremony that took place at 217 George St., Sydney, on July 3, 1946.

Able Seaman Hilbert Joseph Peart’s name and those of his 128 Athabaskan comrades were later engraved on the Halifax Memorial, erected in Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, in 1967 to commemorate more than 3,000 sailors, merchant seamen and other military personnel who perished at sea during the two world wars and Korean conflict, and have no known graves.

In 2002, Jacques Ouchakoff, a French marine historian, located the shattered remains of the Athabaskan, scattered over the sea bed in 90 meters of water near Île de Batz. The government of France subsequently placed the wreck under the French Heritage Code, providing legal protection for the vessel and its contents. Two years after its discovery, the Royal Canadian Navy provided the French government with a brass plaque to be placed on the wreckage, in commemoration of its lost crew members.

Special thanks to Hilbert's grand-daughter Tanya Peart, Sydney, NS, who provided a photograph of her grandfather. Doris "Dee Dee" Blood, Middleton, NS, Hilbert's grand-niece, also contributed information on the Peart family.