(Note: Though a poppy does not appear on the street sign, this street is part of the City of London's "Streets of Honour" program and was named for Able Seaman Singleton)
John Clifford Singleton was born on 21 September 1914 in London, ON. He attended Aberdeen and St. George’s Public schools before graduating from H.B. Beal Technical High School. Singleton enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve in September 1941 and after completing his training, was assigned to HMCS ATHABASCAN, remaining with the ship throughout the war. Able Seaman Singleton was killed and lost at sea on 29 April 1944, when his ship was torpedoed by T-24, off the coast of France. John Clifford Singleton was 29 years old and is commemorated on the Halifax Memorial.
HMCS ATHABASKAN was commissioned in Feb 1943 and assigned to the British Home Fleet. In March 1943, she sailed for her first mission patrolling the Iceland-Faeroes Passage area and in Jun 1943, she took part in OP GEARBOX III, the relief of the garrison at Spitsbergen. In Jul and Aug 1943 she was based at Plymouth, carrying out anti-submarine patrols in the Bay of Biscay, and on 27 Aug 1943 was hit by a glider bomb off the Spanish coast. ATHABASKAN managed to reach Devonport, where she remained under repair until Nov 1943. During the Dec – Jan period , she escorted three convoys after which she returned to Plymouth Command. On 26 Apr 1944 she assisted in the destruction of German torpedo boat T-29 in the Channel off Ushant, and three days later was sunk by a torpedo from T-24 north of Ile de Batz. Her captain and 128 men were lost; among them was AS Singleton.
