Son of Samuel William and Mary Ann MacPherson, of Caledonia, Prince Edward Island.
Brother of Stoker 1st Class John Samuel MacPherson service number V-1484, who died while serving with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve on 8 November 1942 aboard of the HMS Walney during the North Africa Invasion, operation Torch.
On 29 March 1941, the Liguria was sailing unescorted away from convoy OB-302 when she was torpedoed by U-46 and sank in six minutes after breaking in two 300 miles (483 km) south-south-west of Reykjavik, Iceland, position 59°27'N/24°36'W. On 3 April, the SS Athenic picked up 8 survivors on a raft and 3 in a dinghy. One man later died of exposure. On the 4th, this ship was torpedoed by U-76 without causing any casualties. On the 5th, all the sailors were rescued by the British corvette HMS Arbutus (K86) and disembarked in Liverpool, England, on the 8th. Of the Liguria's crew, 16 lost their lives and 10 survived.
HALIFAX MEMORIAL Nova Scotia, Canada
The HALIFAX MEMORIAL in Nova Scotia's capital, erected in Point Pleasant Park, is one of the few tangible reminders of the men who died at sea. Twenty-four ships were lost by the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War and nearly 2,000 members of the RCN lost their lives.
This Memorial was erected by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and was unveiled in November 1967 with naval ceremony by H.P. MacKeen, Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, in the presence of R. Teillet, then Minister of Veterans Affairs.
The monument is a great granite Cross of Sacrifice over 12 metres high, clearly visible to all ships approaching Halifax. The cross is mounted on a large podium bearing 23 bronze panels upon which are inscribed the names of over 3,000 Canadian men and women who were buried at sea.
The dedicatory inscription, in French and English, reads as follows:
1918-1945
IN THE HONOUR OF
THE MEN AND WOMEN
OF THE NAVY
ARMY AND MERCHANT NAVY
OF CANADA
WHOSE NAMES
ARE INSCRIBED HERE
THEIR GRAVES ARE UNKNOWN
BUT THEIR MEMORY
SHALL ENDURE.
On June 19, 2003, the Government of Canada designated September 3rd of each year as a day to acknowledge the contribution of Merchant Navy Veterans.
Pour plus d’informations, visitez la Commission des sépultures de guerre du Commonwealth (site disponible en anglais seulement).
L’image du coquelicot est une marque déposée de la Légion royale canadienne (Direction nationale) et est utilisée avec sa permission. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur le coquelicot.