On the evening of 11 November 1940, two vessels approached the body of water known as the Little Minch off the north west coast of Skye. From the south, the coaster The Duchess was heading north to then passage south down the North Sea coast for London with a general cargo including maize and sugar. From the north, the London registered steamship Trefusis was heading south for Oban with an unspecified cargo, both vessels were travelling at around 9 knots.
It was later found that only one of the vessels was displaying lights which turned out to be the main cause of what was about to unfold. As the two vessels neared they were on slightly crossing courses, the Trefusis seeing the Duchess off her port bow altered course to starboard, The Duchess only seeing the Trefusis at the last minute turned to port. By this stage a collision was inevitable, the Trefusis crashed into the small coaster, which sank quickly taking with her all her crew bar the steward who was picked up by the Trefusis.
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.