One Soldier Records His Observations During The Last Few Days Of World War I

April 20, 2020September 8, 2026 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 3 Comments

April 20, 2020. As we stay in social isolation during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, many people are wondering how we will react once the restrictions are lifted, how they will be lifted, and when they will be lifted. At the moment there are no clear answers. But there are examples in the past about how people reacted when major events came to an end.

One of these was the reaction of WWI soldiers when they learned that the war would end on the 11^th hour of the 11^th month in 1918. Some didn’t believe it would happen, others wondered why wait when a ceasefire was already in the works. Some thought to reduce the loss of life by not actively pursuing the soon to be ex-enemy, while others strove to aggressively take out as many enemies out as possible. George Lawrence PRICE, the Canadian soldier who was shot by a German sniper and died two minutes before the 11 am ceasefire comes to mind as an example of the latter. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lawrence_Price)

Harold Keith HOWATT, of Augustine Cove, was in the 8^th Canadian Siege Battery during WW1 and survived the war. With this year’s pandemic in mind, we looked through his writings to see if there was any mention of what later became known as the Spanish flu among the troops. To our surprise, only one mention was made of flu, and it had nothing to do with soldiers!

On October 29, 1918 he wrote that “….I received three letters from PEI and in one of them was the news that Morley Newsome had died of influenza. It was quite a blow to me, we had always been such good friends….” (Morley NEWSOME, the son of Samuel Newsome and Charlotte Dawson, died on October 8, 1918, and is buried in Charlottetown.)

Next we wondered what he wrote once the news of an upcoming ceasefire was announced. The first mention is of a rumour on November 5, 1918, while he was in Hérin, France, not that far from the Belgian border. “…The Allied Army is going strong all along the line, the Belgians are reported to be in Ghent, the Americans have captured Sedan, and the French are going strong. There are rumours of an armistice…”

Orange star is the approximate location of Hérin, France where Howatt was located in early November. Brown arrow is the location of Sedan, Belgium. (Map source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Days_Offensive)

On November 6, 1918, he wrote that “…Peace rumours growing stronger. It is reported that Mons is captured, also that the Germans have asked the Allied Command if they will receive a peace delegation…” Mons is in Belgium.

The next day, November 7, he recorded that it was “….officially reported that Turkey and Austria have unconditionally surrendered, that the Allied Fleet is in the Black Sea, and that Austria has to allow the Allies to march through their territory to attack Germany from the south…”

On November 8, he sounds a hopeful note. “…It is official that Germany is sending a peace delegation across the lines. No one knows where the Germans are in front of here, somewhere beyond Mons. There is great expectation of peace….”

On November 9, he writes about going into the nearby town of Denain for a concert and later to visit a canteen where he met Canadians who recently arrived from England. “… There were a great number of Canadians in Denain today, two or three thousand reinforcements who have just come over from Blighty. The rumour tonight is that the Allies have given Germany until Monday at 11:00 hours to agree to the terms of the armistice….” All these rumours in the days before social media indicate the keen interest in what was happening!

Hérin is circled in purple. Denain is circled in orange. (Source: Google map for area around Cambrai, France.)

On November 10, Harold’s unit was woken up at 5 am and told they would be on the move to Boussu, Belgium, a small town 10 kms west of Mons. Then nothing happened all morning! Hurry up and wait? Finally, after dinner, Harold was part of an advance party that left in a truck with “…several signallers, two cooks, and Lutly and I…”

Howatt’s advance party travelled through Valenciennes to Boussu. (Map source: Google)

When they arrived in Boussu, Harold recorded that “…There are a large number of civilians in the town, and there was great excitement among the civilians, the band started to play, and the civilians flocked around, and started to dance, sing, and shout ‘La guerre est fini’. The general impression seems to be that the war is about over…..”

The first entry for Monday, November 11, 1918 was in quotes and underlined. “Hostilities have ceased.” Harold then gave an account of the reaction. “….At eleven o’clock this morning fighting ceased, the Germans have evidently accepted the terms of the armistice. There was not much excitement today, the fellows hardly believe that it is true. There is just a quiet undertone of gladness…”

With fighting over, the rest of Harold’s unit came to Boussu and they were billeted in a chateau built in 1539 and belonging to the Marquisse de Charbonne, a Parisian who used the chateau as a summer home. Howatt mentions that the chateau had been “…used by Fritz as billets. When we got over there to hold the billets we found about twenty Belgian girls here cleaning out the place. It was in an awful mess….. We certainly had a circus here this morning with those girls, they would work for a while, then they would have a dance. I laughed more than I have for ages….”

The end of fighting didn’t mean that soldiers were free to leave. On November 12, Harold reported that “…Gun crews went down to clean the guns and signallers and B.C.A.s to clean their stores…” (B.C.A. is an acronym for Battery Commander Assistant, the position held by Harold.)

On November 13, Harold mentioned more rumours going through his unit. “...There are all sorts of rumours going around today, some say that we are going up into Germany, others say we are going right back to Canada. I wouldn’t mind going into Germany at all….” Not long afterwards, Harold did go to Germany as part of the Army of Occupation.

We think of major events as having a beginning and an end. They do, but the timing is staggered and never crystal clear. Not only are there rumours, but there is a time lag when people begin to believe that what they have been told is true. It must have been an enormous shock, mixed with relief, to learn that fighting was over, and then came the uncertainty while waiting to hear what would happen next. This is a lesson for us with the pandemic.

After returning home, Harold married Louise Wright, and died on October 15, 1985, aged 93. Does anyone have a photo of Harold Howatt? If so, please let Pieter know. You can email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog. UPDATE: A photo has been found.

© Daria Valkenburg

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats. Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Seaman Who Was Hit By A Tram

April 5, 2020August 26, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

April 5, 2020. Sometimes strange mishaps happen. You’d expect that a seaman serving in Halifax, Nova Scotia would either be safe or, at worst, lose his life at sea. But that’s not what happened to Singleton Charles JEFFERY!

20191221_154309 Singelton Jeffery newspaper from Mitch MacDonald

Singleton Charles Jeffery. (Photo courtesy of May 17, 1941 edition of The Charlottetown Guardian, submitted by Mitch MacDonald. )

Jeffery was born on May 13, 1917 in Bayfield, New Brunswick, the son of Stephen and Alice Jeffery, and grew up in Cape Traverse. After his father died, his mother remarried, to James Campbell. A fisherman on the Island in pre-war years, he also worked as a seaman for Imperial Oil in Halifax, transporting oil, before enlisting with the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve in Halifax on May 5, 1940, Jeffery was also one of the few servicemen listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion who was married and had children. He married a few months after enlistment and, with his wife Mildred Catharina, had two children: Betty Patricia and Diane May.

While Jeffery served aboard Navy ships in the Atlantic Ocean, his family lived in Halifax, where he was based. On the evening of December 1, 1943, while stationed at the H.M.C.S. ‘Stadacona’ navy base as a patrolman, he was fatally hit by a tram in Halifax. (For more information on H.M.C.S. ‘Stadacona’, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFB_Halifax#Stadacona)

A Board of Inquiry on December 27, 1943 found that: “…There was contributory negligence on part of the street car operator and the deceased. The operator was negligent in that he did not bring the street car to a full stop or slow down to a minimum speed and ring his bell to indicate to the would-be passengers that he was not making the regular stop…”

The Board noted that Jeffery was negligent in “…that he crowded so close to the street car tracks at a point twenty to thirty feet south of the regular stop that he was struck…” The Board found that although Jeffery had “…consumed a considerable quantity of beer (ten glasses)…” he was not found to be drunk, but his “…judgment may have been impaired by effects of the beverage..” An autopsy showed that he had a full stomach, indicating that he had eaten, and not just been drinking.

On December 29, 1943, during the Board of Inquiry, a witness who had been on the tram at the time of the accident testified that he did NOT hear the conductor sound the bell as the tram approached the stop. According to the customary practice, the tram operator was supposed to ring a bell if he was NOT going to stop and pick up passengers. In his opinion, he believed that Jeffery “…thought the street car was going to stop and he started to go in front of it in order to cross the street….”

Another witness at the December 29, 1943 Board of Inquiry testified that he and another sailor had also been hit by the tram, but were not seriously injured. He too explained that he was of the opinion that since the tram operator was slowing down “…we had the idea that he was stopping…” When asked if the tram operator had rung his bell to indicate he was not stopping, the answer was no.

A colleague of Jeffery had been with him at the Canteen testified that although both of them had drunk beer, neither was drunk. He explained that after leaving the Canteen, Jeffery “…intended going to the Nova Scotian to a dance…”

In response to the inquiry by the Department of National Defence into the incident, on February 2, 1944, the Nova Scotia Light and Power Company, which operated the tram, wrote that according to the tram operator: “…when approaching the Navy entrance to the Wet Canteen, he noticed a group of sailors out on the streets and about the tracks. He sounded the gong and slowed down; the sailors cleared away for the passing of the tram, and he continued at slow speed. When approximately 20 feet south of the point where the main group of sailors were standing, a man stumbled forward and struck the side of the right front corner post of the tram. He was spun around and fell to the pavement on the western side of the tram tracks. Another sailor standing alongside the party who was struck attempted to grab him as he stumbled, but failed to reach him in time….”

While the Board of Inquiry had multiple witnesses testify that the tram operator’s actions gave the impression that he was going to stop and pick up the waiting servicemen, the final opinion by the District Pensions Advocate of the Department of Pensions and National Health of the Veterans Bureau concluded that “…I am of the opinion that the injuries sustained by Jeffery were due to his own negligence in either standing too close to the tram track and failing to remove himself when he should have seen the tram proceeding towards him, or in stepping closer to the track after the front of the tram had safely passed him. I think it is significant that the front of the tram did not hit Jeffery.”

A victim of a tragic accident, Jeffery is buried at the Bedford Gate of Heaven cemetery in Nova Scotia, which we visited.

CIMG7699 Jul 10 2017 Pieter by Jeffery gravestone

Pieter by the grave of Singleton Charles Jeffery at the Bedford Gate Of Heaven Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Pieter is still looking for a better photo of Singleton Charles Jeffery, as well as photos and information on the names listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion. If you have an item to share please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

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The WWII Soldier From Emerald Junction Who Lost His Life In Italy

March 10, 2020February 28, 2026 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

March 10, 2020. Among the names listed on the Cenotaph outside of the Borden-Carleton Legion are 4 that died in Italy during WWII. One of these men was Ernest Murray NORTON (see The Last Valentine From A WWII Soldier). This posting is about a young man who lost his life during the Battle of Moro.

George Alfred DUNN was born February 11, 1915 in Roseville, the son of Joseph J. Dunn and Mary Ellen Jones. Dunn didn’t have an easy life. His mother died when he was six. His father died when Dunn was only 9 years old, and he was brought up by his uncle, William Dunn, of Emerald Junction.

A woodsman before enlisting with the Carleton & York Regiment in St. Stephen, New Brunswick on September 8, 1939, he received training in Woodstock, New Brunswick and then went to Europe with the first Canadian contingent, sailing to England on December 8, 1939 aboard the S.S. ‘Monarch of Bermuda’, and arriving on December 17.

George Alfred Dunn. (Photo source: http://www.ancestry.com. Photo colourization: Pieter Valkenburg)

On May 8, 1941, he was temporarily attached for a month to the Guards Depot while at a Drill Instructors Course. Upon completion, he was sent to No.1 AFW RCOC in Aldershot for a few weeks while he completed a PT No. 32 Course. On October 18, 1941 he was promoted to Acting Lance Corporal. (NOTE: RCOC refers to Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps, a unit provisioning troops with the means to fight, such as uniforms, weapons and equipment. AFW refers to Army Field Workshop.)

On May 16, 1942, he was promoted to Corporal, then on November 1942 he received another promotion, to Lance Sergeant, and was sent for more training. On June 16, 1943 he was sent to Italy, and then, on August 25, 1943, he was promoted to Sergeant.

On December 6, 1943, Canadian forces, along with British, Indian, and New Zealand infantry divisions, began a series of large-scale assaults on major crossing points along the Moro River in Eastern Italy, with the objective of securing a large bridgehead along the defensive line. The intention was to breach the German Army’s Winter Line defensive system and advance to Pescara—and eventually Rome. (For more information see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moro_River_Campaign)

According to the War Diary of the Carleton & York Regiment for January 1944, the unit was in Ortona, Italy on January 1. The weather was “dull and cloudy all day with rain during the evening” the report read, which went on to summarize what happened on December 31, 1943. “The transport finds the going pretty heavy on account of the mud. ‘A’ Company, who suffered the greatest during the Battle of Point 59 was brought back to a rear position where ‘B’ Company was and ‘B’ Company was placed at the front.” One of those wounded on December 31, 1943 was Sgt Dunn. According to the casualty report, he received “shrapnel wounds to the right leg and multiple wounds to the face” while in action.

On January 2, 1944, Dunn died of injuries received in action during the Battle of Moro (Point 59). He’s buried at Moro River Canadian War Cemetery in Italy.

Map courtesy of http://www.canadiansoldiers.com

grave stone Sgt. G.A. Dunn (find a grave)

Grave of George Alfred Dunn at Moro River Canadian War Cemetery. (Photo source: http://www.findagrave.com)

According to his obituary in the ‘Charlottetown Guardian’ of February 3, 1944, page 5, Dunn was part of a family that was in service, with a brother who had died a few months earlier. “…He was a true friend and had a kind word and a cheerful countenance for every one…” it said.

Obituary G.A. Dunn, Charlottetown Guardian 03 february 1944 page 5

Obituary from the Charlottetown Guardian of February 3, 1944.

No family of George Alfred Dunn has been found as yet, unfortunately. If you have information or photos to share please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats. Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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On The War Memorial Trail….The WWII Volunteer Who Perhaps Should Never Have Enlisted

March 7, 2020August 11, 2026 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 1 Comment

March 7, 2020. While researching the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island, Pieter uncovered the sad story of a man who perhaps should never have joined the military during WWII… Ernest Ramey GALLANT.

A labourer living in Borden (now Borden-Carleton) before the war, on January 23, 1940 he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve in Halifax as a stoker. On his attestation paper he said he was born October 25, 1915 in Summerside, the son of John Peter Gallant and Mary Blanche Geneau. Gallant was assigned to H.M.C.S. Skeena on March 26, 1940. On April 3, 1940, while the ship was in port in St. John, New Brunswick, he left the ship without leave and was arrested for being drunk and improperly dressed. He was imprisoned for 60 days in Rockhead Prison in Halifax.

On June 3, 1940 he was removed from the Skeena and then discharged on August 1, 1940 ‘due to misconduct’ following a trial in Halifax on July 15, 1940. According to the trial record, he was charged with damaging a screen door and resisting arrest by two officers.

That should have been the end of Gallant’s military service story, but on June 27, 1941 he enlisted with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders in Kentville, Nova Scotia, using a birthdate of October 26, 1914 and a birthplace of Borden. On his attestation paper he denied having previous military service.

He was sent by his unit to England but spent most of the time in hospital or detention. On January 14, 1942, he was sentenced to 6 months detention for striking an officer. On February 5, 1942, while in detention, he incurred a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his thigh and spent the next months in hospital. On August 20, 1942, he was sent to the No.1 Neurological Hospital for assessment.

On September 28, 1942, a Medical Board placed him in Category ‘E’ for “chronic alcoholism and mental deficiency”, according to his Hospital Discharge Notification. The case history report stated that “the patient was admitted with a long history of drunkenness and since enlistment he has failed to adjust to army routine……. His army behaviour has rendered him a liability…”

On October 1, 1942, it was determined that he was mentally unfit to stand trial. It was recommended that he be sent back to Canada as “it is clear that no action taken will … influence the soldier’s future behaviour as he requires institutional care, and will probably continue to require it.”

He was returned to Canada and placed in Ste Anne de Bellevue Hospital in Montreal, Quebec on April 16, 1943. On April 29, 1943, he was formally discharged due to being “unable to meet the required military physical standards”. However, Gallant “refused to sign Discharge Proceedings”. On May 20, 1943, he died of toxemia and septic throat while at the hospital and was buried in Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery, located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, in Montreal.

Grave of Ernest Ramey Gallant in Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal. (Photo source: http://www.findagrave.com)

Although Gallant died after being discharged, the military allowed that his death was “due to service”, meaning that he qualified for service medals and a military burial, giving a compassionate ending for this man’s family. Unfortunately, no photo or family of Gallant have been found as yet. If you have information or photos to share please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

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On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Able Seaman Who Died Of Peritonitis

March 4, 2020August 6, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

March 4, 2020. On the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion a few men lost their lives during wartime due to illness and are buried on home ground here on Prince Edward Island. One of these men was John Daniel ‘Jack’ FERGUSON. He was born October 27, 1922 in Borden (now Borden-Carleton), Prince Edward Island, the son of James Henry Ferguson and Margaret Ann Fraser.

When WWII broke out, Jack was anxious to serve and tried to enlist in Halifax but was refused due to his young age. Instead he joined the Merchant Marines before successfully enlisting in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve on May 5, 1941. He was then placed on patrol duty out of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Unfortunately, he became ill while serving aboard the patrol ship ‘Ross Norman’, and sent to Camp Hill Hospital in Halifax from the sick bay at H.M.C.S. ‘Stadacona’ on August 19, 1942. His temperature kept spiking and lowering, with no known diagnosis able to be determined, even after blood tests. According to the medical report “….Each elevation in temperature was accompanied by a severe chill….”

On August 30, 1942 he went into shock and at that point a diagnosis of peritonitis was made. (Per Wikipedia, peritonitis is inflammation of the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs. Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss.) An operation was made, with two blood transfusions, and Jack appeared to improve over the next two days before worsening again. Sadly, he died at 10:30 pm on September 6, 1942, just shy of his 20^th birthday.

He was buried, with full naval honours, at St Peter’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Seven Mile Bay. A notice in the Summerside Journal, on 14 September 1942, page 2, recorded that “….A detachment from H.M.C.S. Queen Charlotte at Charlottetown attended and acted as pallbearers and guard of honor. Mr. Patrick Martin, president of the Summerside branch of the Canadian Legion, represented the veterans at the service….”

Gravestone for John Daniel “Jack” Ferguson at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Seven Mile Bay. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Unfortunately, no photo or family of Ferguson has been found as yet. If you have information or photos to share about John Daniel ‘Jack’ Ferguson please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

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The WWII Mariner From Kinkora Whose Ship Was Torpedoed In The Caribbean

February 20, 2020April 20, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

February 20, 2020. On the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion there are 3 men who lost their lives due to being on ships that were torpedoed. Two of these stories have already been told….

In WWI, mariner James Graham FARROW (FARRAR) lost his life when the ship he was working on was torpedoed in the English Channel on March 19, 1916. The steamer, ‘Port Dalhousie, had been ferrying needed supplies from Britain to troops in France, while using the cover of being a fishing vessel. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/01/20/the-mariner-whose-ship-was-torpedoed-in-the-english-channel/)

In WWII, Everett Samuel FRANCIS had the misfortune of being a passenger on the ferry S.S. Caribou when it was torpedoed off the coast of Newfoundland on Wednesday, October 14, 1942. He was on his way back to his unit in Gander, and to meet his three week old daughter Greta, after being in Ontario for weapons training. Unfortunately, he was not one of the survivors. (See https://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com/2018/03/25/the-face-of-everett-samuel-francis/)

James Emmet Hughes. (Photo credit: courtesy “Around Kinkora Area” by G.K. Farmer. Photo colourization by Pieter Valkenburg.)

Like James Graham FARROW (FARRAR), James Emmet HUGHES was a seaman in the Canadian Merchant Navy, not in the military. Born in Kinkora on April 7, 1911, he was the son of Emmet Hughes and Mary Ann McKenna.

After joining the Waterman Steamship Agency of Mobile, Alabama, he was a trimmer aboard the Panamanian registered S.S. Ramapo, travelling between North America and England with badly needed supplies. A trimmer works in the engine room on a coal-fired ship, such as the steamship Ramapo, responsible for loading of coal into the ship and delivering coal to the stoker or fireman. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_trimmer)

SS Ramapo under her former name Baron Wemyss.Courtesu of naviearmatori.net

S.S. Ramapo under her original name of Baron Wemyss. (Photo courtesy of http://www.naviearmatori.net)

Hughes made two successful runs to England but then on a routing of London-Bermuda-Philadelphia, it was torpedoed by German U-Boat 108, captained by Klaus SCHOLTZ, 180 miles north of Bermuda. While Canadian Merchant Navy records list the event as having occurred on ‘approximately February 12, 1942’, the date it had arrived in Bermuda, German records of ships torpedoed by U-boats record the date as being February 16, 1942.

According to German records, as transcribed into English on https://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/1338.html, the ship had an international crew complement of 40, none of whom survived. “At 15.56 hours on 16 February 1942 the unescorted Ramapo (Master Johan Magnus Ørn Lorentzen) was hit on port side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-108, broke in two after a boiler explosion and sank 11 minutes later about 180 miles north of Bermuda. The U-boat surfaced and questioned 34 men in lifeboats, but the survivors were never found. The master, 37 crew members and two gunners were lost.”

Screenshot_2020-02-18 Ramapo (Panamanian Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat net

Map showing location of sinking of Ramapo. (Map courtesy of http://www.uboat.net)

As you can imagine, in that time period, it was a long time before families learned that something had gone wrong. On March 31, 1942, six weeks after the incident, The Guardian reported that the Hughes family had received a message from the steamship company, advising that it believed the ship had been sunk and all hands lost.

J.E. Hughes Guardian 31 march 1942 page 1

Source: Page 1 article in the March 31, 1942 edition of The Guardian.

Aboard the S.S. Ramapo on February 16, 1942 were the following crew members, per www.uboat.net:

Nationality	Name	Age	Position
Greek	Artavanis, Marios, Merchant Marine	29	Oiler
British	Bailey, Mills Sandilands, Merchant Marine	44	Third Engineer
British	Birch, John, Merchant Marine	50	Trimmer
Canadian	Boyd, Fred, Merchant Marine	35	Messman
Canadian	Boyer, Clarence, Merchant Marine	41	Fireman/Wiper
Canadian	Brackenbury, Walter, Merchant Marine	22	Fireman/Wiper
Canadian	Courville, Roland, Merchant Marine	18	Trimmer
Chilean	Delano, Miguel, Merchant Marine	31	Second Mate
British	Finch, Thomas, Merchant Marine	20	Messman
Dutch	Glimmerveen, Albertus, Merchant Marine	38	Chief Cook
Canadian	Green, William, Merchant Marine	29	Oiler
Norwegian	Gustavsen, Karl Gustav, Merchant Marine	50	Chief Steward
Swedish	Haggberg, Eric, Merchant Marine	22	Able Seaman
Norwegian	Hansen, Bernhard, Merchant Marine	23	Fireman/Wiper
British	Harris, William John, RN	24	Able Seaman (DEMS gunner)
Norwegian	Helmers, Thorleif Gärtner, Merchant Marine	43	Chief Mate
British	Hendry, Frederick William, Merchant Marine	52	First Engineer
Argentinian	Hernandes, P., Merchant Marine	26	Fireman/Wiper
Canadian	Hughes, James Emmet, Merchant Marine	31	Trimmer
Norwegian	Kjennerud, Jul, Merchant Marine	24	Able Seaman
Canadian	Knickle, Fred, Merchant Marine	39	Able Seaman
Norwegian	Kristensen, Toralf, Merchant Marine	21	Able Seaman
Canadian	Lalonde, Germain, Merchant Marine	20	Able Seaman
French	Lawrence, Felix, Merchant Marine	30	Messman
British	Leary, Vincent, Merchant Marine	35	Second Engineer
Norwegian	Lie, Hans Kristian Jensen, Merchant Marine	20	Able Seamn
Canadian	Lord, Ian McLean, Merchant Marine	18	Radio Operator
Norwegian	Lorentzen, Johan Magnus Ørn, Merchant Marine	35	Master
Canadian	Manoff, Paul, Merchant Marine	23	Ordinary Seaman
American	McAdoo, John Cornelius, Merchant Marine	37	Messman
Canadian	McDonald, Charlie, Merchant Marine	25	Fireman/Wiper
British	Nicholson, William, Merchant Marine	36	Boatswain (Bosun)
Norwegian	Olsen, Andreas, Merchant Marine	50	Chief Engineer
Irish	Reynolds, William, Merchant Marine	28	Fireman/Wiper
British	Sinclair, Leslie, Merchant Marine	20	Ordinary Seaman
Norwegian	Vesterhus, Nils Andreas, Merchant Marine	38	Third Mate
American	Vitalis, Vasilios, Merchant Marine	29	Cook
Canadian	Waddell, Wesley, Merchant Marine	23	Oiler
Canadian	Wilson, Edgar John, Merchant Marine	23	Ordinary Seaman
British	Winder, Harry, Royal Navy	22	Able Seaman (DEMS gunner)

James Emmet Hughes is listed on the Halifax Memorial in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, Nova Scotia, along with other Canadian mariners whose bodies were never recovered.

Halifax Memorial in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Research continues on this and other stories. If you have information or photos to share about James Emmet Hughes, the sinking of the Ramapo, or any of the crew members, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

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The WWI Names On The Cenotaph Have Stories Of Their Own

February 8, 2020March 29, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

February 8, 2020. Recently, Pieter and a friend went to see the British WW1 movie ‘1917’, which is nominated for several Oscars and has a Canadian connection due to a map used in the film. (For that story see https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/1917-canadian-contribution-1.5450608) The story takes place in France on April 6, 1917, and is about two men tasked with delivering a message to another unit to warn of a German ambush. The men go through several towns and villages in France’s Western Front. Canadians may remember this period as being the lead up to the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917.

Pieter found the movie of great interest for several reasons. It was a depiction of the horrors of war… without being overly gory. After being through the trenches and tunnels in Vimy Ridge a few years ago, he was intrigued to see the way soldiers sat on either side of a trench while waiting to go up into battle. But the main reason he liked the movie is that it told the story of two people.

Contrary to what we learn in history books and classes, in the end all history is the cumulative stories of individuals. A list of names on a cenotaph, such as the one outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, is meaningless without knowing who those people were and what happened to them. This is what started Pieter on the journey to uncover the stories behind the names on the Cenotaph.

Over the years, the stories of those from WWI have been told in this blog. 24 are listed on the Cenotaph and half of them died in France…. Patrick Raymond ARSENAULT and John Lymon ‘Ly’ WOOD are listed on the Vimy Memorial as their bodies were never identified. Also killed in France were Kenneth John Martin BELL, James CAIRNS, James Ambrose CAIRNS, Arthur Leigh COLLETT, Bazil CORMIER, Patrick Phillip DEEGAN (DEIGHAN), Joseph Arthur DESROCHES, Percy Earl FARROW (FARRAR), Ellis Moyse HOOPER, and Charles W. LOWTHER. We were at the Vimy Memorial and visited each grave.

Five men died in Belgium. Two are listed on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, as their bodies were never identified: Charles Benjamin Murray BUXTON and George Albert CAMPBELL. We visited Menin Gate and the area where they died. We also visited the graves of James Lymon CAMERON, Vincent Earl CARR, and Arthur Clinton ROBINSON.

Vincent Carr, who died during the Battle of Passchendaele on October 30, 1918, was initially buried in a trench with 4 others – two Canadian and two British soldiers. Decades later, when they were reburied in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, all three Canadians were still identifiable. The British Army’s cardboard identity ‘tags’ had disintegrated, leaving the two British soldiers as unidentified. Today, DNA testing can be done to help with identity, but decades ago this was impossible.

Two men died in England. John Goodwill HOWATT was wounded in France, and died in a British hospital. Bruce Sutherland McKAY had gotten ill during the transport from Canada to England and also died in a British hospital.

Henry Warburton STEWART survived the war, only to fall ill while in Germany as part of the occupation forces. He’s buried in a German cemetery in Cologne, which we visited.

James Graham FARROW (FARRAR) was not a soldier, but in the Merchant Navy, transporting vital supplies between England and France, when his ship was torpedoed by a U-boat.

Three men died on Canadian soil. Leigh Hunt CAMERON died of illness, while Harry ROBINSON died from blood poisoning. William Galen CAMPBELL was poisoned with mustard gas on May 28, 1918, a few months before the end of the war, but was able to return home. And yes, we’ve visited those graves as well.

We were also able to tell you parallel stories, such as that of Clifford Almon WELLS, who had many of the same experiences as John Lymon Wood, and also died in France. Another story was that of George BRUCKER, of the German Army, who was taken prisoner during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and survived the war, never forgetting the two ‘tall’ Canadians who didn’t shoot him. Decades later his son, now in his 80s, is still hoping to thank the families of those two unknown men.

Thanks to Pieter’s curiosity in trying to find out why one Commonwealth War Graves Commission gravestone in a cemetery in Cape Traverse was not recorded on the Cenotaph, we were able to tell you the story of Elmyr KRUGER, a soldier from Saskatchewan who died of illness while guarding German prisoners of war from a POW camp in Amherst.

We’ve told the stories of each man, and shared our visits to the various cemeteries and war memorials. As photos and letters came in, we shared those experiences as well.

We are still missing photos of several of these soldiers, so the quest to put a face to every name and story is still ongoing. Who are we missing? Take a look and see if you can help:

UPDATE: Photos of James Cairns, Joseph Arthur Desroches, and Harry Robinson have been found!

It’s great to watch a movie about fictional characters, but let’s not forget the stories of real life people! There won’t be any Academy Awards given out, but they will be remembered. Research continues to uncover more stories. If you have a story or photo to share about any of the names mentioned in this posting, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

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“He Died That We Might Live” Documentary Is Now On YouTube

January 31, 2020February 21, 2026 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

January 31, 2020. Over the past few years, readers of this blog will be familiar with the story of one name on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion – that of WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, who lost his life on October 12, 1941 when the bomber he was piloting was shot down over Wons, The Netherlands. Muttart was the only casualty, as he was able to keep the plane in the air and steady long enough for the crew of Halifax L9561 to parachute out, and to avoid the village of Wons. On October 12, 2019, a memorial panel to honour the crew on their last flight together was unveiled in Wons. (See On The War Memorial Trail…..The Memorial Panel In Wons Is Unveiled!)

Pieter had brought his video camera for the events of October 12, 2019 to document the events. His cousin François Breugelmans took over the filming whenever Pieter was engaged in one of the events. Several of us took photos.

Wendy Nattress. (Photo credit: Graeme Nattress)

All this footage was turned over to post-production editor Wendy Nattress, a volunteer who spent countless hours editing our raw material and turned it into a short documentary, which can be seen on YouTube. Wendy told us that “It has been a real honour working on this project. Thank you for the work you are doing and for letting me be a part of it!”

Wendy’s young son Oli did several illustrations depicting the events of the night of October 12, 1941, and volunteered his time and talent for this documentary.

Oli Nattress painting one of the illustrations used in the video. (Photo credit: Wendy Nattress)

We would not have been able to produce the video “He Died That We Might Live … the story of Halifax L9561” without the goodwill and support of volunteers like Wendy and Oli for this project. We hope you enjoy the video which commemorates one event during WWII that changed the lives of so many people.

For a short video of the story behind the memorial panel see:

If anyone has a story or photo to share about any of the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

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“He Died That We Might Live” Pamphlet Presented To Tryon & Area Historical Society

December 23, 2019July 21, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

December 23, 2019. The Tryon & Area Historical Society helped us to raise funds in Canada towards the Halifax L9561 Memorial Panel that was unveiled in the Dutch village of Wons on October 12, 2019. (See On The War Memorial Trail…..The Memorial Panel In Wons Is Unveiled!)

Pieter presented Jack Sorensen, Chair of the Tryon & Area Historical Society with a copy of the pamphlet, prepared by the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation of Friesland in The Netherlands. The pamphlet describes the last flight of Halifax L9561, a WWII bomber piloted by Flight Sgt Elmer Bagnall MUTTART of Cape Traverse, which was shot down on October 12, 1941.

IMG_20191223_110251297_HDR Dec 23 2019 Pamphlet to TAHS

Jack Sorensen, left, and Pieter Valkenburg, right, with the Dutch and English versions of the pamphlet commemorating the last flight of Halifax L9561 on October 12, 1941. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

With 2019 almost at an end, Pieter and I wish all of you the very happiest of holidays as we prepare for new stories and continued research related to the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph Research Project, part of the On The War Memorial Trail Research Project.

Happy Holidays from Daria and Pieter

If anyone has a story or photo to share about any of the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

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On The War Memorial Trail……Canadian Troops Helped Sinterklaas Visit Dutch Children During WWII

December 15, 2019July 21, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

December 16, 2019. As part of the upcoming Liberation 75 Celebrations, commemorating the liberation of The Netherlands in 1945, Dutch journalists have been going through their archives and featuring stories and film clips around this momentous period in the lives of the Dutch. One of the film clips uncovered shows how Canadian troops helped Sinterklaas visit Dutch children in 1944.

As you may be wondering who Sinterklaas is, and why this was an important event for Dutch children, Pieter has given some background information to put it in context. “If you are a kid in The Netherlands, my home country, Sinterklaas is a very important person …. whether you are naughty or nice. If you are nice, you get goodies. If you are naughty, there may be no goodies.” Hmmm ….. doesn’t this sound like someone we already know?

Pieter explains that “You may be surprised to learn that from our Sinterklaas comes the term Santa Claus as you know it here in Canada. In The Netherlands we celebrate Sinterklaas on the evening of December 5. In Dutch “Sint” means “Saint”, and “Klaas” is an abbreviation for Nicholas. So Sinterklaas in English is St. Nicholas.”

The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated on December 6, but Pieter explained that “We Dutch try to be first in many things, and so we celebrate a bit early. Our tradition is that Sinterklaas comes to Holland, in the third week of November, by boat from his home in Spain, and visits the Dutch towns and villages on his white horse Amerigo.”

#4 dec 2011 La Paz Sinterklaas travels on Amerigo

Sinterklaas on Amerigo travels to visit Dutch children in Bolivia! (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

No North Pole, but Spain, and a horse rather than a sleigh and reindeer. Interesting! Pieter notes that “It was the custom for Dutch children to put one shoe in front of the fireplace from the day Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands, sing Sinterklaas songs and go to bed. When I grew up in the late forties and early fifties, I remember putting my shoe out at night, filled with a carrot for his white horse, and going to bed, with the hope of finding something in my shoe from Sinterklaas. You never knew what to expect. If you had been naughty, Sinterklaas’s helpers might not put anything in your shoe.”

Pieter recollects what happened when he was a small child in the late 1940s. “Sinterklaas always carried a big red book with all the names of the children and knew if you behaved well or not. He sat down in the living room. I and my two brothers were called, one by one, to approach him and we were told all about our behaviour over the past year. It was amazing how much he knew about us! Luckily, we all got off without any punishment and didn’t get taken away to Spain. After he left, my father came in with a big sack of presents, which Sinterklaas had left in the hallway. So while Canadian children had to wait until December 25, we had our goodies already.”

#12 Dec 2000 La Paz Bolivia Sinterklaas checks whether Pieter is in the good book or bad book

While posted to La Paz in Bolivia, Pieter was called up before Sinterklaas who decided whether he was naughty or nice by the entries in his book! (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

According to tradition, Sinterklaas has its origin in the 4^th century where Nicholas, at the age of 19, became the Greek Bishop of Myra in present day Turkey, famous for giving gifts to the poor. After his death on the 6^th of December in the year 343, he became Saint Nicholas, a patron saint of children, merchants and sailors. The Netherlands is a maritime country seven times larger in size than Prince Edward Island, with many sailors and merchants involved in international trade from its earliest days. So his influence was especially strong in The Netherlands.

In the 17^th century the Dutch settled in what is now New York and the Hudson valley, and they brought the tradition of Sinterklaas with them. In the English speaking world, Sinterklaas and Santa Claus merged with the British Father Christmas.

When Henry Clement Moore wrote his poem “Twas the night before Christmas” in 1823, Sinterklaas took on a new identity as Santa Claus who is stationed on the North Pole, has elves to help him, and drives a team of reindeer. In The Netherlands, however, Sinterklaas never became Santa Claus.

During the years of Nazi occupation during WWII, and in a country where people were being starved to death, there were no visits from Sinterklaas…..until December 5, 1944, when Canadian troops helped Sinterklaas visit Dutch children. Can you imagine the reaction of those children?

In the spirit of the season, we hope you enjoy this small film clip from the Canadian Army Film Unit, issue #51. (The film clip is from an article found on https://amersfoort.nieuws.nl/nieuws/17759/canadese-soldaten-hielpen-sinterklaas-in-1944/ for those who can read Dutch.)

Link to the film clip: https://drive.google.com/open?id=150xm9BfndYvEHHQUGXN-lK4-fnuesb5j

If anyone has a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

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