The Loss of HMCS Ottawa On September 13/14, 1942 while escorting Convoy ON-127 930 km east of St. John's, Newfoundland, HMCS Ottawa was torpedoed by U-91. Thirty minutes later, unable to maneuver, the ship, hit by a second torpedo, broke in half, and sank with the loss of 114 crew. 65 survivors were rescued and taken to St. John’s Newfoundland by HMS Celandine. Sixteen of the crew from Nova Scotia were lost. Three days prior to being torpedoed on September 10, 1942 HMCS Ottawa rescued 24 survivors from the British steam tanker Empire Oil that was sunk by the German U-boats U-659 and U-584 south west of Iceland. One of the survivors died of wounds and sixteen others died when HMCS Ottawa was sunk. HMS Crusader was a destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. and was sold to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1938 and renamed HMCS Ottawa. Initially deployed on the Canadian Pacific Coast before World War II, the destroyer was transferred to the Atlantic three months after the outbreak of WWII as a convoy escort. The following are Nova Scotia crew members lost on September 13, 1942. Their names are listed on the Halifax Memorial.

Adlington, Howard Hibbert V/25539 Supply Assistant Age 23 Son of Stephen Augustus and Elsie Maud Adlington, of Bedford, NS Collier, Chesley A/1275 Able Seaman Age 34 Husband of Ethel May Collier, of Halifax, NS Connolly, Richard Joseph V/25107 Leading Stoker Age 24 Brother of Harold Connolly, of Halifax, NS Gallagher, Howard Joseph 3596 Leading Seaman Age 20 Husband of Kathleen Gladys Gallagher, of Halifax, NS) Harris, Carl Norman V/335 Ordinary Seaman Age 26 Son of William Stephen and Mary Harris, of Halifax, NS Hickey, John Chesley A/4613 Able Seaman Age 26 King, Arthur Haliburton V/452 Ordinary Seaman Age 18 Son of Mary L. King, of Annapolis Royal, NS Leslie, Kenneth Lloyd A/1315 Stoker Age 23 Nephew of Mrs. Irene Russell, of Halifax, Nova Scotia Miller, Earl Glawson 21695 Stoker Age 23 Son of Frederick C. P. Miller, and of Bessie M. Miller of Halifax, Nova Scotia Murphy, Gerald William V/331 Ordinary Seaman Age 22 Son of Harry Joseph and Maude E. Murphy, of Halifax, NS Purcell, Herbert Augustus A/1056 Engine Room Artificer Age 32 Son of Francis Augustus and Agnes Victoria Purcell NS and the husband of Dorothy Mary Purcell, Halifax, NS Roop, Roy Munroe A/4747 Able Seaman Age 34 Son of Katherine R. Roop, of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Rutherford, Clark Anderson Lieut-Commander Age 28 Husband of Marjorie Rutherford, of Halifax, NS Slaunwhite, Harry Melvin A/4589 Able Seaman Age 34 Son of Robert and Annabella Slaunwhite, and husband of Rita M. Slaunwhite, of Halifax. NS Trainor, Alfred Noel 40459 Petty Officer Steward Age 26 Son of Margaret Trainor of Armdale, NS; husband of Doris Elizabeth Trainor, of Victoria, BC Zinck, Cyril Milford V/25607 Supply Assistant Age 31 Son of Silas Milford Zinck and Pansy Eleanor Zinck, and husband of Lillian Edna Zinck, of Halifax, NS