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Wartime Heritage
ASSOCIATION
Remembering World War II
HMCS Valleyfield
On May 7, 1944 HMCS Valleyfield, a River-
class frigate of the Royal Canadian Navy, was
returning to St. John's, Newfoundland as part of
an escort group.
Just after midnight on May 7, U-boat 548
fired two acoustic torpedoes, at the five ships.
One torpedo hit the port side boiler room on
HMCS Valleyfield, splitting the ship in two.
The ship sank within four minutes and
because it was travelling astern of the group it
took some time for the rest of the escorts to
realize that HMCS Valleyfield had been sunk.
Eventually HMCS Giffard returned to pick up survivors while the other members of the group HMCS Edmundston, HMCS
Frontenac and HMCS Halifax searched unsuccessfully for the U-boat. Forty-three survivors were rescued from the water. Five of those
rescued died later. One hundred and twenty-five (125) were lost.
Nova Scotia Casualties:
Boudreau, Leonard James
Boutilier, Ralph Howard
Garrioch, Elmer George
Knight, Raymond Edward
Layton, Paul Chisholm
MacLachlan, George Alan
Mason, Stirling Cashman
Ozon, Gerald Thomas
Urquhart, Harold Frederick
Valiquette, Raymond James
Watson, John Crittenden L
Wilson, Murray Francis