Name: William Joseph Crosbie Rank: Oiler US Roster Merchant Navy: Z154742 Service: SS Lake Osweya (Dearborn, Michigan, US 216914) Canadian Merchant Navy Date of Birth: July 9, 1917 Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts, US WWII Draft Card: October 16, 1940 Height: 5 feet, 11 inches Complexion: Ruddy Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Hazel Next of Kin: Eva Crosbie (Mother) Date of Death: February 20, 1942 Age: 24 Memorial: Halifax Memorial Reference: Panel 21. Commemorated on Page 119 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on March 11, and August 8 William Crosbie was the son of Eva (Boudreau) Crosbie (b.1891) of Arichat, Richmond Co., Nova Scotia. William grew up and was educated in the United States. He completed his high school education in 1936 at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1940, William completed his WWII Draft Card listing his employment as a seaman with Tide Water Associated Oil Company in New York. In 1942 he was serving as a Seaman (Oiler) on the SS Lake Osweya. The Lake Osweya was carrying general cargo enroute from New York, via Halifax, NS, to Reykjavik in Iceland. On February 19, 1942, the ship was approaching Halifax, three miles behind the Empire Seal. The Empire Seal was sunk by German submarine U-96 at 11:29 pm. The Lake Osweya tried to escape by changing course and zigzagging; however, despite those efforts, at 4:53 am on February 20 the ship was struck amidships by a torpedo. The ship broke in two and sank. The Captain of U-96 reported that three lifeboats were launched, however, none of the eight officers, 22 crewmen and nine armed guards were found. All perished. William Crosbie is remembered on the Halifax Memorial.

Sources: Canadian Virtual War Memorial uboat.net findagrave