Harold Joseph Sexton

Sources: Canadian Virtual War Memorial findagrave

Name: Harold Joseph Sexton Rank: Seaman Service Number: LT/JX315755 Service: HMS Avalon, Royal Naval Patrol Service, Royal Navy Date of Birth: December 18, 1918 Place of Birth: St. John’s, Newfoundland Date of Death: August 2, 1945 Age: 26 Memorial: Lowestoft Memorial, Suffolk, England Reference: Panel Addenda Commemorated on Page 193 World War II Newfoundland Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on April 7, July 25, and November 5 Harold was the son of Arthur Herbert Sexton (1896-1957) and Isabel (Shepperd) Sexton (circa 1898-1979), of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the husband of Marjorie Levetta (Clements) Sexton (1921-1998) and father of Kathleen Emily (Sexton) Marchand (1938-2004). His siblings were Kitty Sexton O'Rourke (b. 1911), Kathleen Janet Sexton (b. 1920), and Herbert Sexton (1930-1930). Born in Newfoundland, Harold immigrated to Nova Scotia in 1928. He and his wife, Kathleen, were married in Halifax on January 15, 1938, and their daughter was born that September. During the Second World War, Harold was stationed at shore establishment HMS Avalon in St. John’s with the Royal Naval Patrol Service (RNPS). The RNPS served as the critical "harbor watchdog" for St. John’s, operating out of the HMS Avalon. Utilizing a rugged fleet of converted civilian trawlers, whalers, and drifters, these crews, largely made up of veteran fishermen. were responsible for the grueling task of daily minesweeping to keep the Narrows and convoy assembly areas clear of German explosives. Their presence was a constant deterrent against U-boat incursions; they manned the Examination Service to identify every vessel entering the port and patrolled the harbor approaches with basic sonar and depth charges to protect the vital "Gibraltar of the North." Beyond defense, the RNPS acted as the operational "sheepdogs" for the Atlantic convoys, marshalling merchant ships into formation and providing local escorts for coastal trade. In the volatile environment of "Torpedo Alley," their sea-kindly vessels were also frequently pressed into search and rescue missions, hauling survivors from the frigid North Atlantic when larger warships were unavailable. Despite operating in some of the most treacherous weather on the planet, the RNPS provided the essential, unglamorous security that allowed St. John’s to remain the primary lifeline for Allied shipping heading toward Europe. On August 2, 1945, while stationed at HMS Avalon in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Harold suffered fatal second- degree burns to his face, neck, chest, and arms. The specific circumstances surrounding the accident were not recorded in available sources. He died on shore in Newfoundland, and his name appears on a panel of the Lowestoft Memorial which reads, “Died on shore, but have no known grave.” He is also remembered on a family grave marker at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lower Sackville, Halifax Co., NS.