Leslie Williams

On August 25, 1942, the Merchant ship SS Sheaf Mount was one of thirty-six ships of convoy ONS-122. The ships had departed Swansea, Wales, via the Welsh port of Milford Haven, across the Atlantic enroute to the deep-water harbor of Botwood, Newfoundland. At approximately 1:40 am U-605 fired torpedoes hitting four merchant ships, damaging two and sinking two, one being the SS Sheaf Mount. The ship began to sink, and the crew began to abandon ship; however, before lifeboats could be launched the vessel broke in half and sank. The master, 27 crew members and three gunners were lost from the crew of 51 men. Among the lost was Leslie Williams, aged 23, a fireman and trimmer. Leslie was the son of David Williams and May Davis and the husband of Hilda Louise Keddy from New Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Leslie Williams was born in Pentre, Wales, the son of David Williams and May (Davis) Williams. In 1942 he was living at 182 Quinpool Poad, Halifax, Nova Scotia and serving as a fireman in the Canadian Merchant Navy. On May 9, 1942, he married Louise Hilda Keddy, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was born in New Cumberland, Lunenburg Co., Nova Scotia, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Date of Death: August 24, 1942 Age: 23 Memorial: Halifax Memorial, Panel 22 Commemorated on Page 249 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on May 16, October 13, and December 18

Sources: uboat.net Canadian Virtual War Memorial