Remembering World War II

Remembering Harold Risser Seaman on the SS Derrynane (London, England) Lost at Sea: February 12, 1941 (Aged 21) Canadian Virtual War Memorial Listed on the Halifax Memorial Commemorated on Page 218 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance. Harold Risser was born in West Dublin, Lunenburg Co., Nova Scotia, in 1916, the son of Percy Frederick Risser Sr. (1888-1934) and Adelaide (Bushen) Risser (1889-1927). Harold was the brother of Paul Frederick (1917-1985), Vivian Adelaide (1917-1993), Emma Mae (b.1918), Percy Frederick (1924-1983), and Mark Charles (1925-2003). The family was living in Boston Massachusetts, after 1923. Harold served on several merchant ships from 1938, including the Jean F. Anderson (1938),and the SS Newfoundland (1939). The Newfoundland sailed between Liverpool and Boston via St John's, Newfoundland, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. From records it would appear that Harold joined the SS Derrynane in Liverpool, England in November 1940, prior to the ship’s departure to Capetown, South Africa. On February 12, 1941, the German Heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper encountered convoy SLS 64 of 19 merchant ships, east of the Azores, en-route from Freetown, Sierra Leone to the United Kingdom. The convoy was unescorted at the time. The SS Derrynane carrying a cargo of iron ore had departed Freetown on January 30, 1941, in convoy SLS.64, that originally had consisted of 22 ships of Norwegian, Greek, and British origin. At the time of the Admiral Hipper attack, there were 19 vessels. Seven of the 19, including the SS Derrynane, were sunk with huge loss of lives. All 38 crew, including Harold Risser, on the SS Derrynane were lost.

Harold Risser

Sources: Burntisland Heritage Trust