They made the Ultimate Sacrifice

 

Joseph Germain Pilon

 

Stoker 1st Class, V49934, RCNVR

 

Born: 29 Dec 1919, L'Original, Ontario

 

Died: 21 Aug 1944 at sea

 

Book of Remembrance

 

PILON, Joseph Germain, Sto 1c, V49934, RCNVR, MPK - 21 Aug 1944, HMCS ALBERNI - Son of Felix and Sophie Pilon, of L'Orignal, Ontario.

 

Stoker Pilon died when his ship, HMCS ALBERNI, was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel on 21 Aug 1944 by U-480, southeast of the Isle of Wight. Fifty-nine of her ship's company lost their lives.

 

Joseph Pilon was born in 1920 and raised in the small Ottawa Valley town of L'Orignal, Ontario, Canada, the son of Félix and Sophie Pilon. He had probably never been beyond the St. Lawrence Valley during his short life, but events were taking place in Europe which would draw him away from the gentle farmlands of Eastern Ontario and pit him and his new friends against Hitler's deadly U-boats.  Joseph Germain Pilon was a member of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve. He served aboard the Flower Class Corvette, HMCS ALBERNI K103. During the landings in Normandy, the ALBERNI took part in Operation Neptune which provided escort for ships transporting men, munitions, supplies and equipment crossing the channel to Normandie.

 

Ships served in:

HMCS CARTIER - Enlisted 04 Nov 1942.  Commenced Active Service 08 Mar 1943 as an Ordinary Seaman, RCNVR

* Rated Stoker 1st Class 15 Mar 1943

HMCS CORNWALLIS - Drafted to CORNWALLIS 16 Jun 1943

HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 11 Nov 1943

HMCS ALBERNI - Drafted to ALBERNI 23 Jan 1944

 

JP01

JP02

JP03

(JP01) Portrait of Joseph Pilon

(JP02) Joseph Pilon

(JP03) Documents from the Service File of Joseph Pilon

 


 

Second World War Casualty Index

 

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