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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
ABERCROMBIE, Albert William (Bert) - Born: 09 Feb 1923 in Regina, Sask., died on 28 Nov 1997 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Bert volunteered for the RCNVR on 05 May 1941 in Fort William. He was awarded the following: The war Medals: the 1939-1945 Volunteer Medal with clasp; the Atlantic Star and the Battle of the Atlantic Star. At the time he left the service he held the rank of Stoker Petty Officer/ERA 4c. He served in the ship's boiler rooms as a member of the ships' 'black gang'. During his service he served on two ships, a Bangor class mine sweeper, HMCS Mahone (J159), from 30 Oct 1941 until 23 Mar 1943. He was then posted to Halifax (HMCS Stadacona) for extended training, and upon it's completion he was posted to a Castle class corvette, HMCS Orangeville (K491), from 21 Feb 1945 until 15 Jul 1945; although he was on leave from late May 1945 and got married in Port Arthur on May 25th 1945 and remained on leave until being demobilized on 22 Aug 1945 at Fort William, Ont.. His ashes are interred at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Oliver Road, Thunder Bay along with those of his wife.
At the time he left the service he held the rank of Stoker Petty Officer/ ERA 4c. He served in the ship's boiler rooms as a member of the ships' 'black gang'.
Honours and Awards: The Atlantic Star, CVSM with clasp, War Medal 1939-45
Ships served in: PORT ARTHUR DIVISION RCNVR - Enlisted 05 May 1941 HMCS MAHONE - Served in MAHONE 30 Oct 1941 - 23 Mar 1943 as Sto 1c HMCS ORANGEVILLE - Served in ORANGEVILLE 21 Feb 1945 - 15 Jul 1945. In ship's company photo Feb-Jul 1945
(AA01) Portrait of Stoker 1st Class Abercrombie
HMCS ORANGEVILLE K491
(AA02) Commissioning 1944 Leith, Scotland. Photo Caption reads: " Lady Darling, flanked by ship's builder Henry Robb and Lt. Rodney Pike, Holding newly carved ship's crest at commissioning ceremony in Leith, Scotland, 1944", Photo taken from the supplement to the ORANGEVILLE Citizen of June 8th, 1988 celebrating the Ship' Crew 1988 Reunion. (AA03) The Skipper takes it easy between watches // Photo taken from June 1988 HMCS ORANGEVILLE reunion newspaper- a supplement to the ORANGEVILLE Citizen of June 8th, 1988 (AA04) Ship's Mascot - PING the cat // Photo taken from the supplement to the ORANGEVILLE Citizen of June 8th, 1988. celebrating the Ship' Crew 1988 Reunion. Photo originally came from photo of ship's crew taken at Londonderry and in the arms of Bob Edwards according to that photo's photo key (AA05) O/S Leighton Cornelius, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Cornelius, East Garafraxa, formerly of ORANGEVILLE, who is serving aboard the corvette HMCS ORANGEVILLE. O/S Cornelius, 18 years old, joined the RCN on July 10, 1944 , trained at HMCS York, Toronto and Cornwallis Nova Scotia, was transferred to HMCS Avalon, St. John;s Newfoundland, and subsequently to the ORANGEVILLE." (AA06) A Commemorative Copy of "Etchings in Salt" April 1945
HMCS MAHONE J159
(AWA007) HMCS MAHONE circa 1942/43. RCN Photo (AWA008) Gunshield art on HMCS MAHONE circa 1942/43 (AWA009) HMCS MAHONE circa 1942/43 (AWA010) "Hard-a-Port!!" - HMCS MAHONE leans to Starboard as the vessel goes hard-a-port. circa 1943/43. Note the minesweeping gear on the extreme right and left of the photo (AWA011) Re-loading a depth charge at sea - HMCS MAHONE circa 1942/43
(AWA012) Stokers Willie Watson and Frank Coray in the Boiler Room of HMCS MAHONE, 1942 (AWA013) Stokers Doug Pitkethly, Willie Watson and Frank Coray in the Boiler Room of HMCS MAHONE, 1942 (AWA014) Stokers Doug Pitkethly and Swede Anderson in the Boiler Room of HMCS MAHONE, 1942 (AWA015) Mike Sloboda waiting for leave to commence, HMCS MAHONE, circa 1941-42 (AWA016) Mike Sloboda ready for action stations, HMCS MAHONE, circa 1941-42
(AWA017) Depth charge practice, HMCS MAHONE, Circa 1942 - On back of photo "Ring left by depth charge - a moment later it geysered up forty feet in the air" (AWA018) MCS MAHONE - Spring 1943 - ready to depart on shore leave. L-R: Stoker Laplante, Fandry, Boyce, Hank Moore, Passmore, Henry (Hank) Arnst (AWA018) At sea on HMCS MAHONE - circa 1942-43. Franklin (first name not know), Mike Sloboda & Hank Arnst (AWA019) Petty Officer: ERA William (Bill) McLaren on HMCS MAHONE (AWA020) Gun practice on HMCS MAHONE, Spring, 1943. 4-inch shell on the loading tray. Photo taken from the ammunition hatch. The hatch combing is visible as the bottom of the photo
(AWA021) Gun practice on HMCS MAHONE, Spring, 1943. 4-inch shell being rammed home. Photo taken from the ammunition hatch. The hatch combing is visible as the bottom of the photo.
HMCS ANNAPOLIS I04
(AWA023) HMCS ANNAPOLIS I04 (AWA024) HMCS ANNAPOLIS I04 (AWA025) Ships in HMC Dockyard, Halifax // Outboard destroyer, HMCS ANNAPOLIS I04, outboard minesweeper, HMCS DRUMMONDVILLE J253
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