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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
MATTHEWS, Thomas Howard, AB ST, 3136, RCN, MPK - 22 Oct 1940, HMCS MARGAREE - Son of Leonard Austin Matthews and Mary Matthews, of North Vancouver, British Columbia.
Able Seaman Thomas Matthews died when his ship, HMCS MARGAREE, was struck by the freighter SS Port Fairy while in convoy and was sunk. 143 of her crew were lost, 86 of them were survivors of HMCS FRASER.
Able Seaman Thomas Howard Matthews, age 22 was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Austin Matthews and Mary Matthews, 338 East Kings, North Vancouver. He worked for the Union Steamship Company before enlisting in the Navy on June 1937. After serving on HMCS Ottawa, HMCS Restigouche and HMCS Fraser, Able Seaman Matthews was taken to hospital suffering from a major infected wound on his arm just 30 minutes before HMCS Fraser left port for the Mediterranean. The seaman who took his place died when the Fraser went down. When he recovered, Able Seaman Matthews went to England to join HMCS Margaree. He lost is life when HMCS Margaree was lost. His younger brother is an aircraftman.
Ships served in: HMCS NADEN - Enlisted 04 Apr 1938 as an Ordinary Seaman, RCN HMCS OTTAWA - Drafted to OTTAWA 18 Sep 1938 * Rated Able Seaman, RCN 04 Apr 1939 HMCS NADEN - Drafted to NADEN 16 Sep 1939 HMCS RESTIGOUCHE - Drafted to RESTIGOUCHE 10 Nov 1939 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 11 Jan 1940 * Rated Seaman Torpedoman, RCN 12 Jan 1940 HMCS FRASER - Drafted to FRASER 11 Feb 1940 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 22 Mar 1940 HMCS MARGAREE - Drafted to MARGAREE 14 Aug 1940 * Commissioning crew 06 Sep 1940
Service file for Thomas Matthews Source: The Library and Archives of Canada
Second World War Casualty Index
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