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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
MCMURTRY, Alexander Eric, Lt, RCNVR, MPK - 22 Oct 1940, HMCS MARGAREE - Son of Alexander Ogilvie McMurtry, and Isabella Dora McMurtry, of Montreal, Province of Quebec.
Lieutenant McMurtry 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.
Alexander Eric McMurtry was born at Exmouth, Devonshire, England, April 24, 1918. Lieutenant McMurtry was educated at Westmount High School, and Royal Military College, Kingston, where he won first prize in all military subjects. On graduating from R.M.C. in December, 1939, he entered the senior service at Montréal. When HMCS Fraser was sunk off the Coast of France during the evacuation in the summer of 1940, Lieut. McMurtry was serving on this ship. After being rescued himself, he put a carley float overboard padding about in the wind and darkness rescuing several others, until he was ordered aboard for fear he would be blown out to sea. Later with several others he volunteered to board the floating remains of the ill-fated ship to set the time bombs, sending the wreck to the bottom. Later he served aboard HMCS Margaree. During the night hours of October 22nd she collided with a large merchant ship in the North Atlantic Ocean and was sunk. This time he was lost. On October 26, 1940, he was reported "missing, believed killed." He was unmarried, and is survived by his parents in Westmount, Québec. (Source: Ultimate Sacrifice by Robert D'Aoust)
Ships served in: * Appointed Acting Sub-Lieutenant, RCNVR 16 Jun 1939 HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 16 Jun 1939 for Disposal of Under Training * Appointed Sub-Lieutenant, RCNVR (seniority 12 Oct 1939) (Navy List Oct 1939) HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 05 Jan 1940 HMCS ARRAS - Appointed to ARRAS 11 Jan 1940 * Lent to FRASER from ARRAS 20 Feb 1940 HMCS FRASER - Appointed to FRASER 01 Mar 1940 * Survived the sinking of HMCS FRASER on 25 Jun 1940 * Appointed Lieutenant, RCNVR (seniority 12 Aug 1940) (Navy List Aug 1940) HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 22 Aug 1940 For Disposal or Under Training" (Navy List Sep 1940) HMCS MARGAREE - Appointed to MARGAREE 22 Oct 1940
Service file for Eric McMurtry Source: The Library and Archives of Canada
Second World War Casualty Index
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