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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
PONDER, Harold Russell, AB, 3632, RCN, MPK - 22 Oct 1940, HMCS MARGAREE - Son of Isobel Ponder, of Smithers, British Columbia.
Able Seaman Ponder 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.
Ships served in: RCNVR DIVISION PRINCE RUPERT - Enlisted 27 Apr 1936 as an Ordinary Seaman, RCNVR HMCS NADEN - Served in NADEN for training 30 Jul 1938 - 29 Aug 1938 HMCS ARMENTIERES - Served in ARMENTIERES for training 13-22 Aug 1938 HMCS NADEN - Served in NADEN for training 19 May 1939 - 20 Jun 1939 HMCS NOOTKA - Served in NOOTKA for training 05-12 Jun 1939 HMCS COMOX - Served in COMOX for training 13-16 Jun 1939 HMCS SKEENA - Note: Harold Ponders service file does not mention a draft to HMCS SKEENA, however, his portrait shows him wearing a SKEENA cap tally. It is possible he served in SKEENA at some point during his RCNVR training and it was not recorded on his Certificate of Service. * Rated Able Seaman, RCNVR 16 Jun 1939 * Commenced Active Service 10 Sep 1939 HMCS NADEN - Drafted to NADEN 09 Sep 1939 HMCS SANS PEUR - Drafted to SANS PEUR 14 Nov 1939 * Discharged. Transferred to RCN 05 May 1940 as an Able Seaman, RCN HMCS SANS PEUR - Drafted to SANS PEUR 06 May 1940 HMCS NADEN - Drafted to NADEN 10 Jun 1940 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 14 Aug 1940 HMCS MARGAREE - Drafted to MARGAREE 14 Aug 1940 * Commissioning crew 06 Sep 1940
(HRP001) Portrait of Harold Ponder (HRP002) Portrait of Harold Ponder (HRP003) Service file for Harold Ponder // Source: The Library and Archives of Canada
Second World War Casualty Index
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