Remembering Today Casualty Able Seaman SINCLAIR, ERIC WILLIAM Service Number V/41902 Died 07/05/1944 Aged 31 H.M.C.S. Valleyfield. Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve Son of James and Margaret Sinclair; brother of Jean E. Chalmers, of Vancouver, British Columbia. Commemorated at HALIFAX MEMORIAL Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Number of casualties: 3132 Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 11.
Valleyfield was ordered in October 1941 as part of the 1942–1943 River-class building program. She was laid down on 30 November 1942 at Quebec City. She was commissioned into the RCN on 7 December 1943. She served primarily as an Atlantic convoy escort. She was torpedoed and sunk in May 1944, the only River-class frigate lost by the RCN. On 7 May 1944, escort group C-1 was making their way to St. John's when U-548 fired two acoustic torpedoes, at the five ships. One of the torpedoes hit the port side boiler room on Valleyfield, splitting her in two. She sank in under four minutes. 43 survivors were rescued from the water, 5 of whom died later. There were only 38 survivors with 125 crew members lost, including the Captain.
Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1946: Name: Eric William Sinclair Gender: Male Age: 31 Birth Date: abt 1913 Birth Place: Scotland Death Date: 7 May 1944 Death Place: Overseas (Military) Cause of Death: "Missing" Presumed Dead This is the only birth match I can find: SINCLAIR, ERIC WILLIAM M Born 1911, Latheron, Caithness But then there's this: U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960: Name: Eric W Sinclair Gender: Male Race/Nationality: Scottish (Scotish) Departure Contact: FJames Age: 23 Birth Date: abt 1911 Birth Place: Wick (Caithness), Scotland Arrival date: 24 May 1934 Port of Arrival: Laurier, Washington, USA and this: Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1963: Name: Eric Wm Sinclair Gender: Male Age: 26 Nationality: Scotch Birth Date: 31 Aug 1912 Birth Place: Wick Caithness, Scotland Arrival date: 21 Apr 1939 Arrival Place: Detroit, Michigan, USA Departure Contact: Father James Sinclair Arrival Contact: Brother Ben M Sinclair
