How can I find details about a sailor killed at sea in WW2

Question

My great granddaughter had a relative in the Canadian Navy who was killed at sea on 14th May 1943. This was William Costello born 1921 in Conception Harbour,  Newfoundland. His parents were William Costello and Norah Ryan. I'd to at least have his Military # and perhaps the name of the ship he was on when it was torpedoed. He was married at the time with a wife and child at home in Newfoundland. It would be wonderful to know her name and the name of the child. William's wife , after receiving news of his death, took the child and went back to Scotland where she came from. This child would now be 80 years old if he/she is still alive. Is there any hope of getting this mystery solved. Thank you, John

Comments

I would add ‘Scotland’ tag, and see if ‘Team Scotland’ can find Sarah Costello (wife name at Canadian Virtual War Memorial after his parent’s names) and child back in Scotland. Think she might be the one in Edinburgh, the one in Glasgow appears to be married to a male Costello. I am not an expert in that area.

Answer 1

On the record of his death, it has a column ""Port Division and Official No." with this notation: LT/JX. 185969.

His branch of service R.N.P. S.

Ship designation: H.M.M.L. 1154.

Cause of Death: Lost Overboard.

Hopefully, the following link will take you to the image of the record: https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/7932410?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2255414b5848447552475034536d4a573549487376623151734a4845784831382f4b36587a6745676e7a67343d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

Edit: typos

Answer 2

Wrecksite.eu is a site that I have been using for my relatives since it's not behind a paywall. (Though original sources are best.) Here is their entry for your William Costello:

https://www.wrecksite.eu/peopleView.aspx?144342

Here in remarks is personal information:

wreck: H.M.M.L. 1154 remarks: Son of William and Norah Costello; husband of Sarah Costello, of Harrietsham, Kent. Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/peopleView.aspx?144342

Answer 3

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2367537?William%20Costello See his picture at bottom 

Are you sure it isn’t this William who died on 18 Dec 1943 who was from Nfld https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2719921?William%20Joseph%20Costello but other one is listed on Nfld remembrance page 

Can’t seem to find his enlistment papers, should be here, maybe you will have better luck

https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/help/kia

Comments

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13828961/william-costello

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William died (age 22) on 14 May 1943 in North Africa, Newfoundland, Canada.<ref>

'''Death''':

"Newfoundland, Canada, Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1850-1949"<br/>

PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES (NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR); Newfoundland, Canada<br/>

{{Ancestry Sharing|7935523|7b22746f6b656e223a224d2f66614e774e41705439365850746e5a7a59304a74576b384d7655694b385644552f6850374b326374303d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d}} - {{Ancestry Record|61508|439398|ca}} (accessed 24 November 2023)<br/>

William Costello death 14 May 1943 (age 22) in North Africa, Newfoundland, Canada.

</ref>

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Hmm... The sailor pictured there is wearing a cap which says "HMS Dewey" and the only reference I'm seeing to that vessel is in this pdf, which says it sank after a collision in 1917: https://dcc-live-s3.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Thompson-to-Whitehead_1.pdf

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Another reference for the Dewey sinking: https://archive.ukho.gov.uk/records/HD/1918/724

Answer 4

It seems ML No.1154 was a motor launch boat "mined at Bizerta, Tunisia" according to the page cached here: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:YZ7MB6wxTgAJ:https://www.naval-history.net/WW2BritishLossesbyDate2.htm&hl=en&gl=us

Answer 5

Library & Archives Canada does not generally have WW2 service records for those died serving Newfoundland (which hadn't joined Canada yet). I expect you'd have to pursue it in UK military records.