Donald LeRoy Urquhart (1923 - 1943)

Born 8 Oct 1923 in Taymouth, Saint Marys, York, New Brunswick, Canada

Ancestors

Died 20 Sep 1943 at age 19 in At Sea

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Marilyn Stewart [send private message]

Biography

Abl Smn Donald Urquhart served in the Royal Canadian Navy in World War II
Service started:
Unit(s):
Service ended: 20 Sep 1943

Donald LeRoy Urquhart was born on 20 Sep 1943 in Taymouth, York County, New Brunswick, Canada. Bert Urquhart and Maggie Curriehis father, Angus, was 38 and his mother, Maggie, was 34. He had four siblings. He died on September 20, 1943, at the age of 20, and was lost at Sea, Loss position: 57° 30'N, 31° 10'W.

H.M.C.S. St. Croix

Donald was a member of the H.M.C.S. St. Croix, an old four-stacker destroyer one of the six the Royal Canadian Navy received from the U.S. In September 1943 the St.Croix was told to join a North Atlantic convoy which was needed to guard two westbound convoys, a slow and a fast convoy, around 70 merchant ships in all. The St. Croix, three Canadian corvettes and a British frigate the Itchen travelled together as Escort Group 9. On September 20th the St. Croix was torpedoed by a German submarine. Bill Fisher survivor: " The first explosion shook the ship, the second torpedo struck right up the stern. The ship shuddered to a stop and took on a list right away." The injured were loaded into a Whaler and motorboat, they were lowered into the water then moved away from the ship. The Itchen was travelling to their aid when a third torpedo struck and split the St. Croix in two, six minutes later the St. Croix went down. The Polyanthus on her way to help the St. Croix was also torpedoed and sank in 30 seconds. The Itchen picked up one survivor from the Polyanthus, but on her way to the St. Croix survivors she felt an explosion behind her and had to delay any rescue attempts. As night descended the motorboat went along side the Whaler. The whaler had crashed against the guard-rail stanchions of the St.Croix as it was being lowered into the water and had two holes punched in her side. The whaler was taking on water fast, and Lt. CMDR. A.H. Dobson, asked for some men from the motorboat to transfer over as he had quite a few badly injured men aboard. A.B. Donald Urquhart of Taymouth and Stoker Bill Fisher transferred. The water came into the whaler as fast as Donald and Fisher could bail it out. They tore up a lifebelt and plugged it into the holes and had a third lad sit with his feet over the plugs to keep them in. All through the night they bailed. They could hear depth charges going up all around them. Thirteen hours after the St. Croix sank Donald and his mates were rescued by the Itchen. Streaked with blood and oil, numb from cold but happy. 76 rating, and 5 officers were saved from the St. Croix crew of 147. Thirty-six hours after the rescue, the Itchen was torpedoed right under her bridge killing all on board but one, Bill Fisher. She sank in 40 seconds. Donalds body was never recovered.^{[1][2] [3] [4][5] [6][7][8][9] [10]}

Donald Urquhart Oct.8,1923 - Lost At Sea Sept.20, 1943 he was twenty years old. ^[11] Never Married

Burial

Name on family headstone in the Taymouth Community Cemetery, Taymouth, York County, New Brunswick, Canada ^[12]

Event Description: Killed in action WW2 , Final resting place Lost at Sea^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Source Evening Times Globe | Oct 01, 1943 page 1 Lost in Convoy battle
2. ↑ The Moncton Daily Times | Oct 02, 1943 St.Croix is lost in Atlantic
3. ↑ Moncton Transcript | Oct 02, 1943 page 12 St.Croix fight with Nazi U-Boat wolf packs
4. ↑ The Moncton Daily Times | Oct 08, 1943 page 1 and 3 survivor tells of sinking of St.Croix
5. ↑ The Daily Gleaner | Oct 08, 1943 page 3 survivor tells of sinking of St.Croix
6. ↑ The Daily Gleaner | Oct 01, 1943 page 1 H.M.C.S. St. Croix sunk
7. ↑ The Moncton Daily Times | Oct 02, 1943 page 6 Navy's list of men lost on St.Croix
8. ↑ The Moncton Daily Times | Oct 04, 1943 page 4 a gallant ship goes down
9. ↑ The Daily Gleaner | Oct 02, 1943 page 3 St.Croix survivors sank with Itchen
10. ↑ Telegraph Journal | Oct 02, 1943 page 1 80 missing after surviving the loss of H.M.C.S. St. Croix
11. ↑ Book: A Journey Through Time by Stewart-35389
12. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images Find a grave, memorial page for AB Donald Leroy Urquhart (8 Oct 1923–1943, Find a Grave Memorial ID 113520778, citing Taymouth Community Cemetery, Taymouth, York County, New Brunswick, Canada; Maintained by Marilyn Stewart-Evans (contributor 48574124) .Stewart-35389
13. ↑ News clip Photo attached, Web: International, Find A Grave Index Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56173501/ur.

See Also:

• McNeil sourced Family Tree, Ancestry Family Tree 11422786 by Marilyn Stewart-Evans Stewart-35389
• Information source: Faye Stewart and Ina Dodds-MacLaggan
• Headstone. Taymouth Community Cemetery (Taymouth, York County, New Brunswick, Canada) . Personally photographed and Transcribed by Marilyn Stewart
• New Brunswick Cemeteries archives.gnb.ca. cemeteries
• Rootsweb, Taymouth Community Cemetery Recorded by Mrs. Faye Stewart, Taymouth, NB E0H 1V0. This cemetery is situated behind the elementary school in Taymouth, (Taymouth Community Centre). rootsweb cemeteries
• New Brunswick Genealogical Society Journal Journal