For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

They made the Ultimate Sacrifice

CUMMING, Malcolm, Lt (E), RCNR - MPK 19 Oct 1940, HMCS BRAS D'OR - son of Mr. and Mrs. William Cumming, of Westbrooke, Maine, USA; husband of Lilian Cumming, of Verdun, QC.

Malcolm Cumming born in Paisley, Scotland 45 years ago, Engineer Lieut. Malcolm Cumming went to sea as a young man, serving as a mercantile marine officer during the First Great War. Twelve years ago, he gave up the sea and came to Canada with his wife and two daughters. A member of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, he obtained leave of absence from the Sun Life Assurance Company where he was employed as engineer and entered the naval service at the outbreak of war. His two daughters, Moira and Marilyn, are 15 and 17 years old, respectively. He resides at 683 Osborne Avenue, Verdun, Québec, the parents of Engineer Lieut. Malcolm Cumming, 45, a member of the Canadian Royal Navy, Saturday were advised that the Bras d'Or, a mine sweeper on which he was stationed has been listed as missing since Oct. 19, 1942. The information came to Mr. and Mrs. William Cumming of Saco Street from a daughter, Mrs. Anne Noseworthy of Montréal, who in a letter said she had been advised of her brother's mishap by naval officials. The vessel was last sighted in the Gaspe passage of the lower St. Lawrence River, Oct. 19, when it was on patrol duty. Since that time bad fall storms have appeared over the area. Naval destroyers and airplanes have searched the area without uncovering any evidence to throw light on the disappearance of the craft. The Bras d'Or was the Canadian vessel which captured the Italian freighter, Cape Noli, in the St. Lawrence River on the day that Italy entered the war. Lieut. Cumming, although a native of Scotland, has been in Canada for 12 years. He served in the World War and, as a member of the Royal Navy Reserves, was recalled to service when Canada declared war last fall. Malcolm had frequently visited his parents in Portland and Westbrook in recent years.