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A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project
They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
IRVING, James Crawford, L/Coder, V17668, RCNVR, MPK - 21 Aug 1944 - HMCS ALBERNI - Son of Henry and Mildred Irving, of London, Ontario.
Leading Coder Irvingdied when his ship, HMCS ALBERNI, was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel on 21 Aug 1944 by U-480, southeast of the Isle of Wight. Fifty-nine of her ship's company lost their lives.
Robert Webb, a childhood friend submitted the following information: 'Jim and I were neighbours and best boyhood friends in London from 1929 until 1938 when my family moved from London to Hamilton. Jim was a cheerful, extroverted companion of my youth who was my fishing buddy and Boy Scout friend. He became a King Scout before he enlisted in the R.C.N.V.R. In July 1944, while serving overseas as a member of the R.C.A.F., attached to the RAF, we became aware that the Alberni was in Portsmouth U.K. and Jim was able to get some shore leave. We met in Norwich near the airfield where I was then stationed. I cherish the snapshots we took and the memory of his 'cheerio' goodbye as his train left. It was only a few weeks later on August 21, 1944, that the Alberni was sunk by enemy action. His mother wrote to tell me of her loss and to say how, in his last letter he had described our happy reunion.' (Source: Ultimate Sacrifice Vol 3 Part 2 by Robert D'Aoust)
Ships served in: LONDON DIVISION RCNVR - Enlisted 16 Jul 1941. Commenced Active Service 16 Jul 1941 as an Ordinary Coder, RCNVR HMC SIGNAL SCHOOL - Drafted to HMC SIGNAL SCHOOL 14 Aug 1941 HMCS ST HYACINTHE - Drafted to ST HYACINTHE 01 Oct 1941 * Rated Ordinary Coder 07 Nov 1941 (confirmed) HMCS VENTURE - Drafted to VENTURE 09 Nov 1941 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 11 Nov 1941 HMCS NIAGARA - Drafted to NIAGARA 12 Nov 1941 * Rated Coder 15 Apr 1942 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 16 Jun 1942 HMCS CHICOUTIMI - Drafted to CHICOUTIMI 20 Jun 1942 * Rated Acting Leading Coder 15 Jul 1943 HMCS ALBERNI - Drafted to ALBERNI 29 Jul 1943 * Rated Leading Coder 15 Jul 1944
(JI02) Coder James Irving. Source VAC CVWM website (JI03) Documents from the Service File of James Irving
Second World War Casualty Index
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For Posterity's Sake 
