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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
LAURIE, William Drennan, LS, V23158, RCNVR, MPK - 25 Jan 1942, SS RINGSTAD / HMCS BRANDON - Son of Ernest and Dorothy Drennan Laurie; husband of Margaret K. Laurie, all of St. Lambert, QC.
Leading Seaman W. D. Laurie. was returning to Canada from United Kingdom. He was a passenger on Norwegian cargo vessel SS Ringstad. This ship had departed from Cardiff, Wales, on Jan. 14, 1942 and was scheduled to dock at St. John New Brunswick on or about Jan. 28, 1942. The SS Ringstad was in Convoy ONS 56 which was made up of 36 ships when she was torpedoed by a German Submarine U-333 about 90 miles south east of Cape Race Newfoundland. The sinking occurred at about 04:30 p.m. on Jan. 24, 1942.
Leading Seaman William Drennan Laurie, formerly well known in local amateur radio circles. "Bill" Laurie a wireless operator in the RCNVR, which he joined in 1940, has been reported missing at sea. His wife is the former Margaret K. Mosher, and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Laurie of 231 L'Esperance Street, St. Lambert. He was born in Winnipeg but came to Montréal with his family in 1936 and lived at LaPrairie where he began operating the amateur radio station VE2CP. He used to carry on two-way conversations with places as far as Fifeshire in Scotland. He was the president of the South Shore Wireless Club in 1939 and 1940. He went overseas November 1941. Leading Seaman Laurie had gone overseas on a Canadian corvette, and it is understood he was on his way back from England on a British Freighter.
While the SS Ringstad was torpedoed and sunk on 24 Jan 1942, the official declaration of the death of LS William Laurie was 25 Jan 1942.
Ships served in: RCNVR DIVISION MONTREAL - Enlisted 04 Oct 1940. Commenced Active Service 06 Oct 1940 HMCS VENTURE (for Hill 100 Station) - Served in Venture 12 Feb 1941 - 25 Jun 1941 as a OS RDF, RCNVR HMCS BRANDON - Drafted to BRANDON 08 Nov 1941 as an A/LS, RCNVR. SS RINGSTAD - Departed Cardiff, Wales on 14 Jan 1942 aboard SS RINGSTAD for passage to Canada.
(WL01-WL02) Certificate of Service - pages 1 and 2 (WL03-WL04) Record of Service (WL05) Request / Recommendation for Advance Promotion of William Laurie to A/LS R. D/F
(WL06) Service Summary (WL07) Report of Death (WL08) Article on William Laurie missing on war service (WL09) Letter to LS Laurie's widow (WL10) Official notice on the date of death for LS William Laurie
Second World War Casualty Index
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