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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
COLLINS, Joseph AB, P/JX 182689, RN, killed - 22 Feb 1943, HMCS WEYBURN
AB Collins died when his ship, HMCS WEYBURN, struck a mine and sank. His body wash ashore in southern Spain and he was buried in Zahara Los Altunes, Spain.
On February 22, 1943, HMCS WEYBURN K173, was mined by U-118 off the Strait of Gibraltar. The ship was moving up the port wing of a US-bound convoy when the mine exploded on her port side abreast the engine room, which at once flooded, killing one rating. With all of the crew in the water or picked up by HMS WIVERN, and after a bulkhead let go in WEYBURN she sank quickly by the stern. Depth charges that had been jammed by the original explosion and could not be rendered safe, exploded and killed several crew in the water including Sub-Lieutenant Bark. In all, eight R.C.N. crew were killed, including the Commanding Officer Lt. Cdr. Tom Golby who was also killed in the water and 4 R.N. crew members were also killed. Lieutenant William Arthur Bordett Garrard, First Lieutenant in Weyburn and Lieutenant Patrick Sproull Milsom were awarded the MBE; Sub-Lieutenant Bark and Leading Signalman Leonard William Murray were awarded MIDs.
Ships served in:
Second World War Casualty Index
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