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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
WHITEHEAD, Bruce Mansell, SLt, RCNVR, killed - 16 Apr 1945, HMCS ESQUIMALT - Husband of Betty Whitehead, of Vancouver.
SLt Whitehead joined the RCNVR on 18 Jun 1941 and served as a Signalman until he commissioned from the ranks on 02 May 1944. He died when his ship, HMCS ESQUIMALT, was torpedoed and sunk by U-190 off the approaches to Halifax harbour. His body was recovered and he was buried in the Ocean View Burial Park, Burnaby, British Columbia.
Ships served in: VANCOUVER DIVISION RCNVR - Enlisted 18 Jun 1941. Commenced Active Service 18 Jun 1941 as an OS, RCNVR HMCS NADEN - Drafted to NADEN 13 Aug 1941 as an OS, RCNVR * Rated O/Sig 25 Sep 1941 FR Vessel MOONLOCK - Drafted to MOONLOCK 06 Dec 1941 as an O/Sig, RCNVR FR Vessel BILLOW - Drafted to BILLOW 01 Apr 1942 as an O/Sig, RCNVR HMCS NADEN - Drafted to NADEN 03 Sep 1942 as an O/Sig, RCNVR * Rated Sig 18 Jun 1942 HMCS GIVENCHY - Drafted to GIVENCHY 01 Nov 1942 as a Sig, RCNVR HMCS BURRARD - Drafted to BURRARD 27 Nov 1942 as a Sig, RCNVR HMCS MEANDER - Drafted to MEANDER 15 Dec 1942 as a Sig, RCNVR HMCS ST HYACINTHE - Drafted to ST HYACINTHE 14 Apr 1943 as a Sig, RCNVR HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 23 Jun 1943 as a Sig, RCNVR * Rated A/L/Sig 01 Jun 1943 HMCS CORNWALLIS - Drafted to CORNWALLIS 23 Mar 1944 as an A/L/Sig, RCNVR * Discharged 01 May 1944 - Promoted to Commissioned Rank HMCS CORNWALLIS - Appointed to CORNWALLIS 02 May 1944 as a Prob. SLt, RCNVR, add'l HMCS YORK - Appointed to YORK 23 May 1944 as a Prob. SLt, RCNVR for initial training and duty HMCS KINGS - Appointed to KINGS 05 Aug 1944 as a Prob. SLt, RCNVR, add'l for Disposal or Under Training (Navy List Sep 1944) HMCS CORNWALLIS - Appointed to CORNWALLIS 05 Aug 1944 as a Prob. SLt, RCNVR for Executive Officers' Courses (Navy List Nov 1944) HMCS ESQUIMALT - Appointed to ESQUIMALT 27 Dec 1944 as a SLt, RCNVR
(BW01) Documents from the Service File of Bruce Whitehead (BW02) Article on the death of SLt Bruce Whitehead (BW03) Letter or performance for L/Sig Bruce Whitehead for his time on HMCS JOAN W II - 02 Mar 1942 - 08 Sep 1942. Note that the JOAN W II does not appear on Bruce's Certificate of Service nor his Record of Service. It is possible he was loaned from MOONLOCK to JOAN W II and remained On her after his drafted to BILLOWS, again on loan - without it being records in his file. (BW04) Letter of performance for L/Sig Bruce Whitehead for his time on HMCS BILLOWS - 09 Mar 1942 - 20 Sep 1942 (BW05 Grave marker for SLt Bruce Whitehead Ocean View Burial Park, Burnaby, BC
Second World War Casualty Index
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