They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
MARKHAM, Gerald Arthur, SLt, O-46430, RCNVR, MPK - 10 Feb 1942, HMCS SPIKENARD - Son of Gerald M. and Esther Marion Markham, of Westmount, Quebec.
SLt Markham died when his ship, HMCS SPIKENARD, was torpedoed and sunk by U-136, about 465 nautical miles west of Malin Head, Ireland while escorting convoy SC-67. Of her crew of 65, there were only 8 survivors.
Gerald Arthur Markham, was born November 15, 1918, at Montréal, Québec. He spent two years in the Junior School where he won many friends. On leaving the School, he attended Westmount High School for four years and then took a science course at McGill University, becoming a member of the D.K.E. Fraternity. After leaving McGill he joined the Federated Press Company where he remained until the early days of the war. He was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant in the RCNVR in 1940 and appointed to HMCS Spikenard, a corvette, on convoy duty in the North Atlantic.
Ships served in: MONTREAL DIVISION RCNVR - Enlisted 27 Feb 1941. Commenced Active Service 01 May 1941 as a Prob. SLt, RNCVR HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 06 May 1941 for travelling time HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 07 May 1941 For Training and Disposal as a Prob. SLt, RCNVR HMCS SPIKENARD - Appointed to SPIKENARD 15 Aug 1941 as a SLt, RCNVR
(GM01) Portrait of SLt Gerald Markham (GM02) Documents from the Service File of Gerald Markham
Article on casualties and one survivor of HMCS SPIKENARD - Toronto Star Feb 1942
Second World War Casualty Index
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