They made the Ultimate Sacrifice

 

Clark Edward Reiffenstein

 

SLt, RCN / C.A.F. (Navy)

 

Born: 27 Dec 1946          Died: 19 Nov 1969

No

 

Book of Remembrance

 

entry

 

REIFFENSTEIN, Clark Edward, SLt, RCN / C.A.F. (Navy), died 27 Dec 1946, HMCS KOOTENAY - He served in HMCS Kootenay as Navigating Officer and Diving Officer 1969. He was buried in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal, QC. In 1972 he was awarded the Star of Courage.

 

SLt Reiffenstein took his own life 27 days after the Kootenay Explosion.  At the time, PTSD was not a term that was used, and it was deemed his death was not related to his service so he was not entered in the Book of Remembrance. 

 


 

Star of Courage Citation - The late SLt Clark Edward Reiffenstein , of Montreal, Navigation Officer on HMCS Kootenay made repeated efforts to rescue crew members following the explosion and fire. SLt Reiffenstein put on "aqua-lung" equipment, underwater gear not designed for use in fire-fighting, to enable him to breathe and function in the smoke and heat-filled deck immediately above the scene of the explosion and fire in the engine room. He saw that those in the area of the ship's cafeteria got clear to safer parts of the ship, dragging one man to safety who had been overcome by smoke. Then SLt Reiffenstein made his way into the boiler room to see that it was cleared and eventually turned his breathing apparatus over to the Petty Officer who stayed behind in the boiler room to maintain steam pressure necessary for operating the firefighting equipment. SLt Reiffenstein survived the disaster aboard HMCS Kootenay but died several months later.

 


 

Ships served in:

HMCS DONNACONA

HMCS KOOTENAY - SLt Reiffenstein was serving in KOOTENAY as NavO at the time of the explosion.

 


 

In Service of Canada - RCN Peacetime Casualty Index

 

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