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A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project
They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
BIANCO, Anthony Dominic, AB, V34263, RCNVR MPK - 29 Apr 1944, HMCS ATHABASKAN - son of Nicola and Olimpia Bianco, of Peterboro, Ontario.
AB Bianco died when his ship, HMCS ATHABASKAN G07, was sunk in the English Channel on April 29, 1944. The province of Ontario honoured Able Seaman Bianco by naming Bianco Lake in his honour.
Anthony's brother, Nicola Vincezzo Bianco, served as John Vincent White and he was killed in action on September 12, 1944 while serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery.
Ships served in: HMCS CATARAQUI - Enlisted 21 Apr 1942. Commenced Active Service 21 Apr 1942 HMCS CORNWALLIS - Drafted to CORNWALLIS 18 Aug 1942 as a OS, RCNVR HMCS KAMLOOPS - Served in KAMLOOPS 18-24 Oct 1942 for training while drafted to CORNWALLIS HMCS RESTIGOUCHE - Drafted to RESTIGOUCHE 27 Oct 1942 as an OS, RCNVR * Rated AB 21 Apr 1943 HMCS NIOBE - Drafted to NIOBE 08 Oct 1943 as an AB, RCNVR HMS MARLBOROUGH (A Royal Navy Electrical Training shore station in Eastbourne, England) - Drafted to MARLBOROUGH 31 Oct 1943 as an AB, RCNVR HMCS NIOBE - Drafted to NIOBE 15 Dec 1943 as an AB, RCNVR HMCS ATHABASKAN - Drafted to ATHABASKAN 05 Jan 1944 as an AB, RCNVR
Documents from the Service File of Anthony Bianco
A longstanding naval tradition is that on Christmas Day the CO of the ship trades places with the youngest sailor on the ship. In the above two photos, OS Anthony Bianco trades places with LCdr Desmond Piers, CO of HMCS RESTIGOUCHE H00 - and became LCdr Bianco for the day and LCdr Piers became Ordinary Seaman Piers for the day - Christmas 1942.
The photo of SA Burchell, LCdr Bianco and OS Piers is from the collection of SA John Burchell, courtesy of Mark Burchell.
Second World War Casualty Index
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For Posterity's Sake 
