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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
BULL, Armour McKenney, Lt, RCNVR, MPK - 01 Jan 1943, HMS FIDELITY. Son of Alfred Edwin and Margueret E. Bull, of Vancouver, British Columbia. Husband of Eileen Shannan Bull, of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Armour McKenney Bull was the only Canadian on the HMS Fidelity that was sunk on Dec 30th, 1942 - which happened to be Armour's 39th birthday. He was a Lieutenant with the RCNVR - and he was a lawyer. His brother, Ernest Bolton Bull, also a lawyer and later to be a Supreme Court judge in BC, was an AJAG working with the Military District #7 in Moncton NB during that time - and their mutual friend was working in Ottawa in the Department of National Defence in the Estate Branch Division dealing with the Naval service. Armour's wife, who went overseas with Armour, and worked as an ambulance driver, committed suicide four years after his death.
Ships served in: RCNVR DIVISION VANCOUVER - Appointed to RCNVR DIV VANCOUVER 21 May 1941 RCNVR DIVISION MONTREAL - Appointed to RCNVR DIV MONTREAL 26 May 1941 HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 16 Jun 1941 for travel time, appointment to RN for training HMS KING ALFRED - Appointed to KING ALFRED 21 Jun 1941 for passage to UK and training HMS NIMROD - Appointed to NIMROD 08 Sep 1941 for A/S Course HMS CAPE SABLE (Q-ship) - Appointed to CAPE SABLE 29 Sep 1941 HMS VICTORY - Appointed to VICTORY as add'l HMS FIDELITY (SSV) - Appointed to FIDELITY for passage.
Note: HMS FIDELITY was a Special Service Vessel having been refitted as a Commando Carrier and was on route to the Eastern Pacific via convoy ONS-154 to New York.
On 28 Dec 1942, HMS FIDELITY fell behind convoy ONS-154 due to engine troubles and streamed its torpedo nets, which brought down her speed to 2-3 knots. The next day, the commander decided to head for the Azores and launched her motor torpedo boat HMS MTB-105 and a Kingfisher floatplane for anti-submarine patrol. The aircraft spotted two lifeboats of Empire Shackleton which were towed by the two landing craft to HMS FIDELITY. 43 survivors were picked up and the aircraft and the landing craft were lifted aboard again.
At 21.38 hours on 29 December, U-225 (Leimkühler) fired the stern torpedo at HMS FIDELITY, but missed. U-615 (Kapitzky) observed the suspicious vessel during the day and attacked her with five single torpedoes between 22.00 and 23.00 hours, but they either missed or were caught by the torpedo nets. At 16.38 hours on 30 December, the vessel was finally hit by two torpedoes from U-435 and sank immediately after heavy detonations with a loss of 368 dead.
There were only 10 survivors from HMS FIDELITY. Two survivors were from one of her float planes that had crashed on launch and were picked up by HMCS ST LAURENT. The other 8 were from her MTB that had been launched for A/S patrol and were pick-up by HMCS WOODSTOCK.
(AB01-AB02) Service Sumamry for Lt Armour Bull (AB03) Telegram to NSHQ Ottawa informing them Lt Bull is missing on active service (AB04) Letter to Armour Bull's wife informing her that he is presumed deceased (AB05) Newspaper article stating the Lt Armour Bull is missing - Vancouver Sun 18 Feb 1943
(AB06) Law Society of BC Memorial Plaque - 845 Cambie St., Vancouver, BC (AB07) Armour Bull - Arts Undergrad Class of 1925 Grad photo
Eileen Shannon Bull
(EB01) Eileen Shannon Bull - Wedding Anniversary photo (EB02) Newspaper article on Eileen Bull being the first woman in Vancouver to be recruited for overseas ambulance driving
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