In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
Leslie Oikles died when the fishing vessel Clayton W. Walters was lost with all hands on 24 Aug 1927.
"In 1927, the Lunenburg schooners Mahala, Uda R Corkum, Clayton W. Walters, and Joyce M. Smith were lost with their entire crews. The American schooner Columbia, with mainly a Nova Scotian crew, was also lost. Close to 100 fishermen lost their lives. In addition to those loses, many vessels were lost along the Atlantic coast.
For the Lunenburg schooners, the disaster was particularly harsh. Each vessel had crew members who were related to each other. One example is found in the Mahala. The Captain, Warren Knickle, was lost with his two brothers, Owen and Grenville, and their brother-in-law, Scott Miller.
The Gale took place on August 24, 1927. In the case of the American schooner Columbia, it was October before the owners were able to confirm that their schooner had been lost." (Source: Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic website)
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