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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
YOUNG, Thomas William AB RDF 2c, 3497, RCN, MPK - 13 Sep 1842, HMCS OTTAWA - Born 21 May 1922 son William H. Young, and of Eva Young, Hamilton, Ontario.
Able Seaman Young died when HMCS OTTAWA H60 was torpedoed and sunk by U-91 on 13 Sep 1942. Of her crew of 175, plus 50 survivors they had picked up, there were only 69 survivors.
AB Thomas William (Bill) Young is the son of Mrs. T.G. Miller, 137 East avenue south, and was with the Royal Canadian Navy a year before the outbreak of war. He has been in the heat of action many times since the struggle started and was only 17 years of age when he donned a uniform. On September 2 his mother received a cable that he was "safe and well" - that was the last word from him. The next wire to reach the home brought the information that he was missing, believed killed. Rescued after HMCS Saguenay was torpedoed in 1940, Able Seaman Young was taken to Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool, where he recovered from exposure and then returned to duty again. On July 25, 1941, he came home on leave and at that time described himself as "the luckiest fellow in the Royal Canadian Navy." He told how he had been removed from his hammock because of an attack of pneumonia just before a torpedo from an enemy sub ripped through the Saguenay, killing every one near by. His first ship was the St. Laurent and while serving on it he assisted in the rescue of German civilian prisoners from the Andora Star. They were being brought to Canada when a torpedo from a German sub sent the vessel to the bottom. Able Seaman Young was on the St. Laurent when it went to Bordeaux the day after the evacuation of Dunkirk and on that occasion members of the Polish government were taken across the channel to England. He was later transferred to the Saguenay and after it was hit became a member of the crew of the Ottawa. Before joining the navy the young sailor attended Ryerson public school and later Westdale collegiate. He has three step-brothers in the service - Ted Miller, of the Royal Canadian Navy, now on loan to the British navy; Howard Miller, with the navy, now in training here, and Wilbert Miller, with the RCAF and stationed at Moncton, NB. (Hamilton Spectator, 21 Sep 1942)
Ships served in: HMCS STADACONA - Enlisted 31 Jul 1939 as a Boy Seaman, RCN HMCS ST LAURENT - Drafted to ST LAURENT 13 Oct 1939 * Rated Ordinary Seaman, RCN 21 May 1940 HMCS SAGUENAY - Drafted to SAGUENAY 12 Nov 1940 - Survived the torpedoing of HMCS SAGUENAY HMCS NIOBE - Drafted to NIOBE 19 Mar 1941 * Rated Radio Direction Finder Operator 2nd Class, RCN 18 Apr 1941 HMCS AVALON - Drafted to AVALON 02 Jun 1941 * Rated Able Seaman, RCN 15 Jun 1941 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 27 Mar 1942 HMCS ST CLAIR - Drafted to ST CLAIR 07 Apr 1942 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 16 May 1942 HMCS OTTAWA - Drafted to OTTAWA 18 May 1942
(TY01) Article on AB Young surviving the torpedoing of HMCS SAGUENAY // The Hamilton Spectator (TY02) Article on AB Young missing believed killed when HMCS OTTAWA H60 was sunk // The Hamilton Spectator 21 Sep 1942 (transcribed above) (TY03) The Service File for Thomas Young // Library and Archives of Canada
Second World War Casualty Index
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