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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
BURNS, Edward Richard, Cook, V43309, RCNVR, MPK - 07 May 1944, HMCS VALLEYFIELD - Son of Frederick William and Gertrude W. Burns, of Toronto, Ontario.
Cook (S) Burns died when his ship, HMCS VALLEYFIELD, was torpedoed and sunk on 07 May 1944 by U-548. Of her crew of 163, there were only 38 survivors.
Cook Edward Richard Harry Burns, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick William and Gertrude W. Burns, Dovercourt Road, Toronto. He was one of the original crew of his ship for which he volunteered after serving as dietitian at Rockhead Naval hospital. Edward Burns stated "I joined the navy to go to sea ", he protested when given the shore assignment. He has been in the navy for 2 ½ years. Edward Burns had attended Givens Street School and was regarded as an artist in fine possibilities. He specialized in paintings of sea tragedies and one of his best was the sinking of the Athenia. He trained at York and Halifax. He has four brothers, Frederick Jr. Ross, Verdun and Robert Burns and four sisters Florence, Edith, Marguerite and Eleanor.
Ships served in: HMCS YORK - Enlisted 23 Jul 1942 * Commenced Active Service 15 Aug 1942 as an Assistant Cook (S), RCNVR HMCS CORNWALLIS - Drafted to CORNWALLIS 13 Oct 1942 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 16 Nov 1942 * Rated Cook (S), RCNVR 01 Jun 1943 HMCS HOCHELAGA II - Drafted to HOCHELAGA II 30 Nov 1943 HMCS VALLEYFIELD - Drafted to VALLEYFIELD 08 Dec 1943
Service File for Edward Burns Library and Archives of Canada
Second World War Casualty Index
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