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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
IRVINE, Clarence Edward, Surg/Lt, RCNVR MPK - 07 May 1944, HMCS VALLEYFIELD - Son of Norman and Minnie Irvine, of Grimsby, Ontario; husband of Marion Irvine, of Timmins, Ontario.
Surgeon-Lieutenant Irivne died when HMCS VALLEYFIELD was torpedoed and sunk on 07 May 1944 by U-548. Surg/Lt Irvine was part of the crew of HMCS HALIFAX and had been transferred to HMCS GIFFARD, and then HCMS VALLEYFIELD to treat a patient. Of VALLEYFIELD'S crew of 163, there were only 38 survivors.
MISSING - Surgeon Lieut. C.E. Irvine, Med. '32, was reported missing on May 15. He was on board the Canadian frigate Valleyfield, sunk in the North Atlantic while on convoy duty. Lieutenant Irvine did not belong to Valleyfield crew but had been called aboard her at sea on an errand of mercy. He received his first official sea appointment to the corvette H.M.C.S. Halifax less than a month ago and on the return trip from the United Kingdom he had been called to the Canadian corvette Giffard to attend the commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Charles Petersen, of Victoria. He was about to return to his own ship when a rush call came from the Valleyfield saying that a man was critically ill and asking if the doctor could be spared. Irvine went across to the frigate in a seaboat and was with his patient in the sick bay when the ship was sunk. (Queens' University Archives - The Queen's Review 1944, pg 144)
Ships served in: HMCS BYTOWN - Enlisted 18 Dec 1942 * Commenced Active Service 05 Oct 1942 as a Probationer Surgeon Sub-Lieutenant, RCNVR HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 07 Oct 1942 for Training and Disposal HMCS CORNWALLIS - Appointed to CORNWALLIS 01 Nov 1942 for Training and Disposal HMCS STADACONA - Appointed to STADACONA 30 Nov 1942 Add'l for Disposal HMCS AVALON - Appointed to AVALON 01 Mar 1943 Add'l for Duty at RCN Hospital HMCS AVALON II - Appointed to AVALON II 03 Feb 1944 HMCS AVALON - - Appointed to AVALON Add'l for Duty at RCN Hospital HMCS HALIFAX - Appointed to HALIFAX 16 Apr 1944 - Transferred to HMCS VALLEYFIELD by boat to treat a patient. Died when HMCS VALLEYFIELD was torpedoed and sunk.
Service file for Clarence Irvine Source: The Library and Archives of Canada
Second World War Casualty Index
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