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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
MCNEILL, Bernard James, AB A/AA III, V15283, RCNVR, MPK - 07 May 1944, HMCS VALLEYFIELD - Son of Hugh Alexander McNeill and Angela Mary McNeill, of Brandon, Manitoba.
Able Seaman McNeill 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.
Bernard was a defenseman for the Brandon Elks Juvenile Hockey team and joined the R.C.N.V.R. at the age 16 by falsifying his birth certificate. He was eleven days short of his 19th birthday when the Valleyfield was sunk. McNeill Lake, west of Setting Lake was named after him in 1967.
Bernard's sister, Florence Margaret McNeill served in the WRCNS and his brother Dennis Hugh McNeill was a Pilot Officer in the RCAF during the Second World War.
Ships served in: HMCS CHIPPAWA - Enlisted 09 May 1942 * Commenced Active Service 07 Jun 1942 as an Ordinary Seaman, RCNVR HMCS NADEN - Drafted to NADEN 03 Aug 1942 * Rated Acting Anti-Aircraft Rating 3rd Class, RCNVR 07 Dec 1942 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 05 Jan 1943 ML Q100 - Drafted to Q100 08 Jan 1943 * Rated Able Seaman, RCNVR 07 Jun 1943 HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 18 Nov 1943 HMCS HOCHELAGA II - Drafted to HOCHELAGA II 26 Nov 1943 HMCS VALLEYFIELD - Drafted to VALLEYFIELD 08 Dec 1943. Commissioning crew
Service File for Bernard McNeill Source: The Library and Archives of Canada
Second World War Casualty Index
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