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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
PHILLIPS, Ronald Keith, OS, V64486, RCNVR, MPK - 07 May 1944, HMCS VALLEYFIELD - Son of Samuel Harry and Mabel Muriel Phillips, of Transcona, Manitoba.
Ordinary Seaman Phillips 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.
Ordinary Seaman Ronald K. Phillips, V64486, 18 years old, the son of Samuel H. and Mabel M. Phillips of Transcona. Phillips Point in Big Flat Lake was named after him in 1989. In June of 1943, Ronald Keith Phillips decided to follow in his father's footsteps in service to King and Country. He voluntarily enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy. Like many other young men, "Ronnie" was not "of age" when he joined up, so he lied on his application in order to get into the Service. He was 17 years old when he enlisted. While in the Royal Canadian Navy, Ordinary Seaman, Ronald Keith Phillips served aboard the H.M.C.S. Cornwallis and the H.M.C.S. Valleyfield. He was stationed on the H.M.C.S. Valleyfield when disastrous misfortune struck the officers and crew. Just shortly before midnight on May 6, 1944, the warship H.M.C.S. Valleyfield was 50 miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland when a German submarine "U-548" fatally torpedoed it. The torpedo struck the frigate with such force that a huge explosion followed. The vessel broke in two pieces and sunk within two minutes of the surprise attack. Many of the crew were killed instantly. Some were trapped in the sinking warship while others grabbed for life jackets and pieces of the wreckage as they struggled to survive in the cold, icy waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Of 163 men aboard the warship, OS Ronald Keith Phillips was among the 125 men who perished that night. O.S. Ronald Keith Phillips died in his country's service on May 07, 1944 at age 18. Word of the fatal tragedy traveled back to his family in Transcona. An article appeared a few days later in the May 11th issue of the Transcona News indicating, "word received by parents, only son is missing at sea". A week later, a "card of thanks" that expressed the family's appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy, appeared in the local paper. Left to mourn were his family, parents Samuel and Mabel Phillips as well as sisters Marjorie and Joan who lived together at 142 Whittier Avenue in Transcona. (Source: Ultimate Sacrifice by Robert D'Aoust)
Ships served in: HMCS CHIPPAWA - Enlisted 10 Jun 1943 * Commenced Active Service 19 Jun 1943 as an Ordinary Seaman, RCNVR HMCS MONTREAL - Drafted to MONTREAL 22 Jan 1943 HMCS CORNWALLIS - Drafted to CORNWALLIS 11 Aug 1943 HMCS HAMILTON - Served in HAMILTON 10-19 Oct 1943 for Seamanship Training while in training at CORNWALLIS HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 19 Nov 1943 HMCS HOCHELAGA II - Drafted to HOCHELAGA II 27 Nov 1943 HMCS VALLEYFIELD - Drafted to VALLEYFIELD 08 Dec 1943. Commissioning crew
(RKP001-RKP002) Ordinary Seaman Ronald Keith Phillips Missing // The Winnipeg Evening Tribune // Courtesy of Operation Picture Me (RKP003) Service file for Ronald Phillips // Source: The Library and Archives of Canada
Second World War Casualty Index
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