In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar

HOWARD, Albert Murray - A stationary engineer working at the Eburne Sawmill in Vancouver BC, Murray enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy in January 1942. After initial training at HMCS Discovery, Vancouver and HMCS Stadacona, Halifax, he was assigned to HMCS Sudbury, as a petty officer. This was a Flower-class corvette that served primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. When the U-boat threat spread to the North American coast and they began to target un-escorted oil tankers, escorts were assigned to protect the tankers. The Sudbury was one of these escorts and traveled to Trinidad and Aruba and back, when he served aboard .

In April 1944, with the rank of chief petty officer, he was assigned to HMCS La Hulloise, a River-class frigate designed in Britain and built in Montreal and was at HMCS Hochelaga (Montreal) on 20 May 1944 when La Hulloise was commissioned , with the pennant K668. After working up in Bermuda, La Hulloise was assigned to convoy escort group EG16 out of Halifax. In October 1944 she was reassigned to EG25 which was based out of the United Kingdom, working from Derry (Ireland) and Rosyth (Scotland). La Hulloise patrolled in the Shetland-Faroes Narrows, off the Hebrides, in the Irish Sea west of Ireland, and in St. George's Channel, between Ireland and Wales.

On 7 March La Hulloise, along with HMCS Strathadam and HMCS Thetford Mines, took part in the sinking of U-1302 in St. George's Channel. On 20 March 1945, all three ships were part of a search for U-1003 which had collided underwater with HMCS New Glasgow of EG25. The U-boat had been scuttled on 23 March and survivors were later found.

At some time during his service period on the La Hulloise, he was wounded, hit in the face with shrapnel, which broke his front teeth. On the advice of the navy his teeth were repaired when he was back in Vancouver on leave.

When the war ended, and after being he was discharged, Murray returned to BC working at the Powell River Papermill and a few years later moved to NB with his young family, where he first worked at the Grand Lake Power Station in Newcastle Creek, and later at Base Gagetown, Oromocto where he was Chief Engineer at the base heating Plant.

He died in Oromocto on 24 July 1958 and has been described as exemplifying all the best traditions of an officer and a gentleman.

Ships served in:

HMCS DISCOVERY - Enlisted January 1942

HMCS STADACONA

HMCS SUDBURY - Served in SUDBURY as a Petty Officer

HMCS HOCHELAGA II

HMCS LA HULLOISE - Served in LA HULLOISE as a Chief Petty Officer

HMCS DISCOVERY - Demobilized

(AMH001) PO Albert Murray Howard

(AMH002) CPO Albert Murray Howard with his dog

HMCS SUDBURY K162

(AMH003) Four CPOs, 1 square rig Sto PO and an an AB on HMCS SUDBURY K162.  Stoker PO Murray Howard 1st on left

(AMH004) Three CPOs, 1 square rig Sto PO and an AB on HMCS SUDBURY K162.  Stoker PO Murray Howard front left.

(AMH005) Murray Howard with ship's mascot on HMCS SUDBURY K162.  The mascot had a litter of 4 pups while serving onboard ship.

HMCS LA HULLOISE K668

(AMH006) Engineering Branch on HMCS LA HULLOISE K668

(AMH007-AMH008) Frigates of Escort Group 25

(AMH009-AMH012) Shorelines of unknown location seen from HMCS LA HULLOISE K668

(AMH014) HMCS LA HULLOISE K668 (foreground) at anchor in an unknown location with frigates of Escort Group 25 - possibly at Iceland

(AMH015-AMH016) HMCS ORKNEY K448 after she collided with the SS BLAIRNEVIS on 13 Feb 1945. At the time of the collision, ORKNEY was part of EG.25 escorting ships into Liverpool in foul weather with reduced visibility.  ORKNEY proceeded to Dunstaffnage, Scotland, for repairs.

(AMH017) British Battlecruiser HMS RENOWN - location unknown

(AMH018) Unknown troopship at anchor

(AMH019) Unidentified frigate with unknown shoreline in the background

(AMH020) HMCS THETFORD MINES K459

(AMH021) Various allied warships at an unknown location

(AMH022-AMH023) Gibraltar

(AMH024-AMH025 Surrendered German U-boat transiting the River Foyle to Lisahalley, Northern Ireland

(AMN026-AMH028) Surrendered German U-boats alongside at Lisahelly, Northern Ireland

(AMH029-AMH032) HMCS LA HULLOISE K668 in refit at Saint John, NB - Jun-Oct 1945

(AMH033-AMH034) HMCS LA HULLOISE K668 in refit at Saint John, NB - Jun-Oct 1945

Crossed the Bar Index

HOME PAGE     SHIP INDEX      CONTACT