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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
ARCHER, George, CPO TC, 2556, RCN, MPK - 22 Oct 1940, HMCS MARGAREE - Son of William and Annie Archer, of Briton Ferry, Glamorgan, Wales; husband of Mary Agnes Archer, of Esquimalt, British Columbia.
Chief Petty Officer Archer died when his ship, HMCS MARGAREE, collided with the freighter SS Port Fairy while in convoy and was sunk. 143 of her crew were lost, 86 of them were survivors of HMCS FRASER.
George Archer was born in Preston Lancashire England and the family moved to Briton Ferry when he was 5 yrs. He joined the Royal Navy when he was 16 yrs. In 1930 or 31 the Canadian Navy was trying to build itself up and encouraged young men from the Royal Navy to transfer. So he did and came to Esquimalt on the Skeena in 1931. He was saved from the Fraser in June 1940 and then went down with the Margaree in October 1940. He was nicknamed "Jock" because he used to wear a Scottish hat. He used to sew sailor suits as a hobby - both on the ship and at home. My mother said that he had visited the ports so often he wasn't interested in going ashore so he took up sewing.
Ships served in: * Served in the Royal Navy 08 Jul 1921 - 01 Oct 1930 HMCS STADACONA - Enlisted 02 Oct 1930 as an Able Seaman, RCN * Rated Seaman Gunner, RCN 02 Oct 1930 SS MONTCLAIR - for passage to UK departed Saint John N.B. 16 Jan 1931 HMS VICTORY I - Drafted to VICTORY 17 Jan 1931 for training HMS EXCELLENT - Drafted to EXCELLENT 27 Jan 1931 * Rated Acting Leaving Seaman, RCN 15 Mar 1931 * Rated Gun Layer 2nd Class, RCN 20 May 1931 HMCS SKEENA - Drafted to SKEENA 10 Jun 1931 * Rated Leading Seaman, RCN 15 Mar 1932 * Rated Acting Petty Officer, RCN 01 May 1933 * Rated Petty Officer, RCN 01 May 1934 HMCS NADEN - Drafted to NADEN 01 Jul 1935 HMS VICTORY - Drafted to VICTORY 02 Aug 1935 HMS VERNON - Drafted to VERNON 31 Aug 1935 * Rated Torpedo Cox'n, RCN 08 Nov 1935 HMCS VICTORY - Drafted to VICTORY 16 Nov 1935 HMS SALTBURN (Royal Navy Hunt Class Minesweeper) - Lent to SALTBURN from VICTORY 16 Nov 1936 - 19 May 1936 HMCS NADEN - Drafted to NADEN 23 May 1936 HMCS ARMENTIERES - Drafted to ARMENTIERES 29 Jun 1936 HMCS VANCOUVER - Drafted to VANCOUVER 10 Oct 1936 HMCS NADEN - Drafted to NADEN 24 Nov 1946 HMCS ARMENTIERES - Lent to ARMENTIERES from NADEN 14-27 Dec 1936 * Rated Acting Chief Petty Officer, RCN 17 Jan 1937 HMCS FRASER - Drafted to FRASER 22 Jan 1937 HMS PEMBROKE - Lent to PEMBROKE from FRASER 1-16 Feb 1937 * Rated Chief Petty Officer, RCN 01 Jan 1939 * Survived the sinking of HMCS FRASER on 25 Jun 1940 HMCS MARGAREE - Drafted to MARGAREE 16 Sep 1940
Service file for George Archer Source: The Library and Archives of Canada
Second World War Casualty Index
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