THUNDER BAY - In the early morning hours of April 29, 1944 off the northwest coast of France a torpedo launched by the German torpedo boat, T24, stuck the Tribal-class destroyer HMCS Athabaskan.
Of those who entered the water that night 75 years ago was stoker Ernie Takalo of Thunder Bay.
“I’m very lucky to be here. Very lucky,” Takalo said. “The stoke room was pretty good, as long as you weren’t down there when the ship was sunk. You wouldn’t get out.”
Of the Athabaskan crew, 128 men, including commanding officer John Stubbs, were lost, 83 were taken prisoner, and 44 men including Takalo were pulled from the sea by HMCS Haida.
The sinking of HMCS Athabaskan was the single greatest loss of life from any Canadian ship during the Second World War.
Takalo is the last surviving veteran of the HMCS Athabaskan and while he does not talk much about his time at sea during the Second World War, he continues to remember his fellow seamen during the annual commemoration of the Battle of the Atlantic.
“It was a good life. You meet a lot of good people,” he said. “I think it’s an honour to come with the other veterans and bring back many memories.”
A ceremony was held on Sunday at HMCS Griffon to mark the 74th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, which was the longest ongoing campaign during the Second World War.
The Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Merchant Navy, and the Royal Canadian Air Force were tasked with protecting the shipping lanes between North America and the United Kingdom in the face of an ongoing and ruthless threat from German U-boats.
Capt. Jill Marrack, former commanding officer of HMCS Griffon, said more than 200 million tons of food and war supplies were transported to the U.K. aboard more than 25,000 ships.
“Arguably, the navy played a crucial role in ensuring that the sea lanes remained opened and without those sea lanes remaining open, there was no way the food and war supplies the U.K. needed to sustain it’s efforts ever would have arrived,” she said. “It really speaks to how important this battle was to sustaining the war effort.”
The commemoration included a military parade by members of HMCS Griffon and air and sea cadets.
Chief petty officer first-class Joshua Grasley of 42 Vindictive Sea Cadets said it is always an honour to see the veterans continue to come out to participate in these commemorations and listen to their stories.
“I think it’s important that they see the sea cadets and air cadets and people still coming out to show their support for them,” he said. “Even if it was a long time ago and you wouldn’t think many people would remember it, but it was such an important battle and it’s important to raise awareness and remember those who fought.”
For master seamen, Tyler Newman, a clearance diver from Victoria, B.C., hearing those stories about the war and the things the young sailors saw and did so long ago is not only commendable, it’s also humbling.
“When you compare what they went through in their careers at such a young age and what I went through in the military, there is no comparison,” he said. “Pulling fellow sailors out of the water, watching people perish in the sea. I hope I never ever have to do that and for them to have done that is very commendable.”
For those who were there during the Battle of the Atlantic, it can be difficult to talk about what they saw and did, but the memories are still there, even the little ones, which continue to be preserved through ceremonies that honour those who served.
“I remember my buddy was sitting there and all the sudden water come through the vents and he got soaked,” Takalo said. “Funny how you remember little things.”