Canada's Naval History

Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic - Lost at Sea: HMCS St. Croix

In September 1943, in a battle surrounding two convoys in the North Atlantic, German submarines sank the Canadian destroyer HMCS St. Croix and eight other Allied warships and merchant vessels. The loss of St. Croix, like the loss of many Canadian ships during the battle of the Atlantic was felt across the country.

"Our Bicycle Trip"

These photographs show Lieutenant Alex Ross and his wife Mona on a May 1943 cycling holiday in Prince Edward Island.

After Alex Ross had served on the staff at HMCS Kings, the Royal Canadian Navy's junior officer training centre at Halifax, and prior to joining HMCS St. Croix, he and Mona took a cycling vacation in Prince Edward Island. They visited the area around Brackley and the popular nearby beaches. Given the wartime rationing of gasoline and tires, vacations like these were an alternative to automobile trips.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19800567-001_p15