Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic  - The Battle of the St. Lawrence

The struggle on the Atlantic between Allied navies and German U-Boats (submarines) brought the naval war into Canada, turning the river and Gulf of St. Lawrence into a battleground. From 1942, German U-Boats sank 23 merchant and naval ships; improvements in anti-submarine defences ultimately stemmed these losses.

Funeral of Able Seaman Donald Bowser, HMCS Charlottetown

A member of HMCS Charlottetown's crew, Bowser died after the German submarine U-517 sank his ship in the St. Lawrence River in September 1942.

Charlottetown had been sailing with HMCS Clayoquot and, as the ships had not been "zig-zagging," they presented less-difficult targets for U-517. Most of Charlottetown's crew survived the torpedoing but several, including Bowser, were severely injured by depth charges which exploded as their ship sank. His funeral at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Gaspé, Quebec, emphasized the proximity of the battle of the St. Lawrence to the Canadian home front.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
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