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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Civilian Deaths with Connection to
Nova Scotia
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission honour and care for the men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the
First and Second World Wars, ensuring they will never be forgotten. The Commission maintains cemeteries at 23,000 locations all
over the world. Among those commemorated by the Commission are 69,007 non military, civilian, casualties of the Second World War.
These casualties were from aerial bombings, passengers on ships lost at sea from u-boat attacks, raids by carrier-based aircraft of the
Imperial Japanese Navy, civilian passengers in crashes of military aircraft, and civilian WWII internment camps.
Name:
June Angeline Knock
Date of Birth:
October 9, 1916
Place of Birth:
Lower Rose Bay, Lunenburg Co., Nova Scotia
Date of Death:
January 19, 1942
Age at Death:
25
June Angeline Knock was a civilian passenger
on the RMS Lady Hawkins. A nurse, she was the daughter of Cora Emma Knock, of
Lower Rose Bay, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and of the late Samuel Lamech Knock.
On the morning of January 19, 1942 the ship was sailing unescorted about 150 nautical miles off Cape Hatteras, taking a zigzag
course to make her more difficult to hit, when at 07:43 hrs U-66 hit the ship with two stern-launched torpedoes. The liner sank in
about 30 minutes. 251 people from Lady Hawkins were lost.
Commonwealth War Graves
Name:
John Neil MacNeil
Date of Birth:
October 24, 1897
Place of Birth:
Cowal, Ontario
Date of Death:
April 30, 1941
Age at Death:
44
John Neil MacNeil was the son of the Revd. John MacNeil, of Baddeck, Nova Scotia and Annie Drummond MacNeil. He was the
husband of Mabel Jessie Murray MacNeil, of 140 Aylmer Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In 1917 he was a student living in
Baddeck, NS. He enlisted during WWI, serving as a Gunner with the 10th Siege Battery in France and discharged on May 1919 on
demobilization. With the outbreak of WWII he served with the Canadian Legion Auxiliary War Services as a civilian. As a civilian
passenger on the SS Nerissa he was en route to England.
On April 21, 1941, the SS Nerissa departed Halifax for the United Kingdom. On April 30, off the coast of Ireland, the ship was hit by
four torpedoes from the Germany uboat, U-552. The loss of SS Nerissa resulted in 207 casualties. The ship carried troops and
civilian passengers and was the only transport carrying Canadian troops to be lost during World War II.
Commonwealth War Graves
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Name:
Isobel Johnson
Date of Birth:
January 29, 1879
Place of Birth:
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Date of Death:
March 10, 1941
Age at Death:
62
Isobel Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, of Port Morien, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia.
During WWII, Portsmouth was home to the Royal
Navy, and a target for bombing raids by the German
Luftwaffe. Major raids took place on August 24, 1940,
January 10, 1941, and March 10, 1941.
On the night of March 10/11, 1941 Portsmouth
suffered its second worst air raid of World War Two in
which 93 people died and about 250 were injured.
Isobel Johnson was at 4 Rivers Street, Southsea when
she was killed during the bombing raid of March 10,
1941
Commonwealth War Graves
Name:
Michael Thomas Bishop
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Date of Death:
October 9, 1940
Age at Death:
26
Michael Thomas Bishop was the son of the late Michael Ernest Bishop, of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. He was the husband of Edith
Wilhelmina (Toney) Bishop, of 3 Percival Cottages, East End Road, East Finchley, Middlesex. They married in Hendon, Middlesex in
the summer of 1940.
On the night of October 9, 1940, Fetter Lane, London was hit by a high explosive bomb during an air raid attack by the German
Luftwaffe. Michael Thomas Bishop died at Fetter Lane, London a result of the bombing.
Commonwealth War Graves
Name:
Julia Maude Macoun
Date of Birth:
March 23, 1879
Place of Birth:
Cornwallis Township, Kings Co., Nova Scotia
Date of Death:
January 19, 1942
Age at Death:
63
Julie Maude Macoun was a civilian passenger
on the RMS Lady Hawkins. She was the daughter of Lady Borden, of Borden Place,
Canning, Nova Scotia. She was the wife of Leslie Stuart Macoun (and mother of Elizabeth Rosamond Macoun (1907-1986). Her
husband, Leslie Stuart Macoun, also a civilian passenger on the ship, was lost. Their home was Ottawa, Ontario.
On the morning of January 19, 1942 the ship was sailing unescorted about 150 nautical miles off Cape Hatteras, taking a zigzag
course to make her more difficult to hit, when at 07:43 hrs U-66 hit the ship with two stern-launched torpedoes. The liner sank in
about 30 minutes. 251 people from Lady Hawkins were lost.
Commonwealth War Graves
Name:
Muriel Nutting Fraser
Date of Birth:
October 26, 1884
Place of Birth:
Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Date of Death:
September 3, 1939
Age at Death:
54
Muriel Nutting Fraser was the daughter of the late James A. and Edith Creed Neal Fraser, of 8 Carleton Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
She was a civilian passenger on the SS Athenia that departed Glasgow for Montreal on September 1, 1939.
The SS Athenia carried 1,103 passengers and 315 crew. On September 3, the ship was hit by a torpedo and sunk off Ireland. The
Athenia was the first UK ship to be sunk by Germany during World War II with a loss of 117 civilian passengers and crew.
Commonwealth War Graves
