Dermot Thomas English Lieutenant Commander HMCS Valleyfield, Canadian Navy Reserve Born December 9, 1910, in St. John’s Newfoundland Enlisted June 19, 1940, at HMCS Stadacona, Halifax, NS Date of Death: May 7, 1944 Age: 33 Memorial: Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia Reference: Panel 7 Dermot was the son of Edward Thomas English (1880-1929) and Kathleen (O’Driscoll) English (1885-1932), brother of Edward and John F. English, and the husband of Virginia Charlotte (Seabury) English (1911-1983), and father of Kathleen Seabury English and Dermot Thomas English Jr. During the years of service in Halifax Lieutenant Commander English listed his residence as Admiralty House, Halifax. Prior to serving with the Royal Canadian Navy, Dermot English was employed as a merchant mariner seaman. Ships served in and postings: June 19, 1940 To HMCS Stadacona, shore establishment, for Naval Control Service (NCS) duty, Halifax April 4, 1941 Appointed Lieutenant, RCNR January 1, 1942 Administratively assigned to HMCS Venture for duty with NCS Halifax May 1, 1942 Admin. assigned to HMCS Stadacona for duty with Naval Control Service Officer (NCSO) July 21, 1942 Admin. assigned to HMCS Cornwallis for training and disposal (Short A/S Course) September 21, 1942 Admin. assigned to HMCS Hamilton (K121), Flower-class corvette, for training. October 14, 1942 Appointed to HMCS Mulgrave (J313), Bangor‑class minesweeper. November 4, 1942 Re-Appointed to HMCS Mulgrave as Commanding Officer, 1st Commanding Officer Appointed Acting Lieutenant-Commander, RCNR October 15, 1943 Admin. assigned to HMCS Stadacona for refresher courses with Captain (D), Halifax November 8, 1943 Admin. assigned to HMCS Bytown for Naval Shipping Control – British Service (NSCBS) for HMCS Valleyfield, River-class frigate December 7, 1943 Appointed to HMCS Valleyfield as Commanding Officer The vessel that Dermot commanded, HMCS Valleyfield, was ordered in October 1941 as part of the 1942-1943 River- class building program and was named for Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec. Laid down on November 30, 1942, by Morton Engineering and Dry Dock Co. at Quebec City and launched July 17, 1943, the ship was commissioned into the RCN on December 7, 1943 at Quebec City. On May 7, 1944, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) frigate HMCS Valleyfield was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-548 approximately 50 nautical miles southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. While returning to St. John's as a convoy escort, the ship was struck in the port-side boiler room by a GNAT acoustic torpedo, causing it to break in two and sink in just 4 minutes. Because the vessel went down so rapidly, no distress signal was sent, which tragically delayed rescue efforts by the HMCS Giffard. The sinking resulted in the deaths of 125 crew members, making Valleyfield the only River-class frigate lost by the RCN during the Second World War. Although 43 men were initially pulled from the frigid North Atlantic waters, five later succumbed to hypothermia, leaving only 38 survivors. There were 12 other casualties with ties to Nova Scotia lost with the sinking of HMCS Valleyfield. The lost crew members are also honoured at a dedicated monument in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec. HMCS Valleyfield Service fie: Dermot Thomas English