In 2021, the Military Heritage Committee at RRU approved the creation of a memorial plaque to honour the Royal Roads ex-cadets/alumni who gave their lives in the line of duty. The project was approved by RRU executive in March of 2022 for completion before the ex-cadet Homecoming event in September 2022. To provide more information about the people named on the plaque, it was agreed that a ‘book of remembrance’ would be created. This collection, comprising newspaper articles, photographs, biographies, obituaries, etc., serves that purpose. Veterans Affairs Canada also maintains similar files in a registry to honour and remember the sacrifices of Canadians who have given their lives serving in uniform. This information is available online in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM). With permission, the entries in the CVWM have been saved as pdfs in this collection, and links to the original CVWM pages are provided.
Series contains a file for each Canadian Forces member named on the plaque. A brief biography, including the dates they attended Royal Roads is given as a scope note for the file and selected digital objects have been included as file items.
Hugh Dunbar Sutherland Russel attended Royal Roads January to April in 1941, in the first class of RCNVR Special Entry cadets. The first five classes were also known informally as ‘90 Day wonders’, as their wartime training at HMCS Royal Roads was just over 3 months. Born 11 March, 1916, Russel was a surveyor before joining the RCNVR. After completing training in Canada, he was loaned to the Royal Navy. He is presumed to have lost his life on 12 December, 1942 when the submarine in which he was serving in the Mediterranean was posted missing, overdue.
Walter Edward Shields attended Royal Roads January to April in 1941, in the first class of RCNVR Special Entry cadets. The first five classes were also known informally as ‘90 Day wonders’, as their wartime training at HMCS Royal Roads was just over 3 months. Born 21 April, 1917, Shields was training to become a lawyer before joining the RCNVR. On completion of training, he joined HMCS Windflower, which was sunk on 7 December, 1941. Shields was one of 23 men who lost their lives in the incident.
John Molson Walkley attended Royal Roads January to April in 1941, in the first class of RCNVR Special Entry cadets. The first five classes were also known informally as ‘90 Day wonders’, as their wartime training at HMCS Royal Roads was just over 3 months. Born 25 July, 1915, Walkley worked for an insurance company before joining the RCNVR. On completing training, he joined HMCS Nanaimo, which was sunk by a U-boat on 16 June 1942. Lt. Walkley was awarded a posthumous Mention in Despatches for his salvage efforts during the capsizing.
George Bucknam Wright attended Royal Roads January to April in 1941, in the first class of RCNVR Special Entry cadets. The first five classes were also known informally as ‘90 Day wonders’, as their wartime training at HMCS Royal Roads was just over 3 months. Born 18 June, 1910, Wright worked for the Hudsons Bay Company before joining the RCNVR. On completing training, he joined HMCS Wetaskiwin and was later promoted to lieutenant. While posted to HMCS St Croix as Torpedo Officer, he lost his life when the ship was sunk on 20 September 1943.
Russell Henry McConnell attended Royal Roads May to August in 1941, in the second class of RCNVR Special Entry cadets. The first five classes were also known informally as ‘90 Day wonders’, as their wartime training at HMCS Royal Roads was just over 3 months. Born 7 June, 1918, McConnell was an accountant before joining the RCNVR. He was serving in HMCS Raccoon when it was sunk on 7 September, 1942.
Malcolm Seafield Grant attended Royal Roads September to December in 1941, in the third class of RCNVR Special Entry cadets. The first five classes were also known informally as ‘90 Day wonders’, as their wartime training at HMCS Royal Roads was just over 3 months. Born 26 October, 1914, Grant worked as a sales engineer before joining the RCNVR. On 24 August, 1944, Grant was serving on board HMCS Alberni when the ship was sunk. He did not survive. Grant was posthumously awarded a Mention in Despatches for previous action on board HMCS Alberni.
George Alan MacLachlan attended Royal Roads September to December in 1941, in the third class of RCNVR Special Entry cadets. The first five classes were also known informally as ‘90 Day wonders’, as their wartime training at HMCS Royal Roads was just over 3 months. Born 31 January, 1922, MacLachlan was serving on HMCS Valleyfield when she was sunk by a U-boat on 7 May 1944.
Reginald Lloyd Ross attended Royal Roads January to April in 1941, in the fourth class of RCNVR Special Entry cadets. The first five classes were also known informally as ‘90 Day wonders’, as their wartime training at HMCS Royal Roads was just over 3 months. Born 22 October 1917, Ross was a school teacher before joining the RCNVR. He was serving on HMS Penylan when she was torpedoed on 3 December 1942. Ross did not survive.
John Sydney Murphy attended HMCS Royal Roads from 1942 to 1943. He was in the first class to graduate from The Royal Canadian Naval College, Royal Roads. Born April 28, 1924, Murphy was serving on HMCS Shearwater when he was lost in an air crash on April 17, 1952.
William John Spencer attended HMCS Royal Roads from 1942 to 1943. He was in the first class to graduate from The Royal Canadian Naval College, Royal Roads. Born May 17, 1924, he served in battleships HMS King George V and Howe. He obtained his wings in February 1947 and died in a plane crash in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 24 April, 1952.
Robert Ivan Loucks Annett attended HMCS Royal Roads from 1942 to 1943. He was in the first class to graduate from The Royal Canadian Naval College, Royal Roads. Born in 1924, he joined HMCS Athabaskan in 1943 and was lost when the Athabaskan was sunk on April 29, 1944. He had plans to become a journalist after the war and wrote articles for the Log yearbook while at Royal Roads.
