This street is named in memory of Telegraphist John Alfred Sillers, RCNVR.
John (Jack) Alfred Sillers grew up on Rectory Street in London, ON and attended Lorne Avenue Public School and Sir Adam Beck Collegiate. He was employed as a telegraph operator with Canadian Pacific Telegraphs when he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy at HMCS PREVOST on 8 November 1940. Assigned to HMCS VALLEYFIELD, he was killed and lost at sea on 7 May 1944, when his ship was torpedoed by U-548, about 50 miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. John Sillers was 21 years old and is commemorated on the Halifax Memorial.
HMCS VALLEYFIELD was a River Class frigate built in Quebec City and commissioned on 7 December 1943. She started convoy duties from Halifax in February 1944 and once overseas, performed various escort tasks. She returned to Canada once before leaving with another trans-Atlantic convoy in April 1944. On the return voyage, she was hit near the boiler room by a single torpedo and sank within 4 minutes of the attack. Of the 163 personnel aboard ship, only 38 survived the sinking.
