Canadian Virtual War Memorial
William Charles Cave
In memory of:
Seaman William Charles Cave
February 1, 1942
Virginia
Military Service
35
Merchant Navy
Canadian Merchant Navy
S.S. Tacoma Star (London, England) (141910)
Additional Information
September 25, 1906
Bay Roberts, Newfoundland and Labrador
Son of Henry Cave and Sarah Ann Hood, Newfoundland.
On 1 February 1942, the Tacoma Star was sailing alone when she was torpedoed at 3:30 am by U-109 around 500 miles (805 km) east of Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA. She sank in four minutes in position 38°46'N/6°17'W. A radio message from the Tacoma Star mislocated it, so that when the USS Roe (DD-418), of the US Navy, arrived, no trace of the ship or the 87 crew members could be found, and they were never seen again.
Commemorated on Page 110 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.
Burial Information
HALIFAX MEMORIAL
Nova Scotia, Canada
Panel 22.
The HALIFAX MEMORIAL in Nova Scotia's capital, erected in Point Pleasant Park, is one of the few tangible reminders of the men who died at sea. Twenty-four ships were lost by the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War and nearly 2,000 members of the RCN lost their lives. This Memorial was erected by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and was unveiled in November 1967 with naval ceremony by H.P. MacKeen, Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, in the presence of R. Teillet, then Minister of Veterans Affairs. The monument is a great granite Cross of Sacrifice over 12 metres high, clearly visible to all ships approaching Halifax. The cross is mounted on a large podium bearing 23 bronze panels upon which are inscribed the names of over 3,000 Canadian men and women who were buried at sea. The dedicatory inscription, in French and English, reads as follows:
1918-1945
IN THE HONOUR OF
THE MEN AND WOMEN
OF THE NAVY
ARMY AND MERCHANT NAVY
OF CANADA
WHOSE NAMES
ARE INSCRIBED HERE
THEIR GRAVES ARE UNKNOWN
BUT THEIR MEMORY
SHALL ENDURE.
On June 19, 2003, the Government of Canada designated September 3rd of each year as a day to acknowledge the contribution of Merchant Navy Veterans.
Digital Collection
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Details
Merchant Navy Monument in St. John's, NL -
Details
Dedication
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