Sinking of the Guysborough

Heroes Remember

Sinking of the Guysborough

Interviewer: Do you remember any of those early crew mates? Yes, Oh yes. Interviewer: Tell me about some of them. Well there was quite a number. The guys were for instance, there was quite a number of stokers that went down with the ship. And it was a sad day when I got the word that she got torpedoed, because, you know, I lived with them, that crew for damn near two years and the . . . you got to be like brothers, you know them growing up and going ashore, going ashore when you pull into a port and enjoy those things and . . . but you really, hits you hard, when you lost one or that drowned or you know or? I got the write up of the ship going down in the book, in my book, all described and the first torpedo to hit the ship, it wasn't too bad, there was quite a few survivors who made it. But the second torpedo hit, hit dead on, blew the whole quarter deck off her and a lot, lot of deaths from that, a lot of deaths. I know one close friend of mine left a little story. His name was Jack Cox, he's from, from Ontario and he and Ralph Kaple from Sault St. Marie. Ralph Kaple was from Sault St. Marie and they were playing checkers before the ship got torpedoed. So he was on the carley float, after she got torpedoed and he just stood up and he said, "Ja.. Ralph, tell the wife it was my move" and he just dove off the carley float. See you go a little delirious, in the cold water and that. "Tell the wife it was my move." Now the last thing on his mind was the checker game, he was playing checkers with Ralph Kaple. He just stood up on the carley float and there was about . . . there was over crowded anyway, but that's what happens, "Tell the wife it was my move," and he dove off the carley float, that's the last I saw of him. But that's only one you know, story that's . . . there's so many similar ones like that. Interviewer: And you had crewed with many of those stokers? What's that? Interviewer: You had crewed with many of those stokers? Oh yeah, well I stayed with them from upwards of two years, you see. Interviewer: So how does a fella, I have never and most people nowadays, have never had that kind of a news come to us that we've lost so many good friends. (Right) How did that hit you? Describe it for me. It hit me hard because in the stokers mess, it was a small mess, probably twenty stokers onboard. And when you lose about 15 of those guys, you know that's, it was hurting, no question about it. Because you knew their personalities and, and when we weren't on watch, we were up by the flu stacks, there was warm there and although you couldn't see anything going on, right, because of the blackouts. But you're always talking to somebody there, that became close friends and it was like that. Everybody had that same feeling, to help each other while you were alive and if you got in trouble, they'll help you out, when you're in trouble. Yeah that was a very . . . it haunts me to this day really, the one's that went down, were the guys you were with, it really haunts you. Interviewer: How does it, how does it haunt you? Well it's on your mind. You know, you hear a newsflash, is this an accident, or is, or a friend dies or something like that. It always brings you back. Interviewer: Do you remember how you felt getting that word, when you first got the word that she went down? I felt terrible. I just felt like the whole world sunk from under my feet. And it hurt. I cried, I cried because it really shook me, right to the sole's of my feet.

Mr. Doherty recalls hearing of the sinking of the Guysborough, and how it affected him emotionally.

Ivan Doherty

Mr. Doherty was born on May 4, 1926, in Boston, Massachusetts. His family having originally been from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, decided to return soon after his birth. His father left the family soon after moving to Charlottetown, Mr. Doherty was raised by his mother and grandparents. Soon after turning 15, Mr. Doherty and a friend of the same age, eager for excitement and to see the world, became very anxious to join the Navy. His friends father, understanding that the boys would not be deterred, convinced a recruiter to ignore their age and allow them to join on May 21, 1941. Promising his mother and grandparents to continue with his education, they did not attempt to have him discharged. As he was found to be colour-blind, Mr. Doherty was only allowed to join the Navy as a stoker below decks. After two months basic training, and an 18 month posting in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, he was drafted to the Guysborough, escorting convoys across the North Atlantic, and sweeping the French coast for mines in preparation for the D-Day invasion. In addition to serving as a stoker (Acting Petty Officer), Mr. Doherty acted as a depth charge loader in his off-duty action station. After D-Day, Mr. Doherty left the Guysborough to take a Petty Officer course, but after several delays was drafted to the American carrier, HMS Puncher as a Killick (with the same duties as Acting Petty Officer), escorting convoy ships on the Murmansk Run. Still on the HMS Puncher on VE-Day, Mr. Doherty and the rest of the crew volunteered for the Pacific battle, but it finished before any could enter. Mr. Doherty stayed on the HMS Puncher ferrying troops home across the Atlantic, until he returned home to Charlottetown in September 1945.