Wilfred George gave up the barbering business in January of 1943 when he enlisted in the RCAF. Wilf was working at the Chrysler Corporation parts plant in Chatham as a labourer when on 27/05/43 he along with Reg Swainton, Max Crawford, Jim Stewart Maurice Arens, Len Putnam and Robert ‘Doc’ Robertson went to Windsor to enlist Wilf in the RCNVR.

Posted to HMC in Windsor, he was firstly taken to Charlottetown PEI and then Cornwallis, NS. for gunnery training. It was while Wilf was in training that his father suffered a heart attack and died 3/12/43 and was returned to Chatham for burial in Maple Leaf Cemetery.

It was reported that O/S Carder was posted overseas in June of 1944. CDN 21/06/44. Assigned to HMCS Alberni as a Able Seaman in April of 1944 along with Alvin Graham (Chatham) and Donald F. Spencer (Wallaceburg), saw action in the Mediterranean during “Operation Torch”. They were all directed back to England 6/06/1944 for “Operation Overlord”. HMCS Alberni escorted landing craft from Southampton to the beaches of Normandy for D-Day. While patrolling in the English Channel on 23/07/44, the ship was attacked by a German Junkers 88 Aircraft and destroyed it.

At 11.40 hours on 21 August 1944, U-480 fired a Gnat (torpedo) at an unknown convoy and thought that this action sunk it. In fact, the corvette HMCS Alberni (A/Lt.Cdr. Ian Hunter Bell, RCNVR) was hit and sunk in in the English Channel about 25 nautical miles south-east of St Catherine’s Point, Isle of Wight in position 50º18’N, 00º51’W. The survivors (three officers and 28 men) were rescued by the British motor torpedo boats HMS MTB-469 and HMS MTB-470 and taken to Portsmouth where the two injured men were treated. 59 of her crew went down with the ship. Wilfred ‘Wilf’ Carder went down with the ship.

The CDN reported that OS. W. W. Carder was presumed ‘lost at sea’. CDN 29/12/44(p)

Date of Death: 21/08/1944  Age: 19  HMCS Alberni, (K103) sunk.

LAS – Date of Death: 21/08/1944, ,

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 11., Christ Church Chatham – Roll of Honour., ATNCB

Supplemental Information

The son of Wilfred George and Emily Carder of Grand Ave and later 285 Queen St., Chatham, Ontario. Wilfred the father had a barbers shop at 226 King St. West. Wilf attended McKeough School and Queen Mary before attending the Chatham Vocational School where he showed an interest in woodworking. HALIFAX MEMORIAL Afa: Christ Church Chatham – Roll of Honour. Index of Overseas Deaths. ATNCB(P). Also see GRAHAM, Alvin John HMCS Alberni.

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