Born 4/05/1922 the son of William George and Emma Alberta (nee Rickley) Graham, Dover Twsp. living in Chatham, Ontario; husband of Ada M. Graham, of 80 Murray St., Chatham. [unidentified news article]  They had an infant son John. He was  survived by his parents, two sisters Betty and Marjorie and a brother Murray all living at home. CDN 28/12/44

Alvin enlisted 4/05/1942 and was assigned to HMCS Alberni (K103) in April, 1943 as a Signalman. Just prior to joining the ships company Alvin just missed the low point of the Battle of the Atlantic for the Canadian escort ships (20 Feb. – 10 Mar. 43) when German submarines sank 65 merchant vessels and average of more than three per day.

59 off her crew went down with the ship. Signalman A. J. Graham along with A/B Wilfred ‘Wilf’ Carder went down with the ship.

During June and July 1944 HMCS Alberni was escorting a collection of landing craft, ships, barges and floating piers between Britain and the Normandy beaches.

Age: 22, LAS – Date of Death: 21/08/1944, aboard H.M.C.S. Alberni, sunk.

At 11.40 hours on 21 August 1944, U-480 fired a Gnat (torpedo) at an unknown convoy and thought that she had sunk a frigate. 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. “Hands to Dinner” had just been piped, there had been no asdic warning when the ship was hit on her port side just aft of the engine room. In less than minute she sank.  The survivors (three officers and 28 men of a crew of 90) 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. Signalman A. J. Graham along with A/B Wilfred ‘Wilf’ Carder went down with the ship.

The CDN 28/12/44 reported Mrs. A. J. Graham received a message stating that her husband was now presumed to be dead as a result of the sinking of HMCS Albini. “Sufficient time has elapsed to presume that he went down with the ship”.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 12. Memorial: HALIFAX MEMORIAL. Honour Roll of Dover Centre United Church, Kent Co., ON. CWGC. Index of Overseas Deaths. Also see CARDER, Wilfred Walter LAS HMCS Alberni (K103).

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources	Honour Roll of Dover Centre United Church, Kent Co., ON, CWGC, Index of Overseas Deaths
Supplemental Information	Son of Emma Alberta Graham, of Chatham, Ontario; husband of Ada M. Graham, of Chatham. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 12. Memorial: HALIFAX MEMORIAL.

Age

22

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