| Rank | AB. |
| Service # | V19800 |
| Unit # | RCNVR |
Born 5/01/1923 in Byth, Scotland, the son of James and Isabella Wood; the brother of John ‘Jack /Jackie’, William Alexander ‘Willie’ and Robert ‘Bobbie’, a sister Anne. James came to Canada in June of 1930 with his family under the auspices of the “Soldiers Settlement Plan” (WWI soldiers) and settled at Petitcodiac, NB. Sons George and Henry were born in Canada.
James attended school first in Corn Hiull, NB. He worked on various farms between 1936 and 1940 in New Brunswick bffore the family moved to Ontario, first to the E. J. Wigle farm near Ruthven, Essex County and from there to the Bradley farm in Kent Co. where he was when he enlisted.
James enlisted in the RCNVR at HMCS Hunter in Windsor, ON. 5 December, 1941 as an Ordinary seaman and began his training. He was called to active service 30/03/1942 at Halifax or convoy duty aboard HMCS Skeena [D59 / I59] on the North Atlantic consisting of submarine sweeps and rescuing survivors from torpedoed merchant ships.
In may of 1944 at Londonderry, N. Ireland; the Skeena joined with HMCS Qu’ Appelle, Saskatchewan and Restigouche assigned to ‘sweep the English Channel’ for U-Boats in preparation for the Normandy invasion for 6/06/44 D-Day. From June until id-October the ships were almost steadily at “Action Stations”. On 6 July, 1944 Skeena was part of the flotilla that made the surprise raid on the German ships and installations at Brest harbor, “One of the most daring raids by the Navy in this war.”, claimed a high ranking Naval officer.
Beginning 15 October, 1944 HMCS Skeena joined a new ‘patrol group’ operating from Cape Ross, Northern Scotland to Iceland to intercept and destroy German U-Boats operating from their bases in Norway. The ship and crew were constantly patrolling between October 15th to the 24th through very rough seas off the coast of Iceland.
During the evening of 24 October a terrible storm of high winds, sleet and snow, zero temperatures and a 60-knot gale caused the Skeena to drag her anchor. The crew made a herculean effort to save their ship but were unable to stop he from grounding on the rocks of Videy Island, in Reykjavik Harbour, Iceland on 25 October, 1944. Fifteen crewmen lost their lives and are buried in Fossaburg cemetery in Reykjavik.
Jim volunteered to remain as part of the ‘salvage party’ staying on to remove whatever was salvageable, he finally arrived back home in time for Christmas on a “Survivor’s Leave”. He later learned that HMCS Skeena had broken her tow line en-route to Britain to be scrapped and sank in the North Atlantic. Altough Britain could well use scrap iron Isaac Unger who lost a brother on the evening of 24/25 October penned the following:
Skeena Aground.
“No better place could have been found for the remains of the
Grand Old Lady of the Sea. On these water she had lived all
her dedicated years of service. May she rest in peace.”
Jim was met by his younger brothers when he arrived home for Christmas 1944 at the train station in Chatham. He happened to meet Ruth Stokes who was catching the train to her home at Jeanettes Creek. Between that chance meeting and Jim’s recall to duty in February of 1945, they became close friends.
On 29 September, 1945 Jim married Ruth Eileen Stokes at the church in Dover Centre. Jim would be discharged from the Navy 4 November, 1945. He was working on the Bradley farm in January, 1946 and He and Ruth had a house on the farm were son Lynn and Barbara Dianna were born. In March of 1948 they rented a 100 acre farn on Highway #3 on Lake Erie not far from Jim’s family, it was there that the second daughter Bonnie Jean was born. In 1952 they share-croped a 150 acre farm on the Allison Road and son Ken was born there.
Besides farming Ruth and Jim were active member in Square Dancing and Junior Farmers. Jim passed away 20 June, 1994. He had suffered from emphysema in part due to his exposure to farm chemicals and exposure during the sinking of HMCS Skeena. He is buried at Pardoville Cemetery, Chatham-Kent.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
| Sources | CFF-FD44, LM-LP, R. E. Wood. |
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