Seeking information: LCdr killed of the coast of Ireland?

[YHZChick]

From the Ponoka News:

After marching into the mess hall at the Ponoka Legion Feb. 20, the respected tradition of the Missing Comrades Ceremony was performed. During this ceremony, cadets and everyone in attendance honored recent fallen soldiers with a short biography.

This year's honored fallen soldiers are Lt.-Cmdr. Robert Hall killed Feb. 20 at sea 25 miles southeast of Dungarvan, Ireland; Sgt. George Miok, killed Dec. 30 along with Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang and three others in Afghanistan; and Cpl. Dany Fortin killed March 3, 2009 northwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

I can't find a thing about this online, and other than the Ponoka News, this is the only reference to this death I've heard.

Seems odd to me that a LCdr would be killed and nothing at all reported in the media, and all my military friends would be unaware.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Here is the story link:

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/ponokanews/community/85951527.html

No matches in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

On the chance it was a wartime fallen comrade, I checked the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database, and there does no appear to be a match there.

 

[mariomike]

other than the Ponoka News, this is the only reference to this death I've heard.

You can contact The Ponoka News and ask them:
http://www.albertalocalnews.com/contact_us/?curSection=%2Fponokanews&returnPath=%2Fponokanews%2F&c=y
If they can not verify what they publish, they should print a retraction.

"After marching into the mess hall at the Ponoka Legion Feb. 20"
"Lt.-Cmdr. Robert Hall killed Feb. 20"
Killed that very same day?

Sounds like their source of information is The Ponoka Air Cadets.
I know it's not The New York Times, but The Editor of The Ponoka News should not publish that any  Robert Halls were killed on military service that day without checking a CF/DND source higher than an Air Cadet.

Like Jay Leno jokes of certain newspapers, "They check their facts, then re-check, and then check again!" before publishing. 

Probably not so funny if there is in fact such a person, and he is alive, and his parents start receiving sympathy calls from readers of The Ponoka News.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

Got a hit for a "LCdr Robert Hall" in an RAN website?? (Skilled Hands) but could not find anything.

 

[YHZChick]

I could contact the Ponoka News (my mom lives there, so I think that's on her list of things to do) however they simply reported on the Air Cadet event, not the actual death.

I find it incredibly odd that a senior officer would be "killed" on Feb 20th, and not a single mention of it in the media.

He's not listed in the DIN, but my mother (former navy) tells me they take them off pretty quickly when they pass away.

Anyone have access to MARGEN archives and can look him up?

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Is there a family connection for the interest?

 

[Trinity]

Could he be a Canadian with dual citizenship and happen to be serving with the British Royal Navy.  That way we would remember his death (in his local community) but it wasn't a Canadian Navy death, but Royal Navy?  Just a theory.

 

[YHZChick]

Is there a family connection for the interest?

Other than the fact my mother lives in Ponoka, saw it in the paper, and is going to drive me crazy until I find out what the deal is, no.

That said, i do find it strange that we'd lose a senior officer and yet there's been zero mention of this at all.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

I can pretty much guarantee that he is not a serving member of the CF - Messages are out pretty fast and to respond to an earlier about removing names from OUTLOOK when someone passes, it is all unit dependent - The last sailor that passed away, his name was still in the address book a week and a half later. If I had time, I would look more into the RAN name and there likely is a connection (ex-patriot, family member....??)

 

[YHZChick]

Between Michael Yon, and the Ponoka News, I think I'll take *everything* I read with a grain of salt....

(from the "journalist" who wrote the story)

My apologies it is LCdr Robert Howell. - Lost at sea 1945 after being hit by a torpedo from U-1276 while escorting the convoy HX-337 and sank after about 20 minutes about 25 miles south-east of Dungarvan, Ireland. I apologize for the mistake, the correction was never brought to my attention. Thank you very much and again my deepest apologies.
Take care,
Jas

 

[mariomike]

Thanks for the update!
I knew that Michael O'Leary was on the right track because it gave such a precise location. It sounded like a sinking;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Vervain_(K190)
http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=2494614

Note: RNVR. Not RCNVR. HMS. Not HMCS.
Made it that much more difficult to check.
Having said that, it was a very nice thing that the local Legion and Cadets did by honouring him, his ship, and his men.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Commonwealth War Graves Commision entry:

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2494614

Name:  HOWELL, ROBERT ALWYN
Initials: R A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieut-Commander
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: H.M.S. Vervain.
Age: 39
Date of Death: 20/02/1945
Additional information: Son of George Walter and Lilian Amy Stephanie Howell; husband of Mary Eva Howell, of Warninglid, Sussex.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 90, Column 2.
Memorial: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

 

[Pat in Halifax]

Another mystery solved! Amidst the craziness of PER season, I can go home today knowing 'something' was accomplished!