THUNDER BAY – Brian Davis never got to meet his uncle, Leo Le Feuvre.
Born in 1942, Davis arrived in the world about a year after Le Feuvre was killed aboard a merchant navy ship in the North Atlantic, during the height of the Second World War.
On Thursday Davis and several members of his family gathered at city hall and helped Mayor Bill Mauro raise the Red Ensign flag, also known as the Red Duster, to commemorate Merchant Navy Veterans Day, held every year on Sept. 3.
“My uncle, who was born in Fort William, joined the Canadian Merchant Navy and was on board the ship St. Lindsay, westbound. The ship was torpedoed by a German u-boat in July of 1941,” Davis said. “Leo had dedicated his young life to service in the Merchant Navy and at the tender age of 26, he perished along with all his shipmates.”
Built in North Vancouver and completed in 1921, the St. Lindsay sailed under the British flag and was unescorted when it was hit, about 580 miles east of St. John’s, N.L.
The ship sank in less than 80 seconds, killing the master, 35 crew members, six gunners and five naval personnel on board as passengers.
Le Feuvre was listed as the first radio operator on the doomed vessel.
Davis, whose mother Gladys was the Silver Cross Mother when the Merchant Navy memorial was dedicated on the Thunder Bay waterfront, said it’s been tough going through life not knowing his uncle.
“I wish I had met him. I’m named after him. My middle name is Leo,” Davis said. “Unfortunately I was born the year after he was killed. Being that close to not knowing my uncle is always a moving fact that I have.”
He added it’s nice to see the Merchant Navy and those who served finally getting the recognition for the role they played delivering supplies to and from Europe. For years they were no more than an afterthought when veterans were remembered.
“This day is certainly humbling for us as we remember Leo and all those who served in the service of their country,” Davis said.
“Unfortunately the Merchant Navy didn’t receive the recognition that they all deserved. Certainly, in my opinion, they put as much on the table as anyone who joined any of the other services.”
Mauro said the contributions of the Merchant Navy were key to the success of the Allies in both world wars.
“And when you add of the layer that it was a volunteer group that made this amazing commitment, that (Leo Le Feuvre) and hundreds of thousands of others made, it truly is remarkable to stand back and reflect upon that,” Mauro said.
About 1,629 Canadian Merchant Navy seamen and 75 Canadian ships were lost in the Second World War.
