On this day 6th December 1917

[john]

On this day 6th December 1917 there was catastrophic explosion at Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, with an estimated 2,000 killed and 9,000 injured when the ammunition ship S.S. "Mont-Blanc" collided with S.S. "Imo". Chief Engineer: Sigvard Gronhaug of Barry Dock and 26 other men aboard the S.S. "Picton" were also killed in the blast. His son: Sigvard Sidney Gronhaug was later to die aboard S.S. "Empire Crossbill" in 1941, and his son: James Gronhaug was awarded M.B.E. for action taken aboard S.S. "George Balfour" in 1940. 


  

[Administrator]

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
6 December 2017
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Today, 6 December, marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most devastating events to take place in Canada during the First World War.
The Halifax Explosion claimed the lives of some 2,000 people, including many servicemen who are commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

[john]

Sadly, the CWGC have only listed men of the Royal Navy, so no Sigvard Gronhaug, his Captain James Williams, or their crew mates, and all the other Merchant Seamen who lost their lives in the Halifax explosion. The blast was the largest man-made explosion prior to the development of nuclear weapons, releasing the equivalent energy of roughly 2.9 kilotons of TNT. It is unlikely that we will ever know the true cost, how many Merchant Seaman died, succumbed to injures perhaps many months or years later. 

The 27 men of the S.S. "Picton" who died in the explosion: We will remember them:
*Ahmed, Ali *Ashton, W. H. Southampton, England *Bosher, S. Penarth, Wales age 23 *Bush, W. H. *Dene, F. Penarth, Wales

*Dunn, Charles H. Edinburgh, Scotland 33 * Evans, Thomas Cardigan, Wales 39 * Eversen, Harald Larvik, Norway * Gatt, A. Plumstead, England *Ghanin, Caleb Cardiff, Wales * Grafton, R. H. Barry, Ontario *S. Gronhaug Barry, Wales 52 *Guess, Johanna 1341 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia 67 *Guess, Francis "Frank" M. 1341 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia 24 *Jones, Robert Port Madoc, Wales 37 *Mohamed, Bashir Cardiff, Wales *Pitcher, Regional C. L. Maidenhead, England 22 *Robinson, James William 63 Hanover Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia * Romas, Antonio Cardiff, Wales *Said, Ahmed Cardiff, Wales 26 *Saleh (or Salch), A. Cardiff, Wales 24 *Shawler, R. London, England 27 *Strachan, John Aberdeen, Scotland *Taylor, William Joseph 56 Columbus Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia 33 *Thomas, Richard Tottenham, Ontario *Townsend, Joseph J. 8 Agricola Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia 39 *Cpt. Williams, James Cardiganshire, Wales age 44 (Nova Scotia Archives) 

[Administrator]

Remember, Reflect, Respect and Retell to the next generation.

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”

“Let us always be inspired and may the flame of remembrance within us never be extinguished.”