1939-Nov-6 | Able Seaman James Westcott, RCN | HMCS Fraser
James Westcott had lived in Victoria, BC all his life. The town of Esquimalt, next door, was host to the major Royal Navy and then Royal Canadian Navy base on the Pacific coast. Although the RCN was small in those days, Jim knew he wanted to be part of it. Shortly after his eighteenth birthday in 1928, James Westcott enlisted in the RCN for a seven-year tour of duty. He was doing well and enjoyed the seafaring life, such as was available in the RCN at the time.
He shared ownership of a house in Victoria with his mother. They left his father in the Okanagan region when Jim was 14 and settled into a new life together. Jim’s father remained estranged for the rest of their lives.
He was able to get aboard some of the Royal Navy ships on an exchange programme and enjoyed extended tours aboard the battleship HMS Warspite. His initial seven-year tour extended for another seven years in 1935, and Able Seaman Westcott was now serving aboard some of the new destroyers in the Canadian fleet.
HMCS Fraser had been acquired from the Royal Navy in 1936 and was only 4 years old at the time. Westcott was pleased to be one of the few lucky ones who served aboard this new(ish) ship when it finally arrived at the Esquimalt dockyard. He was serving as the ship’s butcher.
When war was declared on September 10, HMCS Fraser was in the middle of the Panama Canal en route to Halifax from Esquimalt, preparing for an Atlantic war. Once there, the ship was tasked with convoy escort duty and shepherded ships half-way across the Atlantic, where the merchantmen were handed off to Royal Navy escorts and then back to Halifax.
On the morning of November 6, 1939 Able Seaman Westcott, was on the upper mess deck, talking about the duty cook list and suddenly collapsed. One of the Sick Bay attendants happened to be passing by and saw it, so rushed to help. Other sailors went off for the doctor and the Captain. The Sick Bay attendant was administering artificial respiration for some minutes before the first doctor showed up. There was nothing to be done. James Westcott had collapsed and died. He was the first casualty of the Royal Canadian Navy at 29 years old.
The autopsy found that he had died of a heart attack, brought about because he had tuberculosis. After reviewing his medical records, it was found that he was suspected of having it as early as 1930 (when he was 20 years old), but then appeared to be fit enough to carry on his duties. It further came out that he had fainting and groggy spells since then and the coxswain, CPO George Archer, had given him lighter duties aboard the Fraser so as not to be too strenuous.
Changes were made in the Navy medical procedures around chronic diseases from that point.
