Roderick Fiddler

Roderick Fiddler was born in 1890 south of Selkirk. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy during both World Wars, ultimately losing his life in 1941 when HMCS Windflower was collided with a merchant ship due to heavy fog.

Early Life

Roderick was born in Mapleton, just south of Selkirk on May 30th, 1890. On August 23rd, 1923, he married Mary Elizabeth whose family was from Stratford-on-Avon, England and had settled in Little Bullhead, Lake Winnipeg. They had five sons, Raymond Edward, Clarence James, Roderick Frank, Harold Thomas, and Leonard George. Raymond Fiddler was also part of the Dufferin Gang, enlisting with his father.

Military Career

Roderick enlisted for two years with the Royal Canadian Navy during the First World War as Chief Petty Officer. After coming home, he worked for eight years as an engineer on the S.S. Keenora operating and maintaining the boiler. He was employed with the Selkirk Navigation Company and worked on other Lake Winnipeg ships such as the Wolverine. By the Second World War, he was in his 50s and considered too old to enlist.

This changed when more men were needed, and he was drafted to Halifax on December 1st, 1939. He left ten days later for active service. At the time Mary was bedridden with arthritis and required extra care.

Roderick served a second time with the Royal Canadian Navy as Chief Engine Room Artificer operating the boilers. This time he was assigned to the HMCS Windflower which was a corvette ship used in convoy escort during the Battle of the Atlantic.

On December 7th, 1941, the Windflower was collided with a merchant ship due to heavy fog. The crew quickly realized the ship was sinking and deployed the lifeboats. However, because of the thick fog, the escort ships were unsure what had hit the Windflower. This led to them thinking the lifeboats were enemy U-Boats and they began shooting at them. The collision sunk the Windflower and 23 crew members were lost, including Roderick.

Roderick Fiddler is commemorated at the Halifax Memorial in Nova Scotia. During his life Roderick was awarded a Victory Medal and a British War Medal for his service.