Rowland Jamieson was born in Forest, Ontario on January 15, 1905, the son of David C. (Rupert) Jamieson (born in Alabama) and Nellie W. (nee Doss, born in Missouri) Jamieson, of 111 Wellington Street, Sarnia. At the time of Rowland’s birth, his father resided in Forest, Ontario and listed his occupation as baker. Rowland had two sisters: Roxy Pearl (born 1905) and Ruby J. (born 1906). In 1910, five year-old Rowland was living in Chandler, Oklahoma with his mother, now Mamie Jamieson (Doss), who listed her occupation as farmer, and his two sisters Roxy and Ruby. In 1920, fifteen year-old Rowland was still living in Chandler, Oklahoma, living with his maternal grandparents Riley (a farmer) and Thursey Doss, and their eleven year-old son Archie. In May 1924, nineteen year-old Rowland would return to Canada to live with his father David Jamieson, at 106 Christina Street, Sarnia. Rowland listed his occupation as clerk at that time.
Rowland would marry Laura Frances Jane (nee Lindsay) Jamieson, of Toronto. They would have one child together, a girl, Frances Craig Jamieson born July 14, 1933. Rowland joined the Navy, becoming a member of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, attaining the rank of Warrant Officer, Special Branch. He listed his occupation then as test engineer. Rowland was assigned to HMCS Bytown, the RCN base at Ottawa and his Division is listed as the HMS Victory.
During World War II, the HMS Victory was a shore base barracks in Portsmouth, England where the famous ship of that name sat in drydock. (The HMS Victory was the Royal Navy ship launched in 1765, made famous as Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar). Men stationed at HMS Victory during the Second World War were there either attending a training course or waiting for assignment to another ship.
In January 1942, Rowland Jamieson was a passenger aboard the Ringstad, a Norwegian motor merchant ship of approximately 4,800 tons. The ship was originally constructed in April 1923 and named the Talisman, but in 1940, it was renamed the Ringstad. On this January trip, the Ringstad was on its way to St. John, New Brunswick from Cardiff and Belfast with a cargo of 2600 tons of china clay.
On January 24, 1942 at 3:25 pm, approximately 85 miles southeast from Cape Race, the Ringstad was straggling from its convoy due to several days of stormy weather, when it was hit on the starboard side in the foreship by one torpedo from German U-boat U-333. All on board abandoned ship in three lifeboats before the Ringstad went down in about 20 minutes. The German U-boat came up and from the conning tower offered food and water; then someone pointed in the direction of the nearest land, before the U-boat disappeared. The weather worsened and the boats were unable to stay together in the stormy and cold conditions. Two lifeboats containing 27 crew members and 3 passengers were never seen again. All were declared missing and presumed killed. One lifeboat containing the captain, twelve men, and one dog was spotted after five days by an escorting aircraft. The American destroyer USS Swanson was sent to assist. The lifeboat was covered in ice and the men had been constantly bailing as it had been constantly taking in water in the heavy seas. The exhausted and frostbitten men landed at Reykjavik on February 5, 1942.
Rowland Jamieson was part of the group that was never found and would later be officially listed as, Missing and presumed dead by Naval Authority. He was bound for passage to Canada in a British Merchant ship which sailed from a United Kingdom port about the 7th January, and has been missing since the 24th January, 1942. Thirty-seven year old Warrant Officer Rowland Jamieson has no known grave. His name is inscribed on Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia, Canada, Panel 8.
SOURCES: C, D, E, F, G, L, P, U, W, 2C, 2D