The town of Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove has unveiled a storyboard next to the grotto on the grounds of St. Francis of Assisi in Outer Cove, marking the sacrifice made by a local family in WWII.

The O’Brien family lost four sons in the space of two years during the Second World War.

Work on the storyboard started in 2020 but was largely incomplete. That’s where Dale Russell Fitzpatrick of Heritage Interpretive Services comes in.

She was contacted to investigate the war service and family records to help fill in the gaps, one of which was the fate of James Joseph O’Brien.

Five of the family’s six sons answered the call and served overseas, four of whom died in service. It was believed that James was lost at sea, but it has since been learned that James, who served with the American Merchant Marine, died of exposure in a hospital in Murmansk, Russia, where he is remembered in honour.

The storyboard was unveiled today in Outer Cove.