"I sail by stubborn stars, let rocks take heed.."

"... and should I sink... then sinking be my creed".

And that poetry stanza  was  in fact very much the bold personal credo of Kenneth Leslie , poet and anti-fascist activist (1892-1974).

Henry Dawson and Ken Leslie were both about the same age, both born of fathers from Pictou town, both attended Dalhousie , had an interest in sailing, and both moved to New York in the giddy 1920s and were in (different) anti-fascist circles there - they may even have met.

Stubbornness united them ....

But I think what really connected them both was their innate Pictou Scottish stubbornness together with a total commitment to duty, regardless of the personal cost.

They both did their best work during WWII, fighting the many anti-human activities prevalent in wartime America.

I doubt however whether Dawson shared any of Leslie's interest in losing his wives' money on share speculations or in chasing or at least marrying multiple women....