In October 1942, the SS Carolus met a tragic fate in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during World War II, at a time when German U-boats were actively targeting Allied shipping in Canadian waters. The 2,245-ton steamship with a crew of 30 men was part of convoy NL-9, travelling from Labrador to Quebec under the protection of three Royal Canadian Navy corvettes. Despite these defences, the German submarine U-69, commanded by Kapitän-Leutnant Ulrich Gräf, managed to infiltrate the convoy’s defences and launched a torpedo attack in the morning at 6:09 am on October 9. The Carolus was struck and sank quickly, resulting in the loss of eleven crew members. The master, 16 crew members, and two gunners were rescued by HMCS Hepatica and HMCS Arrowhead. The sinking took place about 275 kilometres from Quebec City and served as a harsh reminder that the war was very much present in Canadian waters. The event heightened public alarm and government concern in Ottawa and Quebec, although the tragedy was soon overshadowed by the sinking of the SS Caribou just days later, which claimed 137 lives and became one of the deadliest maritime losses in Canadian history during the conflict. John Joseph MacDougall served as the Chief Radio Officer aboard the SS Carolus. He was 19 years old when he died on October 9, 1942, when his ship was torpedoed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Bic Island, Quebec. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent MacDougall of Sydney, Nova Scotia. John attended Scared Heart School, St. Joseph’s School and in 1939 the Sidney Academy. He trained as Wireless Operator and joined the Canadian Merchant Navy. John Joseph MacDougall is commemorated on Panel 20 of the Halifax Memorial in Point Pleasant Park, Nova Scotia.

Sources: Canadian Virtual War Memorial uboat.net