The SS Vancouver Island The unescorted SS Vancouver Island (Master Eric Lacey Roper) was spotted by U-558 at 21:54 hours on October 15, 1941. U- 558 had been searching for convoy SC-48 west of Ireland. Due to Vancouver Island’s high speed of about 15 knots the U-boat immediately went on full speed to get into an attack position and fired a spread of three torpedoes from about 2000 meters at 22:49 hours, hitting the ship with two of them after 144 seconds. The vessel was hit in the fore part and amidships and stopped but did not sink. The U-boat wanted to continue the search for the convoy and fired two more torpedoes from more than 1000 meters at 23:08 and 23:17 hours, hitting the ship fore and aft and causing her to sink fast by the stern. The enemy claimed to have observed how the crew abandoned ship in lifeboats after the first hits, but HMS Dianthus (K 95), commanded by LtCdr C.E. Bridgman, RNR, sent to her assistance from the dispersed convoy ON-24 did not find any survivors. On October 31, 1941, a lifeboat with the bodies of two officers from the ship was found by a British warship at 56°08N/20°45W. The master, 64 crew members, eight gunners and 32 passengers were lost. Among the casualties were seven men with ties to Nova Scotia were lost with the sinking of the SS Vancouver Island including Carol Alexander Bower, Donald Crouse, Percy D. Forbes, Harris MacPhail, Thomas Gotobed McMullen, Michael Myers, and William Sutherland. Name: Carol Alexander Bower Rank: Quartermaster Date of Birth: November 22, 1920 Place of Birth: Shelburne, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia Date of Death: October 15, 1941 Age: 20 Memorial Panel 18, Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia Commemorated on Page 99 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on March 1 and July 29 Carol was the son of Maurice Carol Bower (1891-1976) and Catherine (MacIntosh) Bower (1899-1947), and brother of Jean Adelaide Bower (1926-1933). His father served in Canada, England, and France in WWI with the 27th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Service No. 294587). He was severely wounded, brought back to England, and then repatriated to Canada. Canadian Virtual War Memorial Name: Donald Roseville Crouse Rank: Able Seaman Date of Birth: July 9, 1920 Place of Birth: Lunenburg Village, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Date of Death: October 15, 1941 Age: 21 Memorial: Panel 18, Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia Commemorated on Page 119 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on March 11 and August 8 Donald was the son of John Wesley Crouse (1876-1943) and Ida May (Zinck) Crouse (1883-1928), of Middle La Have, Nova Scotia. He was the brother of Capt Albert George Crouse (1908-1980), Ralph Steadman Crouse (1910-1911), Everett Leon Crouse (1911-1989), Capt Amos Wesley Crouse (1912-1989), Hilda (Crouse) Butcher (1916- 2015), Clarence Alexander Crouse 1918-1993), Douglas Ariel Crouse (1918-2008), Alice Viola (Crouse) Fraser (1921-2017), and John Michael Crouse (1927-1999). Both of Donald’s brothers, Captain Albert Crouse and Captain Amos Crouse were captains of Nova Scotian fishing vessels. Amos and Douglas served Canada’s Merchant Navy, and Clarence served with the First Canadian Airborne Parachute Battalion during WWII. Canadian Virtual War Memorial Name: Percy Duval Forbes Pantryman Born in Central Argyle, Yarmouth Co., NS Name: Harris MacPhail Rank: Quartermaster Date of Birth: March 9, 1920 Place of Birth: Stellarton, Pictou County, Nova Scotia Date of Death: October 15, 1941 Age: 21 Memorial: Panel 19, Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia Commemorated on Page 181 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on April 11, September 8, and November 14 Harris was born Norman Hugh Harris MacPhail, the son of Norman Bayfield MacPhail (1890-1975) and Sarah Jane Harris (1891-1968) of Truro, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, and the brother of Elizabeth MacPhail (b. 1918). The 1921 census records Harris’ father occupation as fireman; he also served on merchant vessels for a time. Canadian Virtual War Memorial Name: Thomas Gotobed McMullen 2nd Mate Born: Glace Bay, Cape Breton Co., NS Name: Michael Myers Rank: Able Seaman Date of Birth: June 30, 1898 Place of Birth: North Rustico, Queens County, Prince Edward Island Date of Death: October 15, 1941 Age: 43 Memorial: Panel 19, Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia Commemorated on Page 200 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on April 21, September 18, and November 24 Michael was the son of Paul Manley Myers (1885-1921) and Marie Madeleine (Gallant) Myers (1868-1934) of Rustico, Prince Edward Island, and the husband of Mary Elizabeth Gerroir (1906-1978) of New Glasgow, Pictou County, Nova Scotia. He was from a large family of 10 children. Michael and his wife had six children. The family adopted the name Myers but were from the Acadian family Maillet (Michael’s family is recorded as Maillet in the 1901 Census). His brother Private Joseph Myers (1895-1916) served with the 25th Battalion in WWI (Service No. 67681) and died September 19, 1916. Michael served as a Sapper during WWI (Service No. 469935) with the 2nd Canadian Tunneling Company and the 3rd CER Battalion. He enlisted in September 1915 in Sussex, New Brunswick; was 5 feet, 5 ½ inches with a fair complexion, gray eyes, and fair hair. He sailed from Halifax for Europe on the SS Adriatic on March 31, 1916, and served in England and France. He was discharged November 29, 1919, and then served in the Merchant Navy on the SS Vancouver Island in WWII. Canadian Virtual War Memorial Name: William MacLellan Sutherland Rank: Boatswain Date of Birth: October 17, 1917 Place of Birth: Stellarton, Pictou County, Nova Scotia Date of Death: October 15, 1941 Age: 22 Memorial Panel 18, Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia Commemorated on Page 236 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on May 10, October 7, and December 12 William was the son of Hugh MacDearmid Sutherland (1891-1932) and Annie (MacLellan) Sutherland (1886- 1937), and the brother of Mary Elizabeth Sutherland (1919-1996), of Truro, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, and Jean Sutherland (1924-2021). Canadian Virtual War Memorial