George Melbourne Moulaison   Service: American Merchant Marine Ship Army transport Jack Rank: Oiler   Place of Birth: Beaver River, Yarmouth Co., NS Date of Death: May 27, 1942 Age at Death: 46   Marital Status: Married with children   George Melbourne Moulaison was the son of Arthur and Mary Moulaison.  He was married with children and living in the United States at the outbreak of WWII.   The ship was requisitioned by the US War Shipping Administration in 1941 and used by the US Army Transport Service. While en route from Ponce, Puerto Rico to New Orleans, the army transport ship was hit by a torpedo from U-558 about 100 miles south west of Port Salut, Haiti. There were 37 killed and 23 survivors. Just before 11:00 am May 27, 1942 the unescorted ship was hit by one torpedo on the starboard side between the foremast and #2 hold. The explosion opened a large hole in the hull, blew the hatch covers off, stopped the engines, and damaged the radio, the starboard lifeboat and a raft. The ship sank quickly within four minutes and the suction swamped the port lifeboat, which had been successfully launched. The badly damaged starboard boat was launched with two men. 14 survivors transferred into this boat from a raft. These survivors were picked up by USS Grunion (SS 216) on May 31 and landed at the submarine base in Coco Solo on  June 3, after the submarine conducted a fruitless search for other survivors. Two armed guards and five crew members spent 32 days on a raft before being picked up. Five others on a makeshift raft were never seen again. 27 crew members, three armed guards and seven passengers of her complement of 43 crew members, nine armed guards and eight passengers (US Army personnel) were lost, including the master. The 79th name on the WWII list of the Yarmouth War Memorial Sources and Information: Commonwealth War Graves Commission Veterans Affairs Canada uboat.net