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Wartime Heritage
ASSOCIATION
Remembering World War II
Yarmouth Connections
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
George Melbourne Moulaison