🇨🇦 LEST WE FORGET — OCTOBER 14, 1942 ⚓ 84 YEARS AGO TODAY — THE TRAGIC SINKING OF SS CARIBOU In the early morning darkness of October 14, 1942, a passenger ferry carrying civilians, military personnel and crew was making its way across the Cabot Strait from North Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. The vessel was SS Caribou, a familiar lifeline connecting Newfoundland with mainland Canada. But shortly after 3:20 a.m., the voyage turned into a nightmare. Lurking beneath the waters was the German submarine U-69, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Gräf. Without warning, a torpedo struck Caribou, unleashing a devastating explosion. 💥 Within approximately five minutes, the ferry had disappeared beneath the waves. Passengers and crew were thrown into the freezing waters of the Cabot Strait. In the darkness and confusion, desperate survivors struggled to reach lifeboats, rafts or anything that might keep them afloat. Among those aboard were families, children, servicemen and women, and ordinary civilians simply trying to make the crossing. The ferry’s naval escort, HMCS Grandmère, initially pursued the German submarine before returning to rescue survivors. Of the 237 people aboard SS Caribou, only 101 survived. 136 lives were lost. Among the dead was the ferry’s captain, Benjamin Taverner, whose sons Stanley and Harold also perished in the disaster. Entire families were devastated. For the close-knit communities of Newfoundland, where many crew members lived, the loss was particularly heartbreaking. The sinking shocked both Newfoundland and Canada, bringing home the terrible reality that the Battle of the Atlantic was being fought not only on distant oceans, but in the waters connecting their own communities. At the time, Newfoundland was not yet part of Canada. It would join Confederation in 1949. The second image accompanying this post is a remarkable memorial poster produced in Corner Brook in 1944, honouring the Caribou and the 31 crew members who lost their lives. It became a lasting reminder of the tragedy in Newfoundland homes and businesses. 🇨🇦 Today, 84 years later, we remember the passengers and crew of SS Caribou — the men, women and children whose lives were taken on that dark October morning. Their stories, their families and their sacrifice must never be forgotten. LEST WE FORGET. 🌺 #LestWeForget #CanadianHistory #BattleOfTheAtlantic 📷 Images: Memorial University of Newfoundland / Canadian War Museum.