-In the early morning of 14 Oct 1942, the Newfoundland Railway passenger/rail ferry, S. S. 'Caribou', was sailing across the Cabot Strait when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat; it had departed from Sydney, Nova Scotia, on the evening of 13 Oct and was heading for Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland. Aboard were 192 passengers (armed forces personnel, as well as civilians), a crew of 46, some livestock, rail cars and other cargo.
-The island of Newfoundland, a sea-faring country which was still a British colony at that time, was in a strategic location during the Second World War because it was so close to Canada. There were several military bases on the island where Canadian, British and American personnel were stationed; these servicemen often travelled on the ferries between Newfoundland and Canada.
-Of the 46 crew members of the S.S. 'Caribou', 31 died, including her captain and his two sons. Of the 118 Canadian, British and American armed services personnel, 57 died. And of the 74 civilians aboard the Caribou that early morning, 49 perished. 136 people in all were lost.
Aircraftman 2nd Class Watson was one of the armed services personnel passengers, aboard the S.S. 'Caribou', who perished at sea. He was one of eighteen airmen lost....
Pilot Officer John Hamilton BARRETT,
Pilot Officer Lionel Edgar LEGGE,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Lawrence William TRUESDALE,
Corporal William Palmer HOWSE,
Corporal Herbert Harold ELKIN,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Raymond CHATSON,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Thomas Henry CUMMINGS,
Aircraftman 2nd Class William Bruce WILSON,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Edward Allan THISTLE,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Raymond WATSON,
Aircraftman 2nd Class George William PARKER,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Donald Cameron GLOVER,
Leading Aircraftman Charles Michael McCARRON,
Leading Aircraftman Edward George WALKER,
Leading Aircraftman Dow Lester MITCHELL,
Leading Aircraftman Archie Walker JONES,
Leading Aircraftman Morris Nathan OIRING and
Aircraftman 1st Class Fred George COULSON.
Military Service-
Rank: Aircraftman 2nd Class
Service Number: R/165833
Age: 18
Force: Air Force
Unit: Royal Canadian Air Force
An apprentice welder by trade, he enlisted int RCAF on 22 May 1942 in Galt, Ontario, Canada.
Son of William Dixon and Amy (née Hill) Watson of St. Catherines, Ontario [both parents born in England].
Aircraftman 2nd Class Raymond Watson is commemorated on Page 123 of Canada's Second World War Book of Remembrance.
He is also commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
-In the early morning of 14 Oct 1942, the Newfoundland Railway passenger/rail ferry, S. S. 'Caribou', was sailing across the Cabot Strait when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat; it had departed from Sydney, Nova Scotia, on the evening of 13 Oct and was heading for Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland. Aboard were 192 passengers (armed forces personnel, as well as civilians), a crew of 46, some livestock, rail cars and other cargo.
-The island of Newfoundland, a sea-faring country which was still a British colony at that time, was in a strategic location during the Second World War because it was so close to Canada. There were several military bases on the island where Canadian, British and American personnel were stationed; these servicemen often travelled on the ferries between Newfoundland and Canada.
-Of the 46 crew members of the S.S. 'Caribou', 31 died, including her captain and his two sons. Of the 118 Canadian, British and American armed services personnel, 57 died. And of the 74 civilians aboard the Caribou that early morning, 49 perished. 136 people in all were lost.
Aircraftman 2nd Class Watson was one of the armed services personnel passengers, aboard the S.S. 'Caribou', who perished at sea. He was one of eighteen airmen lost....
Pilot Officer John Hamilton BARRETT,
Pilot Officer Lionel Edgar LEGGE,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Lawrence William TRUESDALE,
Corporal William Palmer HOWSE,
Corporal Herbert Harold ELKIN,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Raymond CHATSON,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Thomas Henry CUMMINGS,
Aircraftman 2nd Class William Bruce WILSON,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Edward Allan THISTLE,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Raymond WATSON,
Aircraftman 2nd Class George William PARKER,
Aircraftman 2nd Class Donald Cameron GLOVER,
Leading Aircraftman Charles Michael McCARRON,
Leading Aircraftman Edward George WALKER,
Leading Aircraftman Dow Lester MITCHELL,
Leading Aircraftman Archie Walker JONES,
Leading Aircraftman Morris Nathan OIRING and
Aircraftman 1st Class Fred George COULSON.
Military Service-
Rank: Aircraftman 2nd Class
Service Number: R/165833
Age: 18
Force: Air Force
Unit: Royal Canadian Air Force
An apprentice welder by trade, he enlisted int RCAF on 22 May 1942 in Galt, Ontario, Canada.
Son of William Dixon and Amy (née Hill) Watson of St. Catherines, Ontario [both parents born in England].
Aircraftman 2nd Class Raymond Watson is commemorated on Page 123 of Canada's Second World War Book of Remembrance.
He is also commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Inscription
1942
ROYAL CANADIAN
AIR FORCE
AIRCRAFTMAN II
WATSON R.
Family Members
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