The SS Caribou was a passenger ferry used by the Newfoundland

Dominion of Newfoundland

The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...

 government's ferry service between Port aux Basques

Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador

Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Newfoundland fronting on the eastern end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfoundland and the western terminus of...

, Newfoundland

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

 and North Sydney, Nova Scotia

North Sydney, Nova Scotia

North Sydney is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.Located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, North Sydney is an important port in Atlantic Canada as it is the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service...

.

The Caribou was built in 1925 at Rotterdam

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...

, Holland, for the Newfoundland Railway

Newfoundland Railway

The Newfoundland Railway was a railway which operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of , it was the longest narrow gauge railway system in North America.-Early construction:...

. Launched in 1925, she had a capacity of 3000 hp and was able to reach a speed of 14.5 knots (28.4 km/h) when fully loaded. She also had steam-heat and electric lights in all of her cabins, which were considered to be a luxury at the time. Also, due to her ice-breaking design, the Caribou also assisted during the seal hunt along the Newfoundland coast each spring.

The Caribou was torpedoed and sunk approximately 20 nmi (37 km) southwest of Port aux Basques

Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador

Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Newfoundland fronting on the eastern end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfoundland and the western terminus of...

 and 28 nmi (51.9 km) northeast of St. Paul Island

St. Paul Island, Nova Scotia

St. Paul Island is a small uninhabited island located approximately northeast of Cape North on Cape Breton Island and southwest of Cape Ray on Newfoundland; it is along the boundary between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Cabot Strait....

by the during the night of 14-15 October 1942. The Caribou was carrying 46 sailors and 206 civilian and military passengers. 137 of these people perished. Of the deceased, two were rescued at first, but they later died from exposure to the cold water. The bodies of 34 of the victims of the attack were found. Only one of the eleven children on board the Caribous last voyage survived.

External links

• Railway-Coastal Museum
• Canadian Military Heritage
• Paper on topic
• The History of the Nursing Sisters of Canada
• The Last Voyage of the S.S. Caribou Includes a list of victims and survivors.