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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
MAY, George Edward, Stoker Petty Officer, RCNR, MPK - 14 Oct 1942, SS CARIBOU / HMCS MORDEN - Son of Sgt. G. H. and Florence Ada May, Midland, ON; husband of Catherine May, Halifax, NS.
Stoker Petty Officer G. E. May was killed when the ferry SS CARIBOU was sunk on October 14, 1942. He was a passage and was heading back to his ship HMCS MORDEN after shore leave.
Stoker Petty Officer George Edward May was on the ferry SS Caribou on her last run. He is missing, believed killed, according to word received by his parents, Sergeant G. H. May and Mrs. May of Midland. He was on continuous active convoy duty for the past year, his father recalls. He came home on a 28 day furlough, but he was recalled to his ship, HMCS MORDEN, two weeks before the furlough was up. Then his ship came to port on the east coast and he was given the other two weeks off. He flew from Newfoundland to Halifax to visit his wife. I guess he couldn't get space on the plane back and had to take the ferry. It was certainly a series of bad breaks. George was born in Toronto, July 31, 1916, and was educated at J. R. Wilcox School, York Township, and Weston vocational School. The family moved to Midland in 1935 where his father was relief administrator. He sailed the great lakes on the SS Stadacona for three seasons before enlisting in the navy in June, 1940, leaving immediately for Halifax. He served on the Canadian destroyer RESTIGOUCHE overseas and on October, 1941 transferred to the corvette HMCS MORDEN. Stoker Petty Officer May married Miss Sarah McLeod of Halifax in 1941. He was recently promoted to Petty Officer. His father served in the artillery corps. in the last war. He has four brothers, Flying Officer J. R. May, RCAF., Douglas 17, Norman 13 and David at home, and five sisters, Mrs. Ivey Bennett, Vancouver, Miss Nora May of Toronto, Esther, Ruth and Joan at home.
Ships served in: HMCS RESTIGOUCHE - Served in RESTIGOUCHE 11 Sep 1940 - 04 Jul 1941 as a Sto, RCNR HMCS MORDEN - Served in MORDEN 03 Oct 1941 - 11 Jan 1942 as a L/Sto PO, RCNR HMS SOUTHAMPTON - Drafted to Southampton 12 Jan 1942 (cancelled). Webmaster's note: A/L/Sto May was drafted to SOUTHAMPTON, and it was then cancelled as the SOUTHAMPTON had been sunk in the Mediterranean on 11 Jan 1942 while taking part in Operation Excess. HMCS MORDEN - Drafted to MORDEN 13 Jan 1942 as an A/L/Sto, RCNR. Rated A/Sto PO 01 Aug 1942
(GM01-GM02) Summary of Service (GM03) Casualty Report (GM04) Letter to Sto PO May's widow
Second World War Casualty Index
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