Written by Today’s Cumberland Soldier of the Week is George H. Evans of St. John’s Newfoundland (and later Amherst, NS)!
George Evans was born on March 17, 1926. In 1941, he lied about his age and joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 15 as a cabin boy with the S.S. Einvik, a Norwegian ship. The captain was impressed by the young man’s work ethic and maturity. On September 5th, 1941, the Einvik was torpedoed by German U-Boats and tragically sunk. Fortunately, the crew survived, and young George spent 9 days and nights on an open lifeboat off the coast of Iceland.
George recovered from this trauma, and retired from the Merchant Navy when the war ended, at the age of 19. He was then employed by the Royal Canadian Navy as a civilian guard. Eventually, George moved to Amherst as a Customs Officer and spent 54 years as a proud member of the community.
He spent much of his time working tirelessly to raise awareness of the work that Merchant Marines did during WW2.
Nova Scotia Highlanders Regimental Museum 