They made the Ultimate Sacrifice

SOUCISSE, Paul Edward, Coder, V836, RCNVR, MPK - 29 Apr 1944, HMCS ATHABASKAN - Son of Victor and Anna Grace Soucisse, of Montreal, Quebec.  Brother of Victor Lafayette Soucisse who died on November 14, 1944 while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.

Coder Soucisse died when his ship, HMCS ATHABASKAN, was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel on 29 Apr 1944.

Paul Soucisse was born at Montréal West, Québec on March 31, 1921, he completed his education at Daniel O'Connell High School in Montréal and at Macdonald College, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Québec Athletically inclined, he was an active member of the Y.M.C.A., being particularly interested in basketball and fencing. He entered the Bank of Montréal in January, 1940, at Cote St. Paul branch, Montréal, and served at several other offices in the city before enlisting in the R.C.N.V.R. in April, 1942. Following training in Canada he was attached to H.M.C.S. Niobe but shortly after was selected as a member of the first crew of the new destroyer H.M.C.S. Athabaskan, which was about to be commissioned in Scotland and delivered to the Canada Navy. Serving as a Coder he saw much service with the Athabaskan, from convoying freighters through northern waters to Russian ports, to anti-submarine patrol in the Bay of Biscay. H.M.C.S. Athabaskan was sunk in the English Channel on April 29, 1944, after a heavy engagement with enemy Ships.

Ships served in:

HMCS CARTIER - Enlisted 24 Feb 1942.  Commenced Active Service 06 Apr 1942 as an Ordinary Coder, RCNVR

HMCS ST HYACINTHE - Drafted to ST HYACINTHE 04 Jun 1942

HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA 19 Jul 1942

HMCS NIOBE - Drafted to NIOBE 28 Oct 1942

HMCS ATHABASKAN - Drafted to ATHABASKAN 04 Feb 1943

* Rated Coder, RCNVR 06 Apr 1943

(PS01) Portrait of Coder Paul Soucisse

(PS02) Documents from the Service File of Paul Soucisse