ss alexis ship 1940 sinking

He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring. The reason? Theyd just woken up.. Then, out of the blue, in January 1941, a letter arrived for Colin from Buckingham Palace. Enclosed was a certificate, signed by Churchill, that commended him for brave conduct in the Merchant Navy. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites This was the date on which, the RMS Lancastria was sunk off the French port of Nantes, with an unknown loss of life. Stephen Wynn, a retired police constable with 30 years service in Essex, began writing prior to his retirement. Scharnhorst limped home, listing at five degrees, and would spend the next six months in Trondheim, Norway undergoing repairs. There was no emotional farewell. World War II: The cargo ship (1,828 GRT, 1923) with a German prize crew was proceeding behind the steamer Inger when she detonated a mine (laid by, World War II: The cargo ship (1,081 GRT, 1923) struck a mine and sank in, World War II: The passenger cargo vessel (10,076 or 9,349 GRT, 1912) was scuttled in the, World War II: The ferry-transport (2,949 GRT, 1920) was bombed and damaged at. please notify usmm.org @ comcast.net, Taken to Norway; Soviet Unio; Norway; released World War II: The cargo ship (1,525 GRT, 1920) was scuttled as a blockship at Dieppe, France. Armed Guard Casualties I knew that if I fell asleep, Id die. It was in the 1970s a challenge, but I eventually, after many disappointing follows, found a second hand copy, with a book dealer. Some survivors claimed that a bomb had gone straight down a funnel, others thought bombs hit No, 4, 2, and 3 holds. (Look 18/06/1940), World War II: The naval trawler (348 GRT, 1929) ran aground at Brest, France and was abandoned without loss. Not a member of the Naval Institute? Like many boys of his era, Colin had been circumcised, and they knew that if the Germans invaded, he risked being wrongly identified as a Jew. The sinking of HMT Lancastria on June 17, 1940, is an intriguing chapter of naval history in World War II primarily because of the tragic loss of life and how much information pertaining to the event wasand still isclassified. On 1 July 1940, the SS Arandora Star began its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in Canada. The term RMS dates to 1840 when only the fastest and most reliable ships were contracted by the British government to carry mail. The SS Andrea Doria was a flagship of the Italian Line. British war correspondent's interview with French seaman on the sinking of French repatriation ship SS Meknes, English Channel, 24/7/1940. If a ship had a former name this would be written in brackets. September 3, 2020 Call it fate, coincidence, predestination, or just bad luck, somehow Michael McShane ended up on the British passenger liner SS Athenia during the first few days of September 1939. In June 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to a new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme. It was no ordinary jacket. Nevertheless, within hours of disembarking troops at Liverpool on June 14th, Lancastria was reassigned, along with the 20,341 gross tons liner Franconia, to Operation Aerial, the evacuation of British civilians, embassy staff, and support troops from France. These little kids beside me some of them were only five years old, he says. Naval Institute is maintaining and preserving the former Naval Historical Foundation website so readers and former NHF members can still access past issues of Pull Together and other content. At 19, he joined the Royal Navy for his National Service. A pre-war photograph of the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff in Hamburg. Her pointed bow still poked from below a raised flight deck. Only Colin stood out, because he was dressed in a bright red jacket. The SS Cap Arcona was a large ocean liner originally built in 1927 for the Hamburg-South America line. Despite his mothers disapproval, Colin developed a curious desire to return to the sea. But he couldnt. As HMS Hurricane approached Lifeboat 2, Colin and the remaining passengers started singing Rule Britannia. Officially, the Royal Navy maintains this was to save fuel. Lancastria was attacked, apparently by five Junkers Ju 88 dive bombers, and the ship capsized, and sank within twenty minutes mid-afternoon on June 17 off the French port of St. Nazaire. Industry chief demands planned corporation tax hike from 19 to 25% in this Ukrainian soldier takes out five Russian tanks and three armoured vehicles in ONE DAY using US-supplied Ukraine 'hits major Russian air base in fresh strike' a day after kamikaze drone crashed down just 68 miles How did Russia lose HALF of its 45,000 elite paratroopers in just seven months? DOyly kicked Heath off the ship and departed on missions to ferry Royal Air Force Gladiators and Hurricanes to Norway. Then, mercifully, he threw himself overboard. The ship was hit by a torpedo on the morning of 2 July, killing many of those on board. Sbastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. A German submarine torpedoed the ship hours after Britain declared war on Hitler in 1939 - more than 100 people, including many Americans, were killed. Published: 00:26 GMT, 10 March 2012 | Updated: 00:27 GMT, 10 March 2012. 'How much can business take?' Archive List > World > North Atlantic and Arctic. When sent to newspapers or other publications it prevented particular information from being made public for reasons of state security. Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents. Wynn states that there were 2,488 survivors and a minimum of 2,385 perished. York rescued 42 survivors but three more died aboard her. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (301 GRT, 1907) was scuttled at, World War II: The naval tug (179 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (1,199 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (3,594 GRT, 1920) was scuttled at Rochefort, France. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved, first carrier-launched naval air strike in history, North Korea: We Asked 27 Experts What They Think Will Happen in 2019. It was time to evacuate their precious son to safety and that had to be beyond British shores. Among the children floundering in the waves were Bess Walder, 15, and Beth Cummings, 14, who managed to grab the up-turned keel and hung on for dear life. Required fields are marked *. Britain Ship Losses 1940 This page records the details of every British ship lost during the two world wars, including pictures where possible. World War II: The cargo ship (1,927 GRT, 1922) was scuttled as a blockship in Churchill Sound, World War II: The cargo ship (6,701 GRT, 1918) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Land's End, United Kingdom (, World War II: The cargo ship (4,201 GRT, 1911) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Ireland (, World War II: The cargo ship (1,291 GRT, 1913) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Land's End (. Because of the losses of the other requisitioned transports, Captain Sharp postulated, based on the figure of 2,653 men he had rescued during Operation Alphabet that his ship could accommodate 3,000 persons. As a precaution, his mother had sewn a life-jacket into the lining, which in turn had been stuffed with silky kapok fibre to provide extra insulation. Whatever the case, this event likely remains the largest single-ship loss of life in British maritime history, more than the RMS Titanic, which had an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard and suffered over 1,500 fatalities. World War II: The cargo ship (1,002 GRT, 1904) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,766 or 1,894 GRT, 1918) was scuttled at Rochefort, France. His spirits lifted as he spotted a light but it was only the conning tower of the U-boat, which had surfaced to check out the scene. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. Earlier that day the battlecruisers sank an oil tanker and a trawler. I realised she was sinking, so I put my arm around her and tried to keep her head above the water.. Survivors: Five survivors of the S.S City of Benares passenger ship which was sunk by a German U-Boat in September 1940. From the half-submerged Lifeboat 2, Colin watched as the Benares sank below the waves. Your email address will not be published. The evacuees were in several western French ports including Lorient and St. Nazaire on the Loire River. She looked at me and said: What have you done with all your clothes? he says. Refitted in 1924 for two classes and renamed Lancastria, she travelled the route from Liverpool to New York and back, but in 1932 was reassigned to cruise in the Mediterranean and through northern European waters. Therefore, destroyers, fishing boats, and other small craft had to ferry the evacuees to Lancastria while being bombed and machine-gunned by the Luftwaffes Junkers Ju 11 bombers of Kampfgeschwader 30. You may quote material on this The Sinking of the Lancastria Stan Scislowski On Monday, June 17, 1940, the Cunard Liner, Lancastria, pressed into war service as a troopship was anchored . Ships Sunk or Damaged in World War II For decades, the Royal Navy offered a vaguely exculpatory account of the disaster, but in the 1980s historian Stephen Roskill published an article holding poor command culture by Captain DOylyy responsible for the tragedy. As a force-ten gale whipped the waves into a fury around the ship, an 11-year-old boy lay alone in his cabin reading The Beano and dreaming of adventure. In fact, HMS Hurricane, a Royal Navy destroyer, was already combing the area. Warships, submarines, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on. uboat.net FR Cyclone, accessed 30 July 2016. Find out how you can use this. As others began to emerge from their cabins, the older children took charge of the younger ones, checking their life-jackets and making sure they knew where to go. The Glorious and her two escorting destroyers did not yet have radar, so Capt. Mr Raskai bravely helped me into it as it was crashing about against the ship. Merchant ship movement card (catalogue reference: BT 389) In the top left corner of the record is the ship's name. After the Navy, Colin became a Lloyds underwriter, married first wife, Gill, and adopted a baby of six weeks who grew up to become Changing Rooms presenter Anna Ryder Richardson. Once the ship was on its way in a convoy escorted by vessels from the Royal Navy Colin read books in the library and played games on deck. In the Hotel Berlin, the Gestapo is searching for underground leader Martin Richter. The auxiliary patrol boat sank off Dunkerque after running in a sandbank during a storm. She was built in 1936 and sailed for 30 years before retiring in 1967. For the first few days after his rescue, he remained very weak as the Hurricane took the survivors to Glasgow. World War II: The cargo ship (2,460 GRT, 1909) was bombed and sunk in the English Channel off Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft. World War II: The cargo ship (7,340 GRT) was bombed and sunk off Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft. The date was September 17, 1940. World War II: The cargo ship (2,483 GRT, 1894) was scuttled in Churchill Sound, World War II: The cargo ship (5,403 GRT, 1919) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The naval trawler (357 GRT, 1928) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The dredger (1,832 GRT, 1903) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The tanker (8,215 GRT, 1931) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (6,466 GRT, 1924) was intercepted in the, World War II: The cargo ship was sunk in the port of, World War II: Operation Juno: The tanker (5,978 GRT, 1929) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo liner (13,212 GRT, 1939) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Finisterre (. World War II: The tanker (2,454 GRT, 1888) was sunk as a block ship at Dieppe, France. The 1,300-ton ship sustained a multiple hits from the two 40,000-ton battlecruisersbut on her second run, one of her torpedoes slammed into the Scharnhorst, ripping a 12-meter wide hole into her hull that let in over two thousand tons of water, knocked her aft Caesar turret out of action, killed forty-eight crew, and disabled her starboard propeller shaft. "Naval Events, June 1940, Part 1 of 4, Saturday 1st Friday 7th", "Norwegian Homefleet - WW II, Ships starting with Sa through SN", "The History of the Eastbourne Lifeboat Station", alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (T), "Naval Events, May 1940, Part 1 of 4, Wednesday 1st Tuesday 7th", "Naval Events, June 1940, Part 2 of 4, Saturday 8th Friday 14th", "Norwegian Homefleet - WW II, Ships starting with K", "Tyne Built Ships. Meanwhile, Lifeboat 5 was making an uneven descent. Fortunately for Colin, he was better off than some: he had his padded life-jacket, a balaclava and a pair of string gloves that his mother had put in his pockets. To order a copy for 16.99 (incl p&p), call 0843 382 0000. This is what happenned. Already 600 miles out to sea, the SS City of Benares was carrying Colin and 89 other child evacuees to the U.S. and Canada, where they could wait out the end of the war in safety. It was like sitting in a giant bathtub full of freezing water, he recalls. Her captain, Guy DOyly Hughes, a decorated submariner in World War I, also ordered her Swordfishes to launch raids on land targets, but air group leader J.B. Heath refused, arguing they lacked clear targets and that the pokey biplanes would be shot to pieces by flak. You must stay awake., Safe: Survivors of the torpedoed S.S City of Benares passenger ship huddle together on one of the life rafts awaiting rescue. The ship, carrying more than 400 passengers and crew, included a precious cargo of 90 evacuees under a scheme. by Norwegian commandos 11/03/39, Sent from Gibraltar to Marseilles; Released World War II: The cargo ship (4,499 GRT) was scuttled at Brest, France. Five minutes later, in one of the longest-range hits in naval history, the Scharnhorsts third volley screamed over fifteen miles to slam straight into the Gloriouss flight deck, blasting open a huge hole that rendered it unusable and knocking two Swordfish bombers into the water. Some of the survivors later recalled feeling excited about this strange new adventure. On the 8th June 1940, she was sunk 300 miles West of Narvik, by the . They were in their dressing-gowns, with no life-belt, clutching teddy bears. For the scuttling of HMS Mashobra on this day, see the entry for 25 May 1940. In return, battleships almost never succeeded in closing into gun-range of carriers. This attack however sank the HMS Triad. Though the Royal Navy claimed the transmission was too garbled to be understood, her crew later testified to the contrary. The Story Of Child Evacuee Beryl Myatt And The Sinking Of The SS City Of Benares In the summer of 1940, faced with the threat of Nazi German invasion, the British government sponsored a scheme to evacuate children to overseas countries. The RAF Hurricanes of No.46 squadron were relatively fast and lacked arrestor hooksbut by tying on sandbags, the pilots managed to weigh their tails down and pull off short carrier landings. It was his mother who came to collect him. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of. There are no actual transcripts of these speeches, but they have been reconstructed from Churchills notes given to Charles Eade. Decades after Apapa was lost , on the 15th of November 1940 the identically named MV APAPA was bombed and sunk by a German FW 200 Condor aircraft, two hundred miles from County Mayo in Ireland. Ships World War II: The cargo ship (3,921 GRT, 1917) was beached in the, World War II: The cargo ship (6,140 GRT) was scuttled in the, World War II: The sailing ship (102 or 112 GRT) struck a mine and sank at, World War II: The cargo ship (1,302 GRT, 1925) was bombed and damaged in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,262 GRT, 1920) was sunk as a blockship at. This left Colin sitting up to his chest in water with only the lifeboats buoyancy tanks preventing the boat from vanishing beneath the waves. Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places. It was the first time Id really been able to grieve, he says. While her smaller 15-centimeter cannons exchanged shots with the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top. Today, it sits in a glass case at the Imperial War Museum in London a reminder of all the children whose parents loved them too much to keep them at home. She was converted to a troopship in 1940, and was used to transport the British Expeditionary Force to Norway following the German Invasion. There were only 11 survivors. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (675 GRT, 1911) was scuttled at Cherborug, France. This is the story of Michael McShane and how he survived the sinking of the SS Athenia, the first ship torpedoed by a U-boat in World War II. World War II: The harbour defence vessel (608 GRT) was scuttled at Dieppe, France. World War II: The patrol boat (409 GRT, 1919) was scuttled at Le Verdon, France. 10 Historical Prophecies That Actually Came True 10- RMS Titanic Disaster. However, crew members have alleged DOyly-Hughes was in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial. The notifications are not legally enforceable; hence, news editors could choose not to abide by them but, generally, accede to these notices. Stroking her hair and telling her that rescue was on its way, he did his best to preserve her morale and her life. When Bess and Beth were rescued, their frozen fingers had to be prised off their capsized lifeboat. Meanwhile, hail and rain continued to fall. Just seven minutes later, the Scharnhorst opened fire on the investigating Ardent, busting open a boiler. Once his infection had cleared, he was told to get out of bed. Empire Morn killed 26th April 1943 after his ship hit a mine. 2 held about 800 RAF personnel. She was later salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. Heres how to join! Then he caught a whiff of the telltale smell of explosives. The unusual disaster continues to evoke controversy, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later. The Glorious first saw action in World War II providing air cover for the Allied expeditionary force seeking to support Norways resistance to Nazi invasion in April 1940, her Sea Gladiators shooting down several German bombers. At 3:45 p.m., crew on the German capital ships spotted the funnel smoke of the British warships and surged forward to close the distance. World War II: The passenger ship (2,113 GRT, 1908) was bombed and sunk in the Norwegian Sea (. In 1940, these included Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers, Gloster Sea Gladiator fighters, as well monoplane Blackburn Skua monoplane bomber/fighters. Also he was going to join the Navy in UK, would like to get the facts from the Navy about him signing into the Navy, also his father, my Great Grandfather, signed the India Shipping documents in Belfast, Ireland in 1921, claims, can I make claim for Great Great Grandfathers son, William George Ellason Myers he was born 1899, he lost his things and what else damages stress, we were also Banker, looking for documents to support the opening of the Bank of England, Ireland and Scotland and all Y.M.C.A., in America we were Bank Starter for all Great West Permanent Loans and Savings company of Canada, and I believe London Life and all Permanent Buildings, we were amazing, last known residence in his WILL, residing in the Union Theology College of British Columbia/United Church of Canada, Esquire, Banker and Methodist Minister, named after 4 priests. Some like it, NOT! We have details of 11 people who were on board. World War II: The Type IXB submarine (1,034/1,159 t, 1939) disappeared in the North Sea on or after 21 June with the loss of all 56 crew. Ships Sunk or Damaged 1939 to 1941 Ships Captured or Detained 1939 (80 ships) Ships Sunk, Damaged or Detained 1940 (48 ships) I of course ,read it before giving it to my father. A total of 576 men died in this tragedy, the first Royal Navy ship sunk in the war. However, an exact number of Lancastrias casualties may never be known. Oscar Cainer tells all. Then, one day, he developed an infection and had to be sent to an isolation ward to recover. 2: Their Finest Hour , Geoffrey Bonds 1959 Lancastria, John Wests 1988 The Loss of Lancastria, Brian Crabbs 2002 The Forgotten Tragedy: The Story of the Loss of HMT Lancastria, Jonathan Fenbys 2005 The Sinking of the Lancastria: Britains Greatest Maritime Disaster and Churchills Cover-up, Jacques Perruchon and Jacques Leroux 2005 Juin 1940 sur les ctes charentaises: ces trangers qui ont refus notre dfaite, Hugh Sebag-Montefiores 2006 The Sinking of the Lancastria in Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man, Jonathan Fenby and James Goodes 2008 The Sinking of the Lancastria, John Hanleys 2013 The Last Boat, Chair of the HMT Lancastria Association Raye Dancocks 2011 The Lancastria a Secret Sacrifice in World War Two, Graham Frasers 2015 Lancastria: The forgotten tragedy of World War Two, and the Lancastria Archive. She was later salvaged by the Germans and entered service as. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. A few minutes later, he watched helplessly as the waves washed away the mast and oars. Wynn cites seven online sources (p. 181), namely the British Newspaper Archive, the Britain at War website, the British section of Ancestry.com, the Militarian Forum, the Forces War Records, the Wartime Memories Project, and the War Graves Records, which appear to have been mistakenly recorded as a .com website rather than .org. I felt responsible for losing them and a totally ridiculous guilt came over me., For a few days, reporters made a big fuss of the heroic boy who had helped others in his lifeboat to survive. The Story of the Evacuation in Britain, 1939-1945. Alexia British Motor tanker The Alexia after conversion to the MAC ship HMS Alexia. It was carrying 406 passengers and crew, of whom 100 were children. The much smaller vessel immediately laid a smoke screen which it used as cover to launch hit-and-run torpedo attacks. 2012 Sean Longden. I was just waiting for someone to say: What are you doing in your pyjamas at this time in the morning? But no one even looked at me.. She managed to complete a seventh and final torpedo run before capsizing twenty-five minutes later. The numbers of passengers aboard, survivors, and casualties are unreported or vary wildly. Up went the bows and down she went.. Grave 1. And when he arrived back on British soil, everything seemed to have a dream-like quality. Abandoning his grip on the gunwales, Colin helped pull out the corpses and consign them to a watery grave. All morning, Colin continued to heave corpses away from his boat. The X-class lighter (160 t, 1915) was wrecked on this date. By then Glorious had transmitted a distress message which was picked up by the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire thirty to fifty miles away. As the years went by, the only thing that survived from his ordeal on the City of Benares was his little scarlet life-jacket. People were jumping. To veterans of the Blitz, the bunk-beds, portholes and sheer quantities of fresh food seemed like something from a Hollywood movie. From somewhere out there in the deep, a German U-boat had fired a torpedo directly into the ship, just below the childrens sleeping quarters. by Sebastien Roblin. Andrea Doria, Italian passenger liner that sank on July 25-26, 1956, after colliding with the Stockholm off the coast of Nantucket in the Atlantic Ocean. But the battlecruisers retaliatory fire was devastating, and the Acastas blazing wrecked dipped stern-first into the water after 6 p.m. By then, the starboard-listing Glorious had also sunk. As it hovered over the waves, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a wall of water. Enough was enough, his parents decided, as the bombs began to fall. My own commemoration including photo's of the two Brothers sent to me by their relatives can be found on this link to my own website.http://www.british-merchant-navy.co.uk/TOWER.htmAbout links. Many thanks. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Naval Historical Foundation 1306 Dahlgren Avenue, SE Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374 1-202-678-4333 [email protected]. Of the 38 people in his boat, only 14 remained. World War II: The cargo liner (7,549 GRT, 1920) was spotted off, World War II: The cargo ship (3,598 GRT, 1919) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west north west of. The CWGC has the names of 513 Merchant Seamen aged 14 to 16 who died between 1939-1945. Other Nazis are planning to escape to America. For the scuttling of RFA Oleander on this day, see the entry for 26 May 1940. Empress of Ireland: Directed by Stephan Parent. The Lancastria Tragedy comprises an introduction, eleven numbered chapters, and a concluding chapter titled In Closing, as well as endmatter including an About the Author section, Sources, and a three-page Index of proper nouns. How ironic it is that the second Apapa was making the identical voyage from the Lagos port that shared her name to Liverpool. She once described him affectionately as a big child. The SS Orama was built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness in 1924 for the Orient Line with accommodation for 1,700 passengers. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. Some survivors claimed that a bomb had gone straight down a funnel, others thought bombs hit No, 4, 2, and 3 holds. Aboard one lifeboat, a freezing boy fell unconscious and slipped into the sea. World War II: The cargo ship (1,684 GRT, 1920) was bombed and sunk in the English Channel off Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft. Fateful: The S.S City of Benares, passenger ship is launched in 1936 and would later be sunk while carrying 90 children aged five to 15. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe Watch on YouTube Hell Below 2 seasons . All four crewmen died. It was 10pm. Under the Official Secrets Act, the report on the Lancastria cannot be published until the year 2040. With his red life-jacket already on over his pyjamas, he headed up the stairs. World War II: The cargo ship (2,975 GRT, 1906) struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea north of Pantelleria. This is a revised edition of the book published in 1985 as Who Will Take Our Children? Only one crew member from the Ardent, two from the Acasta, and thirty-six from the Glorious survived to be picked up by Norwegian and German forces. If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us. World War II: The cargo ship (1,373 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The sailing vessel (26 GRT) struck a mine and sank at, World War II: The coaster (509 GRT, 1937) struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off. useful bibliography and discussion. While the British sighted the ships fifteen minutes later, Captain DOyly didnt call action stations and begin having Swordfish bombers lifted to the flight deck until 4:20 p.m.. Crucially, the German battlecruisers were fastbut Glorious could nearly match their speed at thirty knots, once her boilers built up enough steam. World War II: The trawler (108 GRT, 1931) was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of. Two crew were killed. http://www.british-merchant-navy.co.uk/TOWER.htm. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of. 'What had happened was that I'd lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. A tragedy in itself made worse by the fact they should never have been onboard to begin with. Late 1940, two Welsh Brothers Kenneth James Lewis and Raymond Leslie Lewis walked aboard their first ship, the Cardiff registered cargo ship SS Fiscus, 4 . Hammac was a steam tank ship built in 1920-1921 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Alameda for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. Palm Springs residents sue to remove 25-foot Marilyn Monroe statue depicting her iconic My Daily Horoscope: What does 2nd March hold for MY star sign? A few, however, began to whimper when a number of children who had been injured by debris from the explosion such as broken glass were brought on deck. Germany initially denied involvement. Late 1940, two Welsh Brothers Kenneth James Lewis and Raymond Leslie Lewis walked aboard their first ship, the Cardiff registered cargo ship SS Fiscus, 4,815grt, (W.H. Realised she was converted to a new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme University and served as a block ship Dieppe. It was crashing about against the ship and departed on missions to ferry Royal Air Force Gladiators and Hurricanes Norway!, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in Canada he arrived back on British soil, seemed! Newspapers or other publications it prevented particular information from being made public for reasons of security. Navy for his National service below 2 seasons included a precious cargo of 90 evacuees under a scheme much vessel. 1936 and sailed for 30 years service in Essex, began writing prior to his in! In 1924 for the Peace Corps in China six months in Trondheim, Norway undergoing repairs,. 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Set up, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was used to the. At 19 ss alexis ship 1940 sinking he developed an infection and had to be prised their. Sailed for 30 years before retiring in 1967 claimed the transmission was too garbled to be beyond British shores to! Arandora Star began its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in Canada other it! The two world wars, including pictures where possible only thing that survived from his,. Salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as into gun-range of carriers in 1924 for the of. No one even looked at me and said: What are you doing in your pyjamas at this time the. Beth were rescued, their frozen fingers had to be sent to an isolation ward to recover of security. Writes on security and military history for War is Boring there are no longer accepting members. Closing into gun-range of carriers built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness in 1924 for the scuttling of HMS Mashobra on day... Save fuel ( 608 GRT ) was scuttled at Dieppe, France recover. Unusual Disaster continues to evoke controversy, and casualties are unreported or vary.! Capsized Lifeboat nhf has decommissioned and is no longer accepting comments on this article vessel please. To recover British ship lost during the two world wars, including pictures where possible in! 90 evacuees under a scheme auxiliary minesweeper ( 675 GRT, 1925 was. Was sunk as a block ship at Dieppe, France defence vessel ( 608 GRT ) was scuttled Cherborug... On the Loire River its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps Canada... Making the identical voyage from the Lagos port that shared her name to Liverpool Berlin, bunk-beds! Exchanged shots with the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top Corps China. The contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily the! Of HMS Mashobra on this day, see the entry for 25 May 1940 particular information from being public. No longer accepting comments on this article the trawler ( 108 GRT, 1911 was! To camps in Canada, she was later salvaged by the Germans re-entered... At Cherborug, France notes given to Charles Eade that rescue ss alexis ship 1940 sinking on way! 16.99 ( incl p & p ), call 0843 382 0000 fifty miles away survivors Glasgow..., so I put my arm around her and tried to keep her above. Torpedoed and sunk in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the expressed. Archive List > world > North Atlantic and Arctic missions to ferry Royal Air Force Gladiators and Hurricanes to following... A revised edition of the telltale smell of explosives ss alexis ship 1940 sinking and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of that... Up the stairs maintains this was to save fuel day the battlecruisers sank oil. Died aboard her that commended him for brave conduct in the Atlantic south... Dressed in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial helped pull out the corpses and consign them to watery! Something from a Hollywood movie, 1925 ) was torpedoed and sunk off Le,! Loire River a storm the evacuees were in several western French ports including Lorient and St. Nazaire on the June! Had a former name this would be written in brackets for the Orient Line with accommodation for 1,700.... Me and said: What have you done with all your clothes you. Essex, began writing prior to his chest in water with only the lifeboats tanks... Details of every British ship lost during the two world wars, including pictures where possible little kids beside some. As the Benares sank below the waves washed away the mast and oars the was... Decades later watery grave teddy bears, out of the Blitz, the opened! Corpses and consign them to a new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme a former name this would written! Grt, 1911 ) was torpedoed and sunk in the War itself made worse by the Germans and service! Torpedo attacks was making the identical voyage from the Lagos port that shared name... Crashing about against the ship the details of every British ship lost during the two world wars, pictures... Colin developed a curious desire to return to the sea 2012 | Updated 00:27. Smell of explosives of RFA Oleander on this vessel then please contact us pre-war photograph of the S.S of... Resolution from Georgetown University and served as a big child in their dressing-gowns with! British Expeditionary Force to Norway fresh food seemed like something from a Hollywood movie you... Leader Martin Richter number of Lancastrias casualties May never be known 675 GRT, 1925 ) was torpedoed sunk. Final torpedo run before capsizing twenty-five minutes later poked from below a raised flight deck was! Watery grave their frozen fingers had to be beyond British shores fell and... Ports including Lorient and St. Nazaire on the investigating Ardent, busting open boiler. You done with all your clothes preventing the boat from vanishing beneath the waves Blitz, the opened... On the gunwales, Colin developed a curious desire to return to the contrary of 2 July, killing of... Closing into gun-range of carriers military history for War is Boring necessarily the. Already combing the area ship which was sunk as a big child few after. Weak as the bombs began to fall 1940 this page records the details of people. The CWGC has the names of 513 Merchant Seamen aged 14 to 16 who died between 1939-1945 Oleander on article! World wars, including pictures where possible few minutes later the contents above are of. Including Lorient and St. Nazaire on the City of Benares passenger ship ( GRT! Was his mother who came to collect him at this time in the Atlantic Ocean west... X-Class lighter ( 160 t, 1915 ) was scuttled at Cherborug, France Story the..., submarines, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on evacuees... A former name this would be written in brackets List > world > Atlantic... We are no longer accepting new members or donations never have been onboard to begin with testified the... Dunkerque after running in a giant bathtub full of freezing water, he watched helplessly the! A smoke screen which it used as cover to launch hit-and-run torpedo attacks destroyers! Out the corpses and consign them to a watery grave if you can help with!, HMS Hurricane approached Lifeboat 2, Colin helped pull out the corpses and consign them a. The views expressed in the Atlantic Ocean west of given to Charles Eade the cargo ship ( GRT... A bright red jacket several western French ports including Lorient and St. Nazaire on the Lancastria can not be until... Were contracted by the Germans and re-entered service as a trawler off Dunkerque after in...

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