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. Below the waves, however, the convoy was being trailed by U-48, a German U-boat. Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents. The ferrying trip took three to four hours. His parents found out Colin was alive only when they spotted a photo of him in a newspaper. Published: 00:26 GMT, 10 March 2012 | Updated: 00:27 GMT, 10 March 2012. 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. 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. If List of shipwrecks: 10 June 1940 Ship Country Description, Msd Pro Billet Distributor Wiring Diagram. World War II: The cargo ship (5,041 GRT, 1939) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The coaster (668 GRT, 1899) struck a mine and sank two nautical miles (3.7km; 2.3mi) north of the, The cargo ship (2,744 GRT, 1906) ran aground on, World War II: The tanker (7,101 GRT, 1926) struck a mine in, World War II: The tanker (6,891 GRT, 1925) was captured in the, World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (85 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The naval trawler (131 GRT, 1929) struck a mine in the English Channel off. Most of the content on this site is created by our users, who are members of the The ship was built by William Beardmore and Company of Dalmuir on the River Clyde and launched in 1920 as Royal Mail Steamship (RMS) Tyrrhenia for the Anchor Line, a subsidiary of the better-known Cunard Line. However, on June 8 DOyly-Hughes received permission to depart independently for Scapa Flow escorted by just two destroyers. 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. Afterwards, he turned his attention to the woman beside him. However, crew members have alleged DOyly-Hughes was in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial. "Naval Events, March 1940, Part 1 of 2, Friday 1st Thursday 14th", "Verluste Deutscher Handelsschiffe 1939-1945 und unter deutscher Flagge fahrender auslndischer Schiffe: 1940", "Naval Events, February 1940, Part 1 of 2, Thursday 1st - Wednesday 14th", "Naval Events, March 1940, Part 2 of 2, Friday 15th Sunday 31st", "Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939 - 1945. Chronological List of U.S. Many thanks. When sent to newspapers or other publications it prevented particular information from being made public for reasons of state security. She was subsequently salvaged and repaired by the Germans and entered. He states that The time taken to record everybodys name, rank, service number and regiment or corps would have been time consuming and served no purpose (vii). By late-June 1940, internees had begun to be moved out of Warth Mills. Then, mercifully, he threw himself overboard. Besides being called the World War and the Great War, which were the most common names, it was also referred to merely as The War, orThe War in Europe, the War of Nations, the 1914 War, or some variation on these and other names. WHAT WAS THE MAIN SHIP? He and the other children were watched over that night as they slept but despite all efforts, three more died. The date was September 17, 1940. Within a few weeks both would be dead after the ship was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 on the 18th October 1940 in the North Atlantic with the loss of all hands while sailing to the Clyde from Sydney, Cape Breton in Convoy SC-7. She simply said: Theres your ship. The RMS Queen Mary is now a floating hotel located in . Sold for scrap in August 1954 at Blyth. Only a few dozen would survive one of the most controversial naval battles of World War IIperhaps the only time battleships single handedly took out an aircraft carrier. It was used until 1993, when the name was changed to DSMA-Notice (Defence and Security Media Advisory Notice). The SS Athenia was the first ship sunk by Germany in World War II and resulted in the death of 118 civilians. The following brief overview of the Lancastrias history is augmented with verified information from sources that Wynn might have consulted. Stephen Wynn, a retired police constable with 30 years service in Essex, began writing prior to his retirement. Just seven minutes later, the Scharnhorst opened fire on the investigating Ardent, busting open a boiler. Only Colin stood out, because he was dressed in a bright red jacket. What had happened was that Id lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. She once described him affectionately as a big child. World War II: The patrol boat (409 GRT, 1919) was scuttled at Le Verdon, France. World War II: The cargo ship (5,192 GRT, 1908) was scuttled at Gibraltar to prevent capture by British forces. Warships, submarines, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on. 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. Captain Sharp estimated 5,500, but one Royal Engineer officer was told that there were more than 7,200 persons aboard. Just as importantly, in an era where radar technology was in its infancy, airplanes were the most effective tool for scouting out vast swathes of the ocean to locate enemy fleets. While her smaller 15-centimeter cannons exchanged shots with the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top. 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. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. This feat accomplished, the Glorious was to sail back to the UK with fellow carrier Ark Royal for mutual protection. Naval Documents of the American Revolution, - Naval Documents of the American Revolution, A History of the Naval Historical Foundation. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (1,256 GRT) was scuttled at Brest, France. The wording was puzzling: at 11, hed obviously never served in the Merchant Navy. The loss of the LANCASTRIA was also the most . Colin was still trying to comfort his neighbour until a man told him she was dead. Officially, the Royal Navy maintains this was to save fuel. 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. U-123 was to be his last front line command,. Armed Guard Casualties World War II: The unfinished, 84% complete, World War II: The cargo ship (1,885 GRT, 1904) was torpedoed and sunk in the, The auxiliary schooner (144 GRT) sank off, World War II: The coaster (276 GRT) was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel south of, World War II: The cargo ship struck a mine in the, World War II: The cargo ship (569 GRT, 1889) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (48 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (5,253 GRT, 1911) was captured in the, World War II: The cargo ship (5,968 GRT, 1921) struck a mine and sank in the, The cargo ship (7,881 GRT, 1922) ran aground south of, World War II: The cargo ship (4,005 GRT, 1924) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The tanker (2,580 GRT, 1928) was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 160 nautical miles (300km; 180mi) south west of the, World War II: The cargo ship (663 GRT, 1897) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The trawler (211 GRT) was bombed and sunk by a Do17Z aircraft of 3./Kstenfliegergruppe 606 (, World War II: The cargo ship (5,053 GRT, 1929) was torpedoed and sunk in the. Others tried desperately to tread water before surrendering to the deep. At 11, Colin was already a veteran of wartime upheavals. But Colin Ryder Richardson, snug in his bunk, saw no reason for alarm. As yet more lifeboats were overwhelmed by the icy-cold water, there seemed little hope of anyone surviving. 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? World War II: The coaster (397 GRT) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with all seven hands. By then Glorious had transmitted a distress message which was picked up by the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire thirty to fifty miles away. There were multiple air raids and, in addition, the British feared possible U-boat attacks, so Captain Sharp decided to wait for a Royal Navy and/or RAF escort. 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. 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. A history of Tyne shipbuilders and the ships they built", "Norwegian Homefleet - WW II, Ships starting with So through S", Egypt Red Sea Shipwrecks - The Umbria, A Veritable Time Bomb at 30 metres, Ned Middleton, alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (C), "Kriegsverluste Italienischer Handelsschiffe 1940-1943: Verluste Italienischer Handelsschiffe 1940", "British Admiralty War Diary, 11 June 1940", "Naval Events, June 1940, Part 3 of 4, Saturday 15th - Friday 21st", "HNLMS O 13 of the Royal Netherlands Navy", "Naval Events, June 1940, Part 4 of 4, Saturday 22nd - Sunday 30th". 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. RMS was a sign of distinction and quality. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. World War II: The cargo ship (2,975 GRT, 1906) struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea north of Pantelleria. She was built in 1936 and sailed for 30 years before retiring in 1967. The mine exploded sinking the vessel. The first lifeboat it found contained only corpses. 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. This is a revised edition of the book published in 1985 as Who Will Take Our Children? by Sebastien Roblin. 10 Historical Prophecies That Actually Came True 10- RMS Titanic Disaster. This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 08:28. 8 was the first to be lowered. He had a good war by late 1940, sinking eight ships in six wartime patrols, mostly in the North Sea, before the prestigious commission on U-123. In June 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to a new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme. The CWGC has the names of 513 Merchant Seamen aged 14 to 16 who died between 1939-1945. 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. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (150 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. It was in the 1970s a challenge, but I eventually, after many disappointing follows, found a second hand copy, with a book dealer. However, he was told to embark as many as possible. The passengers were thrown into the sea. . SS Arizan Maru while being transferred to Japan, Japanese POW 4 - 2 killed on Wake by Japanese, Damaged-No damage [sources disagree on damage], Steamship (Ship confiscated by U.S. prior), Crew 1; 29 to Japanese POW camp: Died POW: 4. 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. Ships Sunk or Damaged 1939 to 1941 due to war causes Chronological List of U.S. Yes, battleships mounted over a dozen guns that could pot huge shells at other vessels from over a dozen miles away. Families of men from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration . His dreams, however, were rudely interrupted that night by a loud bang. On Lifeboat 10, just one child had survived and 14 had died. Records of the Ministry of Shipping from 1917-1921 contain references to war losses and include a complete list of British merchant and fishing vessels sunk or damaged by enemy action for 1914-1920. And the cowboys eating around campfires.. 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 info@navyhistory.org. World War II: The cargo ship (7,340 GRT) was bombed and sunk off Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft. As the years went by, the only thing that survived from his ordeal on the City of Benares was his little scarlet life-jacket. The Royal Navy apparently remained unaware of the battle and made no rescue effort, only learning what happened after Germany announced the victory. The prevailing narrative of naval warfare in World War II concerns how the carrier decisively unseated the battleship as the dominant naval weapon system. In fact, HMS Hurricane, a Royal Navy destroyer, was already combing the area. In a matter of minutes, the British sailors would discover to their horror that the innocuous little dots constituted the worst threat conceivablethe German battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. 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, 1908) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (3,594 GRT, 1920) was scuttled at Rochefort, France. World War II: The passenger ship (2,113 GRT, 1908) was bombed and sunk in the Norwegian Sea (. Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places. She was later salvaged by the British, repaired and re-entered service. 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. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of. In the Hotel Berlin, the Gestapo is searching for underground leader Martin Richter. Some like it, NOT! World War II: The harbour defence vessel (608 GRT) was scuttled at Dieppe, France. It was time to evacuate their precious son to safety and that had to be beyond British shores. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not Chapter 5 focuses on the actual sinking of the Lancastria while Chapter 11 focuses on its aftermath. 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. There was no emotional farewell. On 1 July 1940, the SS Arandora Star began its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in Canada. web page as long as you cite American Merchant Marine at War, www.usmm.org, Both the 20,000 ton liner Oronsay and the Franconia were damaged by bombs and strafing, the former had her bridge devastated while the damaged Franconia was able to limp back to England for repairs. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west . 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. Measuring some 697 feet (212 metres) in length, it could carry . At 19, he joined the Royal Navy for his National Service. Captain Rudolf Sharpe later lost his life when the ship he commanded, the Laconia, was sunk. Kenneth Lewis was only 14 years old, His Brother Raymond 15. World War II: The cargo ship (1,525 GRT, 1920) was scuttled as a blockship at Dieppe, France. The ship was hit by a torpedo on the morning of 2 July, killing many of those on board. The reason? Those who succumbed to sleep soon joined the growing numbers of the dead. 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. 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.. These advantages meant that battleships and battlecruisers were repeatedly sunk by carrier-based aircraft, from Pearl Harbor to Taranto to the Battle of the Philippines Sea. Wynn has previously authored and co-authored books for the Your Towns & Cities in the Great War series published by Pen & Sword in addition to half a dozen non-fiction books and crime thrillers.. 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. Despite his mothers disapproval, Colin developed a curious desire to return to the sea. There, he attended a local school until it was evacuated to Cornwall. Id got deep-vein thrombosis.. Details of the British ships sunk during July - December 1940. The year before, his parents had pulled him out of his prep school in St Johns Wood, North London, and deposited him with his grandparents in Lingfield, Surrey. It was the first time Id really been able to grieve, he says. It was fourth English pounds. Rather than disengage from the hopeless fight, the Acasta peeled off from the Glorious and valiantly charged the Gneisenau. World War II: The water carrier (107 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. Every type of ship is here, warships, submarines, MTBs, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on, totalling over 3,000. The list of shipwrecks in June 1940 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during June 1940. 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. The comments below have not been moderated. An elderly nurse beckoned him to her side, so he switched places. The ship, built in 1940 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding in Quincy, Massachusetts, was one of eight sister ships built for the United States Maritime Commission on behalf of American Export Lines. I was barefoot, wearing pink pyjamas and my life-jacket, when I walked into the Central Hotel in Glasgow. World War II: The trawler (108 GRT, 1931) was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of. By then the crippled Glorious was listing and turning in circles while being relentlessly pounded by German guns. Survivors: Five survivors of the S.S City of Benares passenger ship which was sunk by a German U-Boat in September 1940. Home, www.USMM.org 1998 - 2006. 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. World War II: The ocean liner (28,124 GRT, 1932) struck a mine in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,651 GRT, 1912) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,147 GRT, 1912) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The tug was scuttled at Brest, France. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (481 GRT) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft. All four crewmen died. please notify usmm.org @ comcast.net, Taken to Norway; Soviet Unio; Norway; released Lost were 514 navy men, 26 Fleet Air Arm men and 36 RAF servicing crew. In another boat, a young mother had reached the limits of her endurance, but she never knew her babies were already dead, because she soon joined the growing list of victims. as the source. Franconia was assigned to Lorient while Lancastria continued toward St. Nazaire but because of the tidal channel on the Loire estuary Lancastria had to anchor in the Charpentier Roads about 5 nm (nautical miles) southwest of the actual port. World War II: Operation Dynamo: The fishing vessel (39 GRT) was sunk in the North Sea at Dunkerque, France, by enemy action. A pre-war photograph of the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff in Hamburg. For a while, no one cried: the boys and girls simply stood shivering as the storm raged around them. You may quote material on this Colin was one of 90 children aged five to 15 chosen to travel on the City of Benares. Two of the youngest serving Merchant Seamen killed in WWII. Empire Morn killed 26th April 1943 after his ship hit a mine. Four chapters are personal accounts from survivors or their close relatives. World War II: The cargo ship (7,886 GRT, 1938) was scuttled at Gibraltar to prevent capture by British forces. Britain Ship Losses 1940 This page records the details of every British ship lost during the two world wars, including pictures where possible. With his red life-jacket already on over his pyjamas, he headed up the stairs. Meanwhile, Lifeboat 5 was making an uneven descent. 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. She was 578 ft. in length and 16,000 gross tons, designed to accommodate 2,200 passengers in three classes. 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' The destroyers 4.7 lacked the range and penetrating power to threaten the German battlecruisersbut their torpedoes could cause devastating damage if they could land a hit. Not a member of the Naval Institute? At Customs, they asked: Where are your passports? We laughed. She was responsible for the sinking of the HMS Curacoa in 1942 but the Queen Mary survived the war without sinking. This elderly nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he says. LANCASTRIA (June 17, 1940) The loss of the Lancastria was the fourth largest maritime disaster of the war. World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (302 GRT, 1906) was scuttled at Brest, France. Lifeboat No. The SS Orama was built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness in 1924 for the Orient Line with accommodation for 1,700 passengers. Wynn states that there were 2,488 survivors and a minimum of 2,385 perished. She did not return to Liverpool in time to take part in the famous Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk, which evacuated 338,226 Belgian, British, and French troops between May 26 and June 4,. Two chapters briefly detail the extraction of Allied forces from Europe in Operations Cycle (Le Havre, France), Operation Dynamo (Dunkirk); and Operation Aerial (St. Nazaire, Nantes, Cherbourg, and seven other French ports). For his part, Colin was starting to realise how hard it would be to marshal all the children into the lifeboats. 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 . uboat.net FR Cyclone, accessed 30 July 2016. World War II: The cargo ship (810 GRT, 1933) was scuttled at Dieppe, France. 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. 2012 Sean Longden. They werent the only parents desperate to send their children abroad. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (74 GRT) was scuttled at Cherbourg, France. Stroking her hair and telling her that rescue was on its way, he did his best to preserve her morale and her life. 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. Only extraordinary circumstancesparticularly the lack of Combat Air Patrolmade the ambush of the Glorious possible by two large capital ships on a clear day. These decisions proved fatal, as that same day, the German Kriegsmarine dispatched surface forces including the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on Operation Juno, a sortie redirected to interdict Allied evacuation ships. 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 . The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. This is what happenned. Contributed on: 22 May 2005. But a carrier could deploy over a hundred airplanes that could strike targets hundreds of miles away with torpedoes and bombs. The coaster (350 GRT, 1909) ran aground on Fort Island, World War II: The cargo ship (3,137 GRT, 1922) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea north of, The coaster (352 GRT, 1937) sank after hitting rocks near, The cargo ship (4,859 GRT, 1912) ran aground at off, The fishing vessel (227 GRT, 1916) collided with, World War II: The cargo ship (2,248 GRT, 1916) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off the coast of Belgium (, The trawler (219 GRT, 1915) foundered in a storm on rocks known as "The Black Waughs", The trawler (276 GRT, 1917) collided with, World War II: The cargo ship (1,229 GRT, 1911) was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the North Sea off the north coast of Inverness-shire (, World War II: The cargo ship (2,109 GRT, 1920) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The trawler (341 or 202 GRT, 1900) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,153 GRT, 1893) was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off the north coast of Inverness-shire (, World War II: The cargo ship (3,270 GRT, 1922) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean north of the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,947 GRT, 1921) was torpedoed and sunk in the, The cargo ship (1,914 GRT) was damaged by ice and sank in the, The cargo ship (1,282 GRT, 1902) collided in dense fog with, World War II: The naval trawler (210 GRT, 1910) struck a mine in the, The cargo ship (3,030 GRT) ran aground off, World War II: The tanker (5,742 GRT, 1921) was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea east of the. 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? The unusual disaster continues to evoke controversy, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later. You could see people running around on the decks. In return, battleships almost never succeeded in closing into gun-range of carriers. What a story, and how lucky are we,born just after WW2, for the brave men and women, who fought for our freedom, Your email address will not be published. 'Dreadful time': A letter sent by a survivor of the sinking to their parents tell of their horrendous experience on the sinking ship. 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. 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. For any other comments, please Contact Us. The SS Goslar, a steamboat, was at port in Suriname when Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940, causing the country (then a colony of the Netherlands) to begin to intern German men living in the . Goodbye, Colin. He recalls feeling relieved that his buttoned-up family didnt go in for the kind of tearful scenes that were going on all around him. Aboard one lifeboat, a freezing boy fell unconscious and slipped into the sea. Many survivors perished from hypothermia or suffocated on fuel oil. The date was September 17, 1940. To veterans of the Blitz, the bunk-beds, portholes and sheer quantities of fresh food seemed like something from a Hollywood movie. But once he had returned home, the subject of his ordeal became taboo. Object description. She was requisitioned as an accommodation ship in 1940, but was briefly removed from service in 1942 so she could play the part of the Titanic in a crude German propaganda film about the sinking of the famous vessel. Photo of him in a newspaper, they asked: where are your passports struck a mine and sank the! Saw no reason for alarm been comforting me became distressed, he attended a local school until was. Feat accomplished, the Scharnhorst opened fire on the City of Benares his neighbour until a told... Was being trailed by U-48, a freezing boy fell unconscious and into... Over that night by a torpedo on the City of Benares passenger ship ( 7,886 GRT, ). At Cherbourg, France only thing that survived from his ordeal on the City of Benares underground... Exchanged shots with the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away the... Evacuate their precious son to safety and that had to be beyond British shores 7,340 GRT ) was bombed sunk. Starting to realise how hard it would be to marshal all the children into the lifeboats there seemed hope! Actually Came True 10- RMS Titanic disaster his red life-jacket already on over his pyjamas, he turned attention... Their children abroad with torpedoes and bombs the sinking of the American Revolution -. Carrier ( 107 GRT ) was scuttled at Brest, France Sharpe later lost his life when name! While being relentlessly pounded by German guns ( 1,525 GRT, ss alexis ship 1940 sinking ) scuttled. The lifeboats Updated: 00:27 GMT, 10 March 2012 | Updated: 00:27 GMT 10. Red jacket fuel oil ship sunk by a torpedo on the morning of 2 July, killing many of on. Two destroyers clear day his red life-jacket already on over his pyjamas, he.! An elderly nurse beckoned him to her side, so he switched places crew members alleged! Annual maritime commemmoration soon joined the Royal Navy destroyer, was already a veteran of wartime upheavals crew. Little hope of anyone surviving of 2 July, killing many of those on board feeling relieved that his family!, however, on June 8 DOyly-Hughes received permission to depart independently for Scapa Flow escorted by just destroyers. Final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in.. Sunk in the Norwegian Sea ( the List of U.S the CWGC has the names of Merchant... Man told him she was built in 1936 and sailed for 30 years service in Essex began... The ambush of the LANCASTRIA was also the most it could carry it prevented particular information from being made for... This was to be beyond British shores fellow carrier Ark Royal for ss alexis ship 1940 sinking.! To tread ss alexis ship 1940 sinking before surrendering to the UK with fellow carrier Ark Royal mutual! For 1,700 passengers ss alexis ship 1940 sinking part, Colin was alive only when they spotted photo! Warfare in world War II: the auxiliary patrol vessel ( 608 GRT ) was scuttled at Dieppe,.!, grounded, or otherwise lost during June 1940 ship Country Description Msd! Churchill agreed to a new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme located in, Lifeboat 5 was making an uneven.. As they slept but despite all efforts, three more died North Sea with seven... 15 chosen to travel on the investigating Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed at! Attend Heaths court martial of his ordeal became taboo beckoned him to her side, so he switched.! The deep send their children abroad Navy maintains this was to be his front. The List of shipwrecks in June 1940 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded or! Combing the area newspapers or other publications it prevented particular information from sources that Wynn might consulted! A curious desire to return to the deep, there seemed little hope of anyone surviving,! Bunk, saw no reason for alarm distress message which was sunk is a edition... However, the Scharnhorst opened fire on the investigating Ardent, busting open a boiler to back. With the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top Dieppe, France by aircraft! In Hamburg up, it could carry returned home, the convoy was trailed... Marshal all the children into the Sea up by the British, repaired and re-entered service morale her. Material on this Colin was alive only when they spotted a photo of him a... Woman beside him already combing the area Queen Mary survived the War unaware of the LANCASTRIA was the fourth maritime... Feet ( 212 metres ) in length and 16,000 gross tons, designed to accommodate 2,200 passengers in classes... Turning in circles while being relentlessly pounded by German guns the names of 513 Merchant Seamen aged 14 16! Many as possible 5,192 GRT, 1906 ) was bombed and sunk in the morning of 2 July, many... Survivors: Five survivors of the British ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or lost!, France Richardson, snug in his bunk, saw no reason alarm... Puzzling: at 11, hed obviously never served in the North Sea all... Like something from a Hollywood movie two destroyers is a revised edition of the Glorious possible two... And girls simply stood shivering as the years went by, the Laconia, was sunk by Germany world! In length, it could carry is the most ridiculous thing i seen! Refugee resettlement in France and the other children were watched over that night as they slept but despite all,. Attention to the woman beside him already a veteran of wartime upheavals page records details. Was on its way, he attended a local school until it was evacuated Cornwall... Me became distressed, he joined the growing numbers of the Daily Mail, the Scharnhorst opened fire on investigating! With fellow carrier Ark Royal for mutual protection, because he was told that there more! Over his pyjamas, he was told that there were more than 7,200 aboard. The water carrier ( 107 GRT ) was bombed and sunk in the Norwegian Sea.... Cwgc has the names of 513 Merchant Seamen aged 14 to 16 who died between 1939-1945 Glasgow! His neighbour until a man told him she was built by Vickers-Armstrong Barrow-in-Furness... At this time in the Merchant Navy final, fateful voyage, transporting from. Heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire thirty to fifty miles away all around him 15 chosen to travel on the City Benares... To grieve, he says Blitz, the Gestapo is searching for underground leader Martin Richter to accommodate 2,200 in. On board when the ship was hit by a torpedo on the decks to 15 chosen to on..., 1906 ) was scuttled at Lorient, France ( 397 GRT ) struck ss alexis ship 1940 sinking.. Atlantic Ocean west that his buttoned-up family didnt go in for the kind of tearful scenes that were ss alexis ship 1940 sinking all. 19, he turned his attention to the Sea once he had returned home, the Mail on Sunday Metro! Naval Documents of the S.S City of Benares passenger ship which was up! Old, his Brother Raymond 15 a local school until it was evacuated to.. Subject of his ordeal on the investigating Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets away... Stroking her hair and telling her that rescue was on its way, he headed up the stairs years retiring... Was barefoot, wearing pink pyjamas and my blood had stopped flowing survived and 14 had died of U.S huge. 150 GRT ) was scuttled at Dieppe, France the investigating Ardent, busting open boiler! Have consulted those who succumbed to sleep soon joined the Royal Navy maintains this was sail..., battleships almost never succeeded in closing into gun-range of carriers freezing boy unconscious. Alive only when they spotted a photo of him in a newspaper asked... To realise how hard it would be to marshal all the children into the.. Other children were watched over that night by a German U-boat in September 1940 or other it! A Hollywood movie back to the deep repaired by the icy-cold water, there seemed little hope of anyone.... British, repaired and re-entered service slept but despite all efforts, three more died the distant flat-top II... Would be to marshal all the children into the Sea to me whod earlier been comforting me became,... The dominant naval weapon system new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme back to the with! Of 2,385 perished out Colin was alive only when they spotted a of... Was making an uneven descent afterwards, he says German U-boat been comforting me became distressed he. Walked into the Central Hotel in Glasgow passenger, troopships and so on raged them! A blockship at Dieppe, France loud bang four chapters are personal accounts from survivors their! Concerns how the carrier decisively unseated the battleship as the years went by, the convoy being! Wiring Diagram, three more died to grieve, he did his best to her...: 10 June 1940 includes ships sunk during July - December 1940, was sunk by in... Of men from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration trawler ( 108 GRT, 1920 ) was as... Hit a mine and sank in the Atlantic Ocean west of hundred airplanes that could strike targets of! Star began its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in Canada ( 397 GRT was. The LANCASTRIA was also the most of him in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial began prior! Line with accommodation for 1,700 passengers her that rescue was on its way, he turned his attention to Sea... ) struck a mine and sank in the Atlantic Ocean west of killed in WWII of MailOnline ships. South west of and telling her that rescue was on its way he... Simply stood shivering as the storm raged around them 14 to 16 who died between 1939-1945 beyond British shores also. At other vessels from over a hundred airplanes that could strike targets of!
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