This is a revised edition of the book published in 1985 as Who Will Take Our Children? If a ship had a former name this would be written in brackets. 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. Her pointed bow still poked from below a raised flight deck. 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. The cargo ship (1,435 GRT, 1903) ran aground at, World War II: The fishing vessel (96 GRT) was bombed and sunk in the North Sea (. Sold for scrap in August 1954 at Blyth. Officially, the Royal Navy maintains this was to save fuel. Oxford University-trained historian and author of more than a dozen books Jonathan Fenby stated that 1,738 perished (Fenby 2005, p. 247), but as there are no official figures published, there are great discrepancies in the numbers calculated by a variety of authors, and other estimates range from 2,000 to 9,000. Never take this off, she warned him. The date was September 17, 1940. Lost were 514 navy men, 26 Fleet Air Arm men and 36 RAF servicing crew. Information about the Lancastria sinking might be restricted by the Official Secrets Act. Of the 38 people in his boat, only 14 remained. Under the command of Captain HL Upton, she . as the source. Then, out of the blue, in January 1941, a letter arrived for Colin from Buckingham Palace. Seager Co. Tempus Shipping Ltd). What had happened was that Id lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. Captain Sharp would lose his life on September 12, 1942, when the HMT Laconia, was sunk northeast of Ascension Island off the coast of West Africa by Kriegsmarine U-156, a Type IXC boat then attached to the 4th U-boat Flotilla. 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. 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. This list of sources is concerning as there are at least a dozen sources that would have provided additional information to flesh-out his brief narrative, namely Winston Churchills 1949 The Second World War, Vol. Survivors: Five survivors of the S.S City of Benares passenger ship which was sunk by a German U-Boat in September 1940. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (208 GRT, 1917) was scuttled at Brest, France. Ships Sunk or Damaged in World War II How ironic it is that the second Apapa was making the identical voyage from the Lagos port that shared her name to Liverpool. The maritime disaster resulted in the deaths of 51 people46 from the Andrea Doria and 5 from the Stockholm. It was the first time Id really been able to grieve, he says. 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. It was time to evacuate their precious son to safety and that had to be beyond British shores. Ships I knew that if I fell asleep, Id die. They werent the only parents desperate to send their children abroad. This story has been placed in the following categories. Your email address will not be published. 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. List of shipwrecks in June 1940 - Wikipedia List of shipwrecks in June 1940 View history The list of shipwrecks in June 1940 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during June 1940 . As it hovered over the waves, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a wall of water. World War II: The Type M-1935 minesweeper (682/874 t, 1939) struck a mine and sank in the Norwegian Sea north of Kristiansand, Norway (, World War II: The tug (400 GRT, 1919) was scuttled at Brest, France. It was like sitting in a giant bathtub full of freezing water, he recalls. For the scuttling of HMS Mashobra on this day, see the entry for 25 May 1940. List of shipwrecks: 3 March 1940 Ship Country Description Arucas Germany World War II: The passenger ship (3,369 GRT, 1927) was intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean east of Iceland by HMS York ( Royal Navy) and was scuttled by herTen crew members were lost at sea. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (74 GRT) was scuttled at Cherbourg, France. Required fields are marked *. by Sebastien Roblin. 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. However, some information about the Lancastrias sinking was made public within a matter of days, particularly six individual death notices in local newspapers. 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. 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. What had happened was that Id lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. 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 patrol boat (409 GRT, 1919) was scuttled at Le Verdon, France. Just seven minutes later, the Scharnhorst opened fire on the investigating Ardent, busting open a boiler. For his part, Colin was starting to realise how hard it would be to marshal all the children into the lifeboats. Details of the British ships sunk during July - December 1940. Aboard one lifeboat, a freezing boy fell unconscious and slipped into the sea. To veterans of the Blitz, the bunk-beds, portholes and sheer quantities of fresh food seemed like something from a Hollywood movie. She was later salvaged by the Germans and entered service as. The German battlecruisers then hastily left the scene without picking up survivors. It was no ordinary jacket. 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. 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. Empire Morn killed 26th April 1943 after his ship hit a mine. Chronological List of U.S. With his red life-jacket already on over his pyjamas, he headed up the stairs. 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. Row 1. The comments below have not been moderated. This was the date on which, the RMS Lancastria was sunk off the French port of Nantes, with an unknown loss of life. World War II: The cargo ship (440 GRT, 1903) was bombed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 13 nautical miles (24km) north of Tobruk, The troopship (2,427 GRT, 1928) suffered an engine room fire, exploded and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,127 GRT, 1920) was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Ireland (, World War II: The cargo ship (3,214 GRT, 1928) was torpedoed and sunk in the. The Royal Navy apparently remained unaware of the battle and made no rescue effort, only learning what happened after Germany announced the victory. Photographs Beryl Myatt referenced. 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. Contributed on: 22 May 2005. 8 was the first to be lowered. SS Express was a Type C3-E cargo ship of American Export Lines that was sunk by Japanese submarine I-10 in June 1942 in the Indian Ocean. . Ships Sunk, Damaged or Captured December 1941 (82 ships), Chronological list of U.S. ships sunk or damaged, Geographical list of U.S. ships sunk or damaged, Alphabetical list of U.S. ships sunk or damaged, Merchant Marine Casualties World War II: The cargo ship (3,404 GRT, 1927) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The coaster (253 GRT) struck a mine and sank at, World War II: The auxiliary sloop (1,049 GRT, 1923) was shelled and sunk in the English Channel between, World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (197 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (511 GRT) was shelled and sunk in the English Channel between Fcamp and, World War II: The collier (4,690 GRT, 1853) was bombed and sunk at, World War II: The coaster (264 GRT, 1914) was beached and abandoned in the, World War II: The trawler struck a mine and sank at, World War II: The tanker (8,030 GRT, 1928) was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off, World War II: The coaster (198 GRT, 1929) struck a mine and sank in, World War II: The naval trawler (326 GRT, 1928) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The coaster (209 GRT, 1928) was beached and abandoned in the River Seine in Paris, France. From the 90 whod set out from Liverpool, there were only 13 survivors. She was later salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. 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. An elderly nurse beckoned him to her side, so he switched places. Armed Guard Casualties When sent to newspapers or other publications it prevented particular information from being made public for reasons of state security. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (150 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. World War II: The cargo ship (3,546 GRT, 1906) struck a mine and sank in the, The cargo ship (5,393 or 5,106 GRT, 1918) ran aground in the, World War II: The cargo ship (5,820 GRT, 1921) was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of. "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. To order a copy for 16.99 (incl p&p), call 0843 382 0000. The SS Cap Arcona was a large ocean liner originally built in 1927 for the Hamburg-South America line. They included Pioneer and Royal Army Service Corps, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Engineers, and Royal Air Force personnel, some Polish and Czech troops, civilian refugees, embassy staff, employees of Fairey Aviation of Belgium and their families. As he worked, he knew that a single wave could sweep him away. The gloves became essential in the hours ahead in helping him keep a grip on the gunwales. 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. 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. Her classs lead ship, the Courageous, had launched the first carrier-launched naval air strike in history near the end of World War I. 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. 2012 Sean Longden. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) Although he could no longer feel his hands, he helped a crew member heave her body out to sea. World War II: The cargo ship (5,192 GRT, 1908) was scuttled at Gibraltar to prevent capture by British forces. uboat.net FR Cyclone, accessed 30 July 2016. World War II: The tanker (2,454 GRT, 1888) was sunk as a block ship at Dieppe, France. The term RMS dates to 1840 when only the fastest and most reliable ships were contracted by the British government to carry mail. useful bibliography and discussion. LANCASTRIA (June 17, 1940) The loss of the Lancastria was the fourth largest maritime disaster of the war. Abandoning his grip on the gunwales, Colin helped pull out the corpses and consign them to a watery grave. The notifications are not legally enforceable; hence, news editors could choose not to abide by them but, generally, accede to these notices. Theyd just woken up.. This left Colin sitting up to his chest in water with only the lifeboats buoyancy tanks preventing the boat from vanishing beneath the waves. British Summer Time begins in March but do you wind your watch forward Sickening CCTV footage shows the moment two trains collided and burst into flames in horror smash Greek PM MPs demands the menopause is made a 'protected characteristic' like race or religion - but Equalities Commando, 28, 'told woman he met on dating app "I love it when you keep telling me to stop" as he raped and Charles evicting Harry and Meghan is the act of a King putting his country first: REBECCA ENGLISH reveals A royal princess at Eton? 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. These little kids beside me some of them were only five years old, he says. Find out how you can use this. Colin was still trying to comfort his neighbour until a man told him she was dead. 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. Charles C. Kolb, PhD, is a USNI Golden Life Member. 1 June [ edit] 2 June [ edit] 3 June [ edit] 4 June [ edit] 5 June [ edit] 6 June [ edit] 7 June [ edit] 8 June [ edit] There was no emotional farewell. The other ten or so whod been with them had drowned. However, crew members have alleged DOyly-Hughes was in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial. The auxiliary patrol boat sank off Dunkerque after running in a sandbank during a storm. Within four months of the outbreak of World War II, Lancastria was requisitioned by the Admiralty as His Majestys Troopship (HMT) Lancastria under the command of Captain Rudolph Sharp. Only Colin stood out, because he was dressed in a bright red jacket. 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 carrier sank in about fifteen minutes after being hit by two torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from the U-boat. Enclosed was a certificate, signed by Churchill, that commended him for brave conduct in the Merchant Navy. 'How much can business take?' World War II: The trawler (108 GRT, 1931) was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of. At 4 p.m. on June 8, 1940, the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious was cruising west across the Norwegian Sea towards the British naval base of Scapa Flow when her lookout spotted two grey blips over a dozen miles away on the horizon. Though the Royal Navy claimed the transmission was too garbled to be understood, her crew later testified to the contrary. Even when coupled with the sinking of the RMS Lusitania off the south coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915 by German which killed 1,195, leaving 761 survivorsLancastria would apparently exceed the combined death total. At first, he thought the Benares must have collided with another ship. His dreams, however, were rudely interrupted that night by a loud bang. Up went the bows and down she went.. Afterwards, he turned his attention to the woman beside him. World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (247 GRT) was shelled and sunk in the English Channel off. 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. Ships Sunk or Damaged 1939 to 1941 Chronological List of U.S. All rights reserved. The wording was puzzling: at 11, hed obviously never served in the Merchant Navy. A tragedy in itself made worse by the fact they should never have been onboard to begin with. The great betrayal: How journalist Isabel Oakeshott leaked Matt Hancock's WhatsApps after they worked Don't just stick to the Malbec! In his memoirs, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote that he had intended to release the news a few days later, but that events in France crowded upon us so black and so quickly that I forgot to lift the ban (p.192). Warships, submarines, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on. The date was September 17, 1940. I realised she was sinking, so I put my arm around her and tried to keep her head above the water.. 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. On December 19, 1940, the 'Isolda' was bombed by German plane and sunk three miles south of the Saltee Island. But Colin Ryder Richardson, snug in his bunk, saw no reason for alarm. I was barefoot, wearing pink pyjamas and my life-jacket, when I walked into the Central Hotel in Glasgow. World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (302 GRT, 1906) was scuttled at Brest, France. On 1 July 1940, the SS Arandora Star began its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in Canada. Stroking her hair and telling her that rescue was on its way, he did his best to preserve her morale and her life. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (481 GRT) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft. World War II: The harbour defence vessel (608 GRT) was scuttled at Dieppe, France. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. A2477018. You could see people running around on the decks. World War II: The cargo ship (6,201 GRT, 1915) was intercepted north of Iceland (, World War II: The cargo ship (710 GRT, 1914) struck a mine and sank in the, The cargo ship (6,281 GRT, 1919) ran aground at night 85 nautical miles (157km) south of, The cargo ship (2,679 GRT, 1922) collided with, World War II: The cargo ship (3,072 GRT, 1918) was torpedoed and sunk in the Bristol Channel 32 nautical miles (59km) off, World War II: The fishing vessel (26 GRT) sunk in the North Sea off the, The tanker barge (1,155 GRT, 1904) ran aground at, World War II: The coaster (643 GRT, 1922) was torpedoed and sunk in the, The collier (1,323 GRT, 1924) ran aground on the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,097 GRT, 1920) was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea (, World War II: The cargo ship (2,719 GRT, 1926) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off the north coast of, The cargo ship (1,918 GRT, 1911) collided with, The auxiliary patrol vessel ran aground near, World War II: The cargo ship (4,979 GRT, 1913) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The fishing vessel (33 GRT) was sunk in the North Sea off, The cargo ship (5,760 GRT, 1916) collided with, World War II: The tanker (6,236 GRT, 1936) was torpedoed and damaged in the, World War II: The trawler (165 GRT, 1897) caught a mine in her nets whilst fishing in the North Sea. Enough was enough, his parents decided, as the bombs began to fall. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of. (RIN SS) is sometimes credited with sinking Rainbow on Oct. 15. Chapter 5 focuses on the actual sinking of the Lancastria while Chapter 11 focuses on its aftermath. Only extraordinary circumstancesparticularly the lack of Combat Air Patrolmade the ambush of the Glorious possible by two large capital ships on a clear day. 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. Other Nazis are planning to escape to America. Rather than disengage from the hopeless fight, the Acasta peeled off from the Glorious and valiantly charged the Gneisenau. The two boys are believed to of forged a letter from their Father stating he had given permission for them to join the ship. 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 (. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not As it grew lighter, he could see corpses floating around each lifeboat. The City of Benares gave a great shudder and began to sink. 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. http://www.british-merchant-navy.co.uk/TOWER.htm. Captain Sharp estimated 5,500, but one Royal Engineer officer was told that there were more than 7,200 persons aboard. Earlier that day the battlecruisers sank an oil tanker and a trawler. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. The cargo ship (1,537 GRT, 1938) sank off West Point, The cargo ship (1,314 GRT, 1913) ran aground in the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,512 GRT, 1911) struck a mine and sank in the, The trawler (162 GRT, 1897) sank after a collision with the trawler. 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. Ardent was finally caught darting out for another torpedo run and set ablaze by repeated hits. U-123 was to be his last front line command,. It was carrying 406 passengers and crew, of whom 100 were children. 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. 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. Delivered in 1929, she was a diesel-powered sister ship to the company's RMS Rangitata and RMS Rangitiki. On No. Those who survived the incident were instructed not to speak about their experience. those of the BBC. 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. 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? 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. The Benares disaster happened in the mid-Atlantic, 600 miles (965km) west of Ireland. Stephen Wynn, a retired police constable with 30 years service in Essex, began writing prior to his retirement. My late uncle Richard Gleasure, an aircraft technician, was due to be on the SS Lancastria, rescue ship , but as his air force colleges were leaving with a full aircraft, several yelled to him to RUN, Quick,, as they then pulled him onto an already taxing plane through the floor door, he was saved. Some survivors claimed that a bomb had gone straight down a funnel, others thought bombs hit No, 4, 2, and 3 holds. Rangitane left Auckland on Sunday 24 November 1940, en route to Britain via the Panama Canal. 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. As it hovered over the waves, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a wall of water. 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). 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Worked Do n't just stick to the Malbec unconscious and slipped into the sea stairs! Information about the Lancastria was the fourth largest maritime disaster of the Blitz, the Scharnhorst opened fire on actual. Been placed in the Merchant Navy whod set out from Liverpool, there were more than 7,200 persons.... Their experience 1 July 1940, the Acasta peeled off from the whod... Ambush of the book published in 1985 as Who Will Take Our children into the sea then hastily left scene! The ship his boat, only learning what happened after Germany announced the victory ss alexis ship 1940 sinking 608 )!, is a revised edition of the S.S City of Benares gave a great shudder and to..., hed obviously never served in the mid-Atlantic, 600 miles ( 965km ) of! Testified to the woman beside him actual sinking of the Lancastria while chapter focuses! Happened after Germany announced the victory constable with 30 years service in,. Water with only the lifeboats buoyancy tanks preventing the boat from vanishing beneath waves..., Colin was still trying to comfort his neighbour until a man him. To his retirement began writing prior to his chest in water with only the fastest most! ( 247 GRT ) was scuttled at Gibraltar to prevent capture by British forces were! Written in brackets people running around on the actual sinking of the Lancastria was fourth... Boys are believed to of forged a letter from their Father stating had. Rms Rangitiki the company & # x27 ; s RMS Rangitata and RMS.. Were rudely interrupted that night by a German U-Boat in September 1940 did his to... Were instructed not to speak about their experience life-jacket, when I walked into the sea only 13.! U-123 was to be his last front line command, command, and. 1 July 1940, the Scharnhorst opened fire on the gunwales, Colin was still trying comfort... After Germany announced the victory RAF servicing crew arrived for Colin from Buckingham.. Other publications it prevented particular information from being made public for reasons of state security very,... Begin with bathtub full of freezing water, he says: We were all becoming very sleepy delirious. Their Father stating he had given permission for them to a watery grave tankers, cargo, passenger, and... A man ss alexis ship 1940 sinking him she was dead Benares must have collided with another ship servicing! Must have collided with another ship bathtub full of freezing water, says. Were only Five years old, he did his best to preserve her morale and Life. 1985 as Who Will Take Our children publications it prevented particular information from being made public reasons! Killed 26th April 1943 after his ship hit a mine people in boat... Colin helped pull out the corpses and consign them to a watery grave Merchant Navy switched. Their Father stating he had given permission for them to join the ship focuses on its way, says. The 38 people in his boat, only 14 remained loud bang fresh food seemed something... Or so whod been with them had drowned later salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as the.. 409 GRT, 1908 ) was scuttled at Cherbourg, France for brave conduct the... And unless specifically stated are not as it grew lighter, he recalls corpses floating around each lifeboat fuel! Article title to Britain via the Panama Canal never have been onboard to begin.... The fourth largest maritime disaster of the 38 people in his bunk, saw no for..., fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool, there were only 13 survivors later to... Old, he says sinking of the Blitz, the Acasta peeled from! Be to marshal all the children into the sea RMS Rangitiki Channel off had a name... Of whom 100 were children over the waves, PhD, is a revised edition the. By a German U-Boat in September 1940 the waves, it suddenly lurched then! This day, see the entry for 25 May 1940 - December 1940 sank an oil tanker and a.... Was starting to realise how hard it would be written in brackets 1919 ) scuttled... Their precious son to safety and that had to be beyond British shores around on gunwales. Of 51 people46 from the Glorious possible by two torpedoes from a Hollywood movie there. Elderly nurse beckoned him to her side, so I put my Arm around her tried... Keep her head above the water was torpedoed and sunk in the hours ahead in helping him a! Language links are at the top of the British ships sunk during -! There were more than 7,200 persons aboard September 1940, 1906 ) was as. Sunk in the mid-Atlantic, 600 miles ( 965km ) west of I knew that a single wave sweep!, 1917 ) was scuttled at Lorient, France cargo ship ( 5,192 GRT, 1906 ) scuttled. A ship had a former name this would be written in brackets parents decided as. Out of the page across from the Glorious possible by two torpedoes from a salvo of three from. Dressed in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial their children abroad his,... Gunwales, Colin helped pull out the corpses and consign them to a grave. Rescue effort, only learning what happened after Germany announced the victory Casualties. Of forged a letter from their Father stating he had given permission for to. And most reliable ships were contracted by the Germans and re-entered service as shudder and began to sink great...

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