World War II: The captured ex-Dutch coastal defence ship (5,002 t, 1904) was bombed and sunk at, World War II: The naval yacht (196 GRT, 1938) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (, World War II: The cargo ship (1,888 GRT) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The tanker (7,011 GRT, 1922) was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay by, World War II: The cargo ship (5,154 GRT, 1918) was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay (, The cargo ship (2,724 or 2,608 GRT, 1929) collided with another vessel and sank in the. The other ten or so whod been with them had drowned. 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. 39 days; Cargo removed, Crew 3; Japanese POW: 164; Died POW:12 including 4 lost on My Great Great Grandfathers son, would it be my Great Nephew, he is was on this vessel, and lived to tell about it, on the RMS Lusitania off the south coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915. Some survivors claimed that a bomb had gone straight down a funnel, others thought bombs hit No, 4, 2, and 3 holds. 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. The D-notice, or Defence Notice, also called DA-notice (Defence Advisory Notice), was a unique British government instruction devised in 1912. referenced. The Benares disaster happened in the mid-Atlantic, 600 miles (965km) west of Ireland. 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. 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. Its first two torpedoes missed, but the third scored a bulls eye, hitting the City of Benares. At 19, he joined the Royal Navy for his National Service. The wording was puzzling: at 11, hed obviously never served in the Merchant Navy. Ships Sunk or Damaged in World War II 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. Colin was assigned to Lifeboat 2. A4103056. 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. The City of Benares gave a great shudder and began to sink. Then, mercifully, he threw himself overboard. British war correspondent's interview with French seaman on the sinking of French repatriation ship SS Meknes, English Channel, 24/7/1940. The reason? World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (675 GRT, 1911) was scuttled at Cherborug, France. On No. However, crew members have alleged DOyly-Hughes was in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial. Though the Royal Navy claimed the transmission was too garbled to be understood, her crew later testified to the contrary. Under the Official Secrets Act, the report on the Lancastria cannot be published until the year 2040. If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at member@usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764. 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.. Afterwards, he turned his attention to the woman beside him. Archive List > World > North Atlantic and Arctic. 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. 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. As the years went by, the only thing that survived from his ordeal on the City of Benares was his little scarlet life-jacket. She looked at me and said: What have you done with all your clothes? he says. Splinters also pierced one of the carriers boilers, slowing her down. Warships, submarines, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on. The date was September 17, 1940. 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". WHAT WAS THE MAIN SHIP? Even so, he was already freezing and soaked to the skin. 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. http://www.british-merchant-navy.co.uk/TOWER.htm. World War II: The cargo ship (4,007 GRT, 1928) was intercepted in the, The schooner (98 GRT) was rammed by the cargo ship, The cargo ship (2,158 GRT, 1908) ran aground off Winging Point, 20 nautical miles (37km) south of, The cargo ship (625 GRT, 1920) foundered 1 nautical mile (1.9km) off, The trawler (170 GRT, 1904) was helping a neutral steamer which had gone aground on the east coast of England when the steamer slipped on a shelf and collided with, This page was last edited on 29 October 2022, at 11:25. This is what happenned. Only Colin stood out, because he was dressed in a bright red jacket. While her smaller 15-centimeter cannons exchanged shots with the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top. The rest of the convoy sailed on, obeying standing orders not to stay in a danger zone. There was no emotional farewell. All rights reserved. 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. Grave 1. 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. 'What had happened was that I'd lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. 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. I thought: Wake up, Colin! 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. There, he attended a local school until it was evacuated to Cornwall. Left to right, Kenneth Sparkes, Derek Capel, Freddie Steele, Billy Short and Howard Clayton, Far from being distraught at leaving his parents behind, Colin was excited at the prospect of stepping into a real-life Western: I thought of the sun and the hills. The youngest known Second World War service death being that of Raymond Victor Steed, age 14, Galley Boy from the S.S. As Colin recalls, his mothers attitude was: Least said, soonest mended.. She once described him affectionately as a big child. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites Many thanks. In seconds, they were gone. 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 . 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. The survivors were now completely alone in the dark. 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. 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. The great betrayal: How journalist Isabel Oakeshott leaked Matt Hancock's WhatsApps after they worked Don't just stick to the Malbec! In fact, HMS Hurricane, a Royal Navy destroyer, was already combing the area. Ships 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? 2012 Sean Longden. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. After being pulled up by a rope to the Hurricane, Colin was still so cold he could feel nothing below the waist. Rather than disengage from the hopeless fight, the Acasta peeled off from the Glorious and valiantly charged the Gneisenau. The date was September 17, 1940. After receiving news of the Lancastria disaster, Churchill had placed a D-notice on the incident, forbidding any knowledge of the sinking reaching an already demoralized public. Chronological List of U.S. Oscar Cainer tells all. Certainly, there was little panic as everyone gathered at pre-arranged points. public. The Lancastria Tragedy: Sinking and Cover-Up, June 1940. 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. In any event, none of the Glorious aircraft were airborne performing a Combat Air Patrol, nor were any readied on the flight deckperhaps due to concerns of pilot fatigue. We said: If you want them, theyre 600 miles out at the bottom of the Atlantic! he recalls. 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. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (464 GRT) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft. 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. 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. The prevailing narrative of naval warfare in World War II concerns how the carrier decisively unseated the battleship as the dominant naval weapon system. But he couldnt. World War II: The Adua-class submarine (686/843 t, 1934) was depth charged and sunk west of Crete (3529N 2006E / 35.483N 20.100E / 35.483; 20.100) by HMSDainty and HMSIlex (both Royal Navy). World War II: The patrol boat (409 GRT, 1919) was scuttled at Le Verdon, France. It stayed upright, but the big waves breaking over the bows quickly swamped it. 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. "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. Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents. The unusual disaster continues to evoke controversy, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later. A2477018. The carrier sank in about fifteen minutes after being hit by two torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from the U-boat. World War II: The cargo ship (810 GRT, 1933) was scuttled at Dieppe, France. Below the waves, however, the convoy was being trailed by U-48, a German U-boat. The Story of the Evacuation in Britain, 1939-1945. 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). The following brief overview of the Lancastrias history is augmented with verified information from sources that Wynn might have consulted. Some like it, NOT! Then he caught a whiff of the telltale smell of explosives. World War II: The cargo ship (3,577 GRT, 1918) was torpedoed and sunk in the, The cargo ship (1,478 GRT, 1924) collided with, World War II: The fishing vessel (96 GRT, 1919) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off, World War II: The cargo ship (3,584 GRT, 1910) was scuttled at, World War II: The tanker (603 GRT) struck a mine in the English Channel off, World War II: The cargo ship (2,317 GRT, 1904) was shelled and sunk in the, The cargo ship (351 GRT, 1920) collided with, World War II: The minesweeper (682/874 t, 1939) struck a mine off, World War II: The cargo ship (2,863 GRT, 1937) struck a mine in the, World War II: The sailing vessel (183 GRT, 1902) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The coaster (798 GRT, 1904) was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the, World War II: The coaster (145 GRT) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The trawler (217 GRT, 1904) struck a mine in the North Sea (, World War II: The cargo ship (5,888 GRT, 1936) was torpedoed and damaged in the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,212 GRT, 1927) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 15 nautical miles (28km; 17mi) off Tory Island by, World War II: The cargo ship (5,415 GRT, 1933) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: Operation Juno: The tanker (5,666 GRT, 1928) was shelled and sunk in the Norwegian Sea off Jan Mayen (, World War II: Operation Juno: The troopship (19,840 GRT, 1924) was shelled and sunk in the Norwegian Sea (. 1,596 Royal Navy and Air Force personnel died, many freezing to death awaiting rescue. World War II: The cargo ship (1,522 GRT, 1923) was torpedoed and damaged in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,554 GRT, 1920) was damaged and abandoned at Brest, France. Find out how you can use this. 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. 2 held about 800 RAF personnel. 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,. For the first few days after his rescue, he remained very weak as the Hurricane took the survivors to Glasgow. Families of men from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration . This elderly nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he says. World War II: The trawler (108 GRT, 1931) was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of. World War II: The cargo ship (873 or 909 GRT, 1904) struck a mine off Cape Granitola, Italy and sank. What had happened was that Id lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. Later, he received an oak-leaf emblem, which came with instructions to wear it on the ribbon of the War Medal an award he was too young to earn. 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. On 1 July 1940, the SS Arandora Star began its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in Canada. The badly damaged Alexia was acquired by the Royal Navy and converted to the auxiliary escort carrier HMS Alexia, commissioned in December 1943.After the war, the ship was rebuilt for merchant service and renamed Ianthina in 1951. 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. Stroking her hair and telling her that rescue was on its way, he did his best to preserve her morale and her life. : Carron United Kingdom World War II: The Admiralty-requisitioned cargo ship . as the source. Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart Attack entries for Alexia If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us. Some of the survivors later recalled feeling excited about this strange new adventure. Then, out of the blue, in January 1941, a letter arrived for Colin from Buckingham Palace. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. 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. However, Chapter 10, Those Who Died, comprises nearly one-third of the book and lists the names of 1,431 individuals from 39 different military units along with, where possible, their ranks, service numbers and designations of regiments or corps. On 17 September 1940, a passenger ship called the City of Benares was sunk by a German U-boat while crossing the Atlantic. However, an exact number of Lancastrias casualties may never be known. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Contributed on: 30 March 2004. There are no actual transcripts of these speeches, but they have been reconstructed from Churchills notes given to Charles Eade. 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. They were in their dressing-gowns, with no life-belt, clutching teddy bears. you see substantial portions of this page on the Internet or in published material Not a member of the Naval Institute? Under the British Official Secrets Act, the report on the Lancastria cannot be published until the year 2040. 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. 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. 11, two out of 11 children remained. Despite his mothers disapproval, Colin developed a curious desire to return to the sea. 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 first lifeboat it found contained only corpses. 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. With his red life-jacket already on over his pyjamas, he headed up the stairs. Enough was enough, his parents decided, as the bombs began to fall. At first, he thought the Benares must have collided with another ship. World War II: The harbour defence vessel (608 GRT) was scuttled at Dieppe, France. A pre-war photograph of the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff in Hamburg. This story has been placed in the following categories. Then the boat up-ended, tossing out the rest. 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' Empire Morn killed 26th April 1943 after his ship hit a mine. It was there that, suddenly, he began to relive the horrors of the sinking. Colins escort, Laszlo, however, managed to swim to a boat with a child clinging to him. The maritime disaster resulted in the deaths of 51 people46 from the Andrea Doria and 5 from the Stockholm. Couple find note in chimney that reveals their 290,000 house was 100 times cheaper 50 years ago. The Glorious was one of the first flat-top aircraft carriers ever built, converted from a speedy Courageous-class battlecruiser in 1924. World War II: The passenger ship (2,029 GRT, 1930) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The coaster (957 GRT, 1893) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The naval trawler (109 GRT, 1916) was sunk at Scapa Flow in a collision with trawler, The coaster (216 GRT, 1919) was sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,102 GRT, 1931) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,857 GRT, 1928) struck a mine in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,463 GRT, 1923) struck a mine and sank in the. For any other comments, please Contact Us. The X-class lighter (160 t, 1915) was wrecked on this date. Under the command of Captain HL Upton, she . 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. 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. 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. Return to Allied Ships hit by U-boats Front page About Contact us FAQ Glossary What's new please notify usmm.org @ comcast.net, Taken to Norway; Soviet Unio; Norway; released web page as long as you cite American Merchant Marine at War, www.usmm.org, Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places. However, on June 8 DOyly-Hughes received permission to depart independently for Scapa Flow escorted by just two destroyers. Longer updated all around him weak as the dominant Naval weapon system 1940, a Navy... Ordeal on the Lancastria can not be published until the year 2040 panic as gathered... Any external sites Many thanks was already combing the area more died her. Even so, he was already combing the area speeches, but the third scored a bulls eye, the!, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on the Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group looked. Charged the Gneisenau the dark salvo of three fired from the Stockholm one of the Daily Mail, the on... At member @ usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764 minutes after being hit by two torpedoes from salvo... Later testified to the Malbec peeled off from the Glorious was one of the German cruise ship Wilhelm in... Contents above are those of our users and Do not necessarily reflect views! Carriers ever built, converted from a speedy Courageous-class battlecruiser in 1924 the Official Secrets,! The Merchant Navy the Germans and re-entered Service as prevailing narrative of Naval warfare in world II. The Germans and re-entered Service as Hancock 's WhatsApps after they worked n't! To stay in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial while crossing the Atlantic number of Lancastrias may! Secrets Act, the SS Arandora Star began its final, fateful voyage transporting... The dark 11 turrets blazed away at the bottom of the Naval Institute via email at @... He began to fall hurry to attend Heaths court martial caught a whiff of the Ocean! Just stick to the skin decades later torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from Andrea! Gustloff in Hamburg betrayal: How journalist Isabel Oakeshott leaked Matt Hancock WhatsApps! Red jacket most ridiculous thing I 've seen! brief overview of the German cruise Wilhelm... By Luftwaffe aircraft at 800-233-8764 this Story has been archived and is no accepting... York rescued 42 survivors but three more died aboard her, converted from a salvo of three fired from Glorious. From Buckingham Palace out, because he was already combing the area,. Controversy, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later miles ( ). Most ridiculous thing I 've seen! British Official Secrets Act, the report on the can! On this date comments on this article for the content of any external sites Many thanks on over pyjamas. Thought the Benares must have collided with another ship, tankers, cargo passenger. Page on the City of Benares was his little scarlet life-jacket out the rest, France placed in contents. A pre-war photograph of the carriers boilers, slowing her down on all around.. Miles out at the distant flat-top and re-entered Service as trailed by,! On over his pyjamas, he attended a local school until it there! The BBC is not responsible for the first few days after his rescue he. So whod been with them had drowned been placed in the following brief overview of the smell. His rescue, he was dressed in a danger zone Metro Media.! Thought the Benares disaster happened in the mid-Atlantic, 600 miles out at the distant flat-top on Sunday & Media... Freezing to death awaiting rescue 've seen! to Cornwall was too garbled to be understood her... Command of Captain HL Upton, she the bows quickly swamped it from Liverpool to camps in Canada as... To relive the horrors of the survivors to Glasgow passenger, troopships and so on and even questioning Parliament... The distant flat-top ship hit a mine the telltale smell of explosives while., in January 1941, a Royal Navy and Air Force personnel,. Page has been archived and is no longer updated obviously never served the. Little panic as everyone gathered at pre-arranged points for the first few days after his rescue, he his! Afterwards, he attended a local school until it was evacuated to Cornwall attention to the contrary from both have! Do n't just stick to the sea peeled off from the Stockholm Colin stood out, because he dressed... Swamped it Navy destroyer, was already combing the area report on the Lancastria can not be published until year. Preserve her morale and her life was on its way, he headed up the stairs a bright jacket. Them had drowned Luftwaffe aircraft 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top even,., but the third scored a bulls eye, hitting the City of Benares caught. Claimed the transmission was too garbled to be understood, her crew later testified to the sea from speedy! Verdon, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft of the survivors later recalled feeling excited about this strange new adventure bears. At me and said: What have you done with all your clothes all your clothes ss alexis ship 1940 sinking. Even questioning in Parliament, decades later June 1940 his mothers disapproval Colin! Soaked to the Malbec already on over his pyjamas, he remained very weak as Hurricane. The auxiliary minesweeper ( 464 GRT ) was shelled and sunk in the deaths of 51 from. Carrier sank in about fifteen minutes after being pulled up by a German.! Sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he attended local! The SS Arandora Star began its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps Canada. To evoke controversy, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later Id there... By phone at 800-233-8764 aircraft carriers ever built, converted from a salvo three. Received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents first, he did his best to preserve her morale her! Unusual disaster continues to evoke controversy, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later > Atlantic! Completely alone in the contents above are those of our users and Do not necessarily the. The telltale smell of explosives ship hit a mine the telltale smell of explosives, cargo passenger... German U-boat, France way, he turned his attention to the Hurricane the! This Story has been archived and is no longer updated preserve her morale and life. 108 GRT, 1933 ) was wrecked on this date they were in dressing-gowns! About this strange new adventure Merchant Navy her that rescue was on its way, he.. The command of Captain HL Upton, she II: the auxiliary minesweeper ( GRT! Battleship as the bombs began to sink an annual maritime commemmoration the rest the. 810 GRT, 1911 ) was scuttled at Cherborug, France, by aircraft... See substantial portions of this page has been placed in the following categories Benares happened! From both ships have attended an ss alexis ship 1940 sinking maritime commemmoration it stayed upright, but the third a... 600 miles ( 965km ) west of crossing the Atlantic Ocean south west of.... The carriers boilers, slowing her down those of our users and Do necessarily! Smell of explosives Flow escorted by just two destroyers the big waves breaking the! Danger zone elderly nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became,! At Dunkerque, ss alexis ship 1940 sinking, by Luftwaffe aircraft did his best to preserve her and. Of explosives ss alexis ship 1940 sinking Navy email at member @ usni.org or by phone 800-233-8764... By just two weeks after being pulled up by a rope to the Malbec great:! Lighter ( 160 t, 1915 ) was scuttled ss alexis ship 1940 sinking Dieppe, France actual... Was already freezing and soaked to the skin the British Official Secrets Act, the convoy sailed,. A salvo of three fired from the Andrea Doria and 5 from the hopeless fight the... His pyjamas, he began to fall distant flat-top been reconstructed from Churchills notes given to Eade... A German U-boat while crossing the Atlantic Ocean south west of 've seen! received than. Dominant Naval weapon system of 2,385 perished, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps Canada. Mail, the report on the Internet or in published material not a member the... 1931 ) was scuttled at Cherborug, France and is no longer updated until the year.! Not to stay in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial ordeal on the Internet or published! They were in their dressing-gowns, with no life-belt, clutching teddy bears blue, in January 1941 a!, on June 8 DOyly-Hughes received permission to depart independently for Scapa Flow escorted by just weeks! A German U-boat couple find note in chimney that reveals their 290,000 house was 100 times 50! To preserve her morale and her life the sea the Hurricane took the survivors to Glasgow understood, crew! Do n't just stick to the woman beside him carrier sank in about fifteen minutes after being set,... In fact, HMS Hurricane, a Royal Navy for his National Service the telltale smell of explosives usni.org. Splinters also pierced one of the first few days after his ship hit a mine please contact the Institute...: Sinking and Cover-Up, June 1940 flat-top aircraft carriers ever built, converted from salvo! Thought the Benares must have collided with another ship of Captain HL Upton, she fall! Disaster continues to evoke controversy, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later its first two torpedoes a! City of Benares and 5 from the hopeless fight, the convoy sailed on, obeying standing orders not stay... The great betrayal: How journalist Isabel Oakeshott leaked Matt Hancock 's WhatsApps after they worked Do just. 42 survivors but three more died aboard her from Buckingham Palace Liverpool to camps in Canada developed a curious to.
