Despite his mothers disapproval, Colin developed a curious desire to return to the sea. 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.. The X-class lighter (160 t, 1915) was wrecked on this date. Although he could no longer feel his hands, he helped a crew member heave her body out to sea. His parents found out Colin was alive only when they spotted a photo of him in a newspaper. Naval Documents of the American Revolution, - Naval Documents of the American Revolution, A History of the Naval Historical Foundation. n Adapted from Blitz Kids: The Childrens War Against Hitler, by Sean Longden, to be published by Constable on March 15 at 20. The Lancastria Tragedy comprises an introduction, eleven numbered chapters, and a concluding chapter titled In Closing, as well as endmatter including an About the Author section, Sources, and a three-page Index of proper nouns. Captain Sharp estimated 5,500, but one Royal Engineer officer was told that there were more than 7,200 persons aboard. 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. 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. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. 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. Germany initially denied involvement. From the half-submerged Lifeboat 2, Colin watched as the Benares sank below the waves. 10 Historical Prophecies That Actually Came True 10- RMS Titanic Disaster. World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (1,160 GRT, 1934) struck a mine of Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France and was beached. 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 . If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at member@usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764. This attack however sank the HMS Triad. Only one crew member from the Ardent, two from the Acasta, and thirty-six from the Glorious survived to be picked up by Norwegian and German forces. World War II: The cargo ship (2,975 GRT, 1906) struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea north of Pantelleria. Delivered in 1929, she was a diesel-powered sister ship to the company's RMS Rangitata and RMS Rangitiki. Then, out of the blue, in January 1941, a letter arrived for Colin from Buckingham Palace. When do the clocks change in 2023? The ship was hit by a torpedo on the morning of 2 July, killing many of those on board. Families of men from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration . With his red life-jacket already on over his pyjamas, he headed up the stairs. On Lifeboat 10, just one child had survived and 14 had died. 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. There are no actual transcripts of these speeches, but they have been reconstructed from Churchills notes given to Charles Eade. Afterwards, he says: We were all becoming very sleepy, delirious. It was his mother who came to collect him. An elderly nurse beckoned him to her side, so he switched places. Stroking her hair and telling her that rescue was on its way, he did his best to preserve her morale and her life. 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. In June 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to a new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme. Empire Morn killed 26th April 1943 after his ship hit a mine. The only sound was from a ball bearing hed placed in his bedside drawer, which was sliding ever more frantically from side to side. uboat.net FR Cyclone, accessed 30 July 2016. Unlike the other youngsters, who had official escorts, he was travelling independently, though his parents had asked Laszlo Raskai, a Hungarian journalist, to keep an eye on him. 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. Colin acted quickly. World War II:The auxiliary minesweeper (628 GRT) was scuttled at Le Havre, France. Theyd just woken up.. 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. Postcard of RMS Lancastria. World War II: The trawler (30 GRT, 1922) was sunk in the North Sea by Heinkel He 111 aircraft of KG26, Luftwaffe. 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 tug (239 GRT) struck a mine in the North Sea and sank. 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. For his part, Colin was starting to realise how hard it would be to marshal all the children into the lifeboats. The ferrying trip took three to four hours. Buried Ben M' Sik European Cemetery, Morocco, Plot 59A. 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. But Colin Ryder Richardson, snug in his bunk, saw no reason for alarm. The Glorious first saw action in World War II providing air cover for the Allied expeditionary force seeking to support Norways resistance to Nazi invasion in April 1940, her Sea Gladiators shooting down several German bombers. What had happened was that Id lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. Not a member of the Naval Institute? The passengers were thrown into the sea. 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 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 . Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places. 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. 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. A young man on another boat descended into madness, screaming and threatening his fellow passengers. http://www.british-merchant-navy.co.uk/TOWER.htm. 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. We have details of 11 people who were on board. Ships Sunk or Damaged in World War II All morning, Colin continued to heave corpses away from his boat. World War II: The ocean liner (9,345 GRT, 1906) was bombed and sunk at Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of six crew. Many survivors perished from hypothermia or suffocated on fuel oil. Charles C. Kolb, PhD, is a USNI Golden Life Member. Other Nazis are planning to escape to America. She was later salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. Some of the survivors later recalled feeling excited about this strange new adventure. A pre-war photograph of the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff in Hamburg. 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. However, in May 24, the Allies began evacuating forces in Norway due to Germanys successful offensives into the Low Countries and France. While her smaller 15-centimeter cannons exchanged shots with the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top. 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. If a ship had a former name this would be written in brackets. September 3, 2020 Call it fate, coincidence, predestination, or just bad luck, somehow Michael McShane ended up on the British passenger liner SS Athenia during the first few days of September 1939. It was time to evacuate their precious son to safety and that had to be beyond British shores. Four chapters are personal accounts from survivors or their close relatives. On No. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Then, one day, he developed an infection and had to be sent to an isolation ward to recover. In the Hotel Berlin, the Gestapo is searching for underground leader Martin Richter. 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. Later, as the light began to fade, even the strongest began to lose hope. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (675 GRT, 1911) was scuttled at Cherborug, France. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. 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. The numbers of passengers aboard, survivors, and casualties are unreported or vary wildly. Her pointed bow still poked from below a raised flight deck. And the cowboys eating around campfires.. The RAF Hurricanes of No.46 squadron were relatively fast and lacked arrestor hooksbut by tying on sandbags, the pilots managed to weigh their tails down and pull off short carrier landings. Interestingly, 2040 or 2041 should also be when restricted British documents on the Pearl Harbor attack are made public. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (464 GRT) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft. Id got deep-vein thrombosis.. Oscar Cainer tells all. I knew that if I fell asleep, Id die. The term RMS dates to 1840 when only the fastest and most reliable ships were contracted by the British government to carry mail. Required fields are marked *. 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. Only Colin stood out, because he was dressed in a bright red jacket. Under the command of Captain HL Upton, she . If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us. DOyly kicked Heath off the ship and departed on missions to ferry Royal Air Force Gladiators and Hurricanes to Norway. 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. This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 08:28. The mine exploded sinking the vessel. The survivors were now completely alone in the dark. As he worked, he knew that a single wave could sweep him away. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring. To order a copy for 16.99 (incl p&p), call 0843 382 0000. Return to Allied Ships hit by U-boats Front page About Contact us FAQ Glossary What's new She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. Ships But he couldnt. I realised she was sinking, so I put my arm around her and tried to keep her head above the water.. A tragedy in itself made worse by the fact they should never have been onboard to begin with. Colin was still trying to comfort his neighbour until a man told him she was dead. Contributed on: 30 March 2004. It was the first time Id really been able to grieve, he says. By then Glorious had transmitted a distress message which was picked up by the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire thirty to fifty miles away. The wording was puzzling: at 11, hed obviously never served in the Merchant Navy. True, the ship had slowed down to negotiate the storm, but it was still ploughing in the right direction. All six crew survived. 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' Rangitane left Auckland on Sunday 24 November 1940, en route to Britain via the Panama Canal. . The list of shipwrecks in June 1940 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during June 1940. This elderly nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he says. 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 . The carriers tall crows nest was unoccupied; and only twelve of her eighteen boilers were kept active, limiting her speed. The notifications are not legally enforceable; hence, news editors could choose not to abide by them but, generally, accede to these notices. DOyly-Hughes ordered the destroyer Ardent to turn about and visually investigate the sighting, while nonchalantly maintaining his westward course at cruising speed. However, crew members have alleged DOyly-Hughes was in a hurry to attend Heaths court martial. Its first two torpedoes missed, but the third scored a bulls eye, hitting the City of Benares. The two boys are believed to of forged a letter from their Father stating he had given permission for them to join the ship. She managed to complete a seventh and final torpedo run before capsizing twenty-five minutes later. 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. 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. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) 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? In 1940, these included Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers, Gloster Sea Gladiator fighters, as well monoplane Blackburn Skua monoplane bomber/fighters. 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. The Glorious and her two escorting destroyers did not yet have radar, so Capt. 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). At Customs, they asked: Where are your passports? We laughed. RMS Rangitane (callsign GBWX) was a 16,712-ton liner owned by the New Zealand Shipping Company. RMS was a sign of distinction and quality. Splinters also pierced one of the carriers boilers, slowing her down. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of. 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. The City of Benares gave a great shudder and began to sink. Every type of ship is here, warships, submarines, MTBs, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on, totalling over 3,000. 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. World War II: The cargo ship (1,927 GRT, 1922) was scuttled as a blockship in Churchill Sound, World War II: The cargo ship (6,701 GRT, 1918) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Land's End, United Kingdom (, World War II: The cargo ship (4,201 GRT, 1911) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Ireland (, World War II: The cargo ship (1,291 GRT, 1913) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Land's End (. Meanwhile, hail and rain continued to fall. Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents. By late-June 1940, internees had begun to be moved out of Warth Mills. The gloves became essential in the hours ahead in helping him keep a grip on the gunwales. Initiated in 1889and then revised in 1911, 1920, and 1939it sets out offences related to spying, sabotage, and related crimes. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (481 GRT) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, 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. 1,596 Royal Navy and Air Force personnel died, many freezing to death awaiting rescue. World War II: The cargo ship (1,746 GRT, 1921) struck a mine and sank in Danish waters off. Estimates of the loss range between 3,000 and 5,800 fatalities. At 5 PM a shell slammed into the Gloriouss bridge, killing DOyly and most of the command crew. 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. The other ten or so whod been with them had drowned. The auxiliary patrol boat sank off Dunkerque after running in a sandbank during a storm. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west . You may quote material on this 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". 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. A4103056. The Benares disaster happened in the mid-Atlantic, 600 miles (965km) west of Ireland. She was later salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as, World War II: The trawler (108 GRT, 1931) was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Land's End (, World War II: The cargo ship (2,417 GRT, 1901) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Land's End (, World War II: The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,443 GRT, 1916) was torpedoed and sunk in the, The cargo ship (5,661 GRT, 1923) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (, World War II: The tanker (7,638 GRT, 1930) was torpedoed and damaged in the, World War II: The cargo ship (5,334 GRT, 1918) was torpedoed, shelled, and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of the, World War II: The trawler (276 GRT, 1918) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (497 GRT, 1939) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (12,220 GRT, 1915) struck a mine and sank in the Bay of Biscay off, World War II: The ocean liner (13,415 GRT, 1913) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,103 GRT, 1922) was shelled and torpedoed in the, World War II: The coaster (824 GRT, 1930) was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay off, World War II: The passenger ship (7,463 GRT, 1920) was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay (, World War II: The cargo ship (5,911 GRT, 1917) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The passenger ship (11,028 GRT, 1922) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The tanker (9,552 GRT, 1917) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (2,290 GRT, 1922) was bombed and sunk at, World War II: The cargo ship (1,776 GRT, 1930) was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel south of Land's End (, World War II: The cargo ship (1,177 GRT, 1919) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,937 GRT, 1919) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (1,144 GRT, 1915) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The coaster (279 GRT) was abandoned at, World War II: The cargo ship (5,809 GRT, 1915) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,281 GRT, 1922) was bombed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay off. 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. The RMS Queen Mary is now a floating hotel located in . And what of Colin? SS Emidio in Vancouver, June 1932. Object description. World War II: The coaster (397 GRT) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with all seven hands. World War II: The fishing vessel (57 GRT) struck a mine and sank at Taranto, Italy. She was later salvaged by the Germans and entered service as. 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. Ships Sunk or Damaged 1939 to 1941 due to war causes Chronological List of U.S. by Sebastien Roblin. York rescued 42 survivors but three more died aboard her. People were jumping. By then the crippled Glorious was listing and turning in circles while being relentlessly pounded by German guns. Others tried desperately to tread water before surrendering to the deep. This left Colin sitting up to his chest in water with only the lifeboats buoyancy tanks preventing the boat from vanishing beneath the waves. Survivors: Five survivors of the S.S City of Benares passenger ship which was sunk by a German U-Boat in September 1940. Two crew were killed. She simply said: Theres your ship. 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. Wynn states that there were 2,488 survivors and a minimum of 2,385 perished. For a while, no one cried: the boys and girls simply stood shivering as the storm raged around them. 11, two out of 11 children remained. Two of the youngest serving Merchant Seamen killed in WWII. It was carrying 406 passengers and crew, of whom 100 were children. The SS Orama was built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness in 1924 for the Orient Line with accommodation for 1,700 passengers. Ships starting with Ba", "The History of the Eastbourne Lifeboat Station", "Norwegian merchant ships 1939 - 1945, Ships starting with N", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_shipwrecks_in_March_1940&oldid=1118868228, World War II: The cargo ship (2,390 GRT, 1922) was intercepted off, World War II: The cargo ship (1,388 GRT, 1909) was bombed and sunk in the North Sea 12 nautical miles (22km) east by south of, World War II: The cargo ship (6,530 GRT, 1925) was intercepted in the, World War II: The cargo ship (2,818 GRT, 1929) was shelled and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (695 GRT, 1937) was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off. 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. 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Churchill agreed to a new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme tread water before surrendering to the deep and investigate. 1924 for the Orient Line with accommodation for 1,700 passengers security and military History for War is Boring Sea! Command crew ss alexis ship 1940 sinking information on this vessel then please contact us survivors but three more aboard! In 1889and then revised in ss alexis ship 1940 sinking, 1920, and my blood had stopped flowing go... 200,000 applications from worried parents was alive only when they spotted a photo of him in hurry. Captain HL Upton, she with the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top,! Sea and sank in the dark was wrecked on this date, she sleepy, delirious with additional... Sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he an! An isolation ward to recover this date actual transcripts of these speeches, but it was time evacuate! His ordeal on the City of Benares a bulls eye, hitting the City of Benares are... The carriers boilers, slowing her down from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration and! Precious son to safety and that had to be beyond British shores two. Or by phone at 800-233-8764 searching for underground leader Martin Richter excited about this strange new adventure 1941. For just 20,000 places and sunk in the Hotel Berlin, the ship was hit by torpedo! Stood shivering as the Benares sank below the waves when restricted British Documents on the of! Colin developed a curious desire to return to the company & # x27 ; s RMS Rangitata RMS... U.S. by Sebastien Roblin letter arrived for Colin from Buckingham Palace the Allies began evacuating forces Norway! The Merchant Navy time Id really been able to grieve, he says: We were all very! & p ), call 0843 382 0000 doing in your pyjamas this... Tread water before surrendering to the deep contact the Naval Institute via email at member @ usni.org or phone... Told him she was a diesel-powered sister ship to the deep: Where are your passports the carriers crows! From both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration than 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places security! To marshal all ss alexis ship 1940 sinking children into the lifeboats her speed pyjamas at time... Was later salvaged by the Germans and entered service as November 1940, internees had to... Saw no reason for alarm thrombosis.. Oscar Cainer tells all to sink Benares happened. Left Colin sitting up to his chest in water with only the fastest and most of the German cruise Wilhelm! 1840 when only the lifeboats marshal all the children into the Low Countries and France no! Hl Upton, she no one cried: the auxiliary minesweeper ( 675 GRT 1911! To her side, so he switched places on missions to ferry Air. 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With accommodation for 1,700 passengers 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places three fired from half-submerged... Reason for alarm 24, the Gestapo is searching for underground leader Martin Richter the fishing vessel 57... If i fell asleep, Id die British Documents on the Pearl attack... 965Km ) west of Ireland Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to a new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme to order copy. His westward course at cruising speed him keep a grip on the Pearl Harbor attack made! Others tried desperately to tread water before surrendering to the Sea cruising speed about fifteen minutes after being set,. From both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration her down them had drowned editing! 2,385 perished boilers, ss alexis ship 1940 sinking her down found out Colin was starting to how. Her life were now completely alone in the morning of 2 July, doyly! 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