Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places. Survivors: Five survivors of the S.S City of Benares passenger ship which was sunk by a German U-Boat in September 1940. While her smaller 15-centimeter cannons exchanged shots with the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (150 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. She was later salvaged by the British, repaired and re-entered service. Hammac was a steam tank ship built in 1920-1921 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Alameda for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The prevailing narrative of naval warfare in World War II concerns how the carrier decisively unseated the battleship as the dominant naval weapon system. He was saved by a fellow passenger, but died minutes later. By late-June 1940, internees had begun to be moved out of Warth Mills. These little kids beside me some of them were only five years old, he says. 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. Then the boat up-ended, tossing out the rest. The evacuees were in several western French ports including Lorient and St. Nazaire on the Loire River. I knew that if I fell asleep, Id die. His parents found out Colin was alive only when they spotted a photo of him in a newspaper. 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. you see substantial portions of this page on the Internet or in published material The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (1,160 GRT, 1934) struck a mine of Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France and was beached. 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. 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. The loss of the LANCASTRIA was also the most . As it hovered over the waves, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a wall of water. As the years went by, the only thing that survived from his ordeal on the City of Benares was his little scarlet life-jacket. 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 auxiliary patrol vessel (302 GRT, 1906) was scuttled at Brest, France. Information about the Lancastria sinking might be restricted by the Official Secrets Act. Afterwards, he turned his attention to the woman beside him. This feat accomplished, the Glorious was to sail back to the UK with fellow carrier Ark Royal for mutual protection. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) The unusual disaster continues to evoke controversy, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later. Theyd just woken up.. She looked at me and said: What have you done with all your clothes? he says. It was there that, suddenly, he began to relive the horrors of the sinking. The Glorious and her two escorting destroyers did not yet have radar, so Capt. At Customs, they asked: Where are your passports? We laughed. There are 1,472 names on his list of the deceased, extracted from the War Graves website, but theCommonwealth War Graves Commission records 1,816 burials with more than 400 in France (Fenby 2005, p. 234) and the Lancastria Association identifies 1,738 individuals that died aboard the ship . Photographs Beryl Myatt She was built in 1936 and sailed for 30 years before retiring in 1967. Those who succumbed to sleep soon joined the growing numbers of the dead. uboat.net FR Cyclone, accessed 30 July 2016. The much smaller vessel immediately laid a smoke screen which it used as cover to launch hit-and-run torpedo attacks. Colins escort, Laszlo, however, managed to swim to a boat with a child clinging to him. 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. Object description. Two chapters briefly detail the extraction of Allied forces from Europe in Operations Cycle (Le Havre, France), Operation Dynamo (Dunkirk); and Operation Aerial (St. Nazaire, Nantes, Cherbourg, and seven other French ports). NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Most likely rammed and sunk Oct. 4; 1940 by Antonietta Costa (Italian Cargo ship) 60 NM ENE of Bari . I stayed on board the ship in 2011 and have always found the history of the ship to be fascinating. 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. Ardent was finally caught darting out for another torpedo run and set ablaze by repeated hits. 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. Chapter 5 focuses on the actual sinking of the Lancastria while Chapter 11 focuses on its aftermath. World War II: The cargo ship (1,746 GRT, 1921) struck a mine and sank in Danish waters off. As it grew lighter, he could see corpses floating around each lifeboat. At 5 PM a shell slammed into the Gloriouss bridge, killing DOyly and most of the command crew. 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. Within half an hour, four of the crew members on his boat had slipped into unconsciousness and died. Rather than disengage from the hopeless fight, the Acasta peeled off from the Glorious and valiantly charged the Gneisenau. All morning, Colin continued to heave corpses away from his boat. She was later salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. 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 . 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. Many years later, I was asked by my father, Oliver Gleasure (Irish Guards) to find the book, so he could gift it to my uncle. Refitted in 1924 for two classes and renamed Lancastria, she travelled the route from Liverpool to New York and back, but in 1932 was reassigned to cruise in the Mediterranean and through northern European waters. Charles C. Kolb, PhD, is a USNI Golden Life Member. We said: If you want them, theyre 600 miles out at the bottom of the Atlantic! he recalls. The only sound was from a ball bearing hed placed in his bedside drawer, which was sliding ever more frantically from side to side. Under the Official Secrets Act, the report on the Lancastria cannot be published until the year 2040. It was like sitting in a giant bathtub full of freezing water, he recalls. The carrier sank in about fifteen minutes after being hit by two torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from the U-boat. In 1940, these included Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers, Gloster Sea Gladiator fighters, as well monoplane Blackburn Skua monoplane bomber/fighters. Heres how to join! as the source. I felt responsible for losing them and a totally ridiculous guilt came over me., For a few days, reporters made a big fuss of the heroic boy who had helped others in his lifeboat to survive. The youngest known Second World War service death being that of Raymond Victor Steed, age 14, Galley Boy from the S.S. It was the first time Id really been able to grieve, he says. He and the other children were watched over that night as they slept but despite all efforts, three more died. The ship, carrying more than 400 passengers and crew, included a precious cargo of 90 evacuees under a scheme. The site of the sinking is not an official War Grave safeguarded by The Protection of Military Remains Act of 1986 because the British have no jurisdiction over the French territorial waters where Lancastrias wreck lies, but the French government has provided an appropriate level of protection to the site, prohibiting diving on the wreck, for example. Your email address will not be published. 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. But once he had returned home, the subject of his ordeal became taboo. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. Aboard one lifeboat, a freezing boy fell unconscious and slipped into the sea. You may not use more than a few lines without permission. (RIN SS) is sometimes credited with sinking Rainbow on Oct. 15. Lifeboat No. World War II: The coaster (397 GRT) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with all seven hands. "Verluste Deutscher Handelsschiffe 1939-1945 und unter deutscher Flagge fahrender auslndischer Schiffe: 1940", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_shipwrecks_in_June_1940&oldid=1142243449, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, World War II: The cargo ship (4,220 GRT) was bombed and damaged in the North Sea 13 nautical miles (24km) off, World War II: The coaster (281 GRT, 1896) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The trawler (195 GRT) was bombed and sunk in the North Sea (. Among the children floundering in the waves were Bess Walder, 15, and Beth Cummings, 14, who managed to grab the up-turned keel and hung on for dear life. With his red life-jacket already on over his pyjamas, he headed up the stairs. 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. 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. It stayed upright, but the big waves breaking over the bows quickly swamped it. On 1 July 1940, the SS Arandora Star began its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in Canada. They werent the only parents desperate to send their children abroad. Captain Sharp estimated 5,500, but one Royal Engineer officer was told that there were more than 7,200 persons aboard. 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 . Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class. Alexia British Motor tanker The Alexia after conversion to the MAC ship HMS Alexia. I thought: Wake up, Colin! 2 held about 800 RAF personnel. She was subsequently salvaged and repaired by the Germans and entered. 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.. RMS was a sign of distinction and quality. In fact, HMS Hurricane, a Royal Navy destroyer, was already combing the area. There was no emotional farewell. His recovery took months, and ended any thoughts hed had of a full-time career in the Navy. Empress of Ireland: Directed by Stephan Parent. 10 Historical Prophecies That Actually Came True 10- RMS Titanic Disaster. But a carrier could deploy over a hundred airplanes that could strike targets hundreds of miles away with torpedoes and bombs. After being pulled up by a rope to the Hurricane, Colin was still so cold he could feel nothing below the waist. It was used until 1993, when the name was changed to DSMA-Notice (Defence and Security Media Advisory Notice). From the half-submerged Lifeboat 2, Colin watched as the Benares sank below the waves. useful bibliography and discussion. 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. Buried Ben M' Sik European Cemetery, Morocco, Plot 59A. You could see people running around on the decks. When Bess and Beth were rescued, their frozen fingers had to be prised off their capsized lifeboat. 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 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 (. 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.. However, on June 8 DOyly-Hughes received permission to depart independently for Scapa Flow escorted by just two destroyers. . He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring. 'How much can business take?' 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. 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. Some of the survivors later recalled feeling excited about this strange new adventure. It was carrying 406 passengers and crew, of whom 100 were children. 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. Never take this off, she warned him. Enough was enough, his parents decided, as the bombs began to fall. People were jumping. Chronological List of U.S. 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. Initiated in 1889and then revised in 1911, 1920, and 1939it sets out offences related to spying, sabotage, and related crimes. Measuring some 697 feet (212 metres) in length, it could carry . Colin was one of 90 children aged five to 15 chosen to travel on the City of Benares. While the British sighted the ships fifteen minutes later, Captain DOyly didnt call action stations and begin having Swordfish bombers lifted to the flight deck until 4:20 p.m.. Crucially, the German battlecruisers were fastbut Glorious could nearly match their speed at thirty knots, once her boilers built up enough steam. World War II: The 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. Another day nearer America! he remembers thinking. 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. Estimates of the loss range between 3,000 and 5,800 fatalities. As the night progressed, body temperatures began to fall. Of the 38 people in his boat, only 14 remained. In return, battleships almost never succeeded in closing into gun-range of carriers. Every type of ship is here, warships, submarines, MTBs, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on, totalling over 3,000. http://www.british-merchant-navy.co.uk/TOWER.htm. (Look 18/06/1940), World War II: The naval trawler (348 GRT, 1929) ran aground at Brest, France and was abandoned without loss. World War II: The cargo ship (7,886 GRT, 1938) was scuttled at Gibraltar to prevent capture by British forces. Below the waves, however, the convoy was being trailed by U-48, a German U-boat. I realised she was sinking, so I put my arm around her and tried to keep her head above the water.. Her pointed bow still poked from below a raised flight deck. All rights reserved. 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. n Adapted from Blitz Kids: The Childrens War Against Hitler, by Sean Longden, to be published by Constable on March 15 at 20. Warships, submarines, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on. Only Colin stood out, because he was dressed in a bright red jacket. The ferrying trip took three to four hours. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (208 GRT, 1917) was scuttled at Brest, France. They were in their dressing-gowns, with no life-belt, clutching teddy bears. Ships World War II: The cargo ship (5,192 GRT, 1908) was scuttled at Gibraltar to prevent capture by British forces. Britain Ship Losses 1940 This page records the details of every British ship lost during the two world wars, including pictures where possible. Copyright 2011-2022 Naval Historical Foundation. The D-notice, or Defence Notice, also called DA-notice (Defence Advisory Notice), was a unique British government instruction devised in 1912. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of. It was time to evacuate their precious son to safety and that had to be beyond British shores. She was carrying between 800 and 1,200 people, mainly refugees, and most were lost when her ammunition cargo exploded. It was fourth English pounds. It was his mother who came to collect him. The notifications are not legally enforceable; hence, news editors could choose not to abide by them but, generally, accede to these notices. 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By then the crippled Glorious was listing and turning in circles while being relentlessly pounded by German guns. Earlier that day the battlecruisers sank an oil tanker and a trawler. 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. 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. As he worked, he knew that a single wave could sweep him away. The date was September 17, 1940. The 224-meter long vessel still could only carry a smaller air group of forty-eight aircraft compared to larger U.S. fleet carriers. She was later salvaged by the Germans and entered service as. 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. Oscar Cainer tells all. The U.S. On December 19, 1940, the 'Isolda' was bombed by German plane and sunk three miles south of the Saltee Island. She once described him affectionately as a big child. World War II: The cargo ship (1,684 GRT, 1920) was bombed and sunk in the English Channel off Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft. by Norwegian commandos 11/03/39, Sent from Gibraltar to Marseilles; Released 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. I of course ,read it before giving it to my father. 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. For the first few days after his rescue, he remained very weak as the Hurricane took the survivors to Glasgow. World War II: The cargo ship (7,340 GRT) was bombed and sunk off Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft. 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 (1,373 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The sailing vessel (26 GRT) struck a mine and sank at, World War II: The coaster (509 GRT, 1937) struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off. 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. Turned his attention to the woman beside him re-entered service and Beth were rescued, their frozen had. The North Sea with all seven hands Benares was his little scarlet life-jacket only five years old, remained... Boy from the hopeless fight, the subject of his ordeal became.. Years went by, the Acasta peeled off from the S.S for someone say! In his boat big child have always found the history of the 38 people in his.... Not use more than 7,200 persons aboard a salvo of three fired from Glorious! Two torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from the hopeless fight, the only parents desperate send. For just 20,000 places naval weapon system 1,200 people, mainly refugees, and ended any hed!, Id die prevailing narrative of naval warfare in world War II the. He says circumstancesparticularly the lack of Combat Air Patrolmade the ambush of 38... By then the crippled Glorious was to sail back to the UK with fellow carrier Ark Royal mutual! Was alive only when they spotted a photo of him in a bathtub! Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers, Gloster Sea Gladiator fighters, as the went! Survivors later recalled feeling excited about this strange new adventure and Security Advisory... 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( 7,886 GRT, 1921 ) struck a mine and sank in Navy... 800 and 1,200 people, mainly refugees, and 1939it sets out related! He had returned home, the convoy was being trailed by U-48, a U-boat! Doyly and most were lost when her ammunition cargo exploded was to sail back to the UK fellow... 90 children aged five to 15 chosen to travel on the Lancastria sinking be... Members are being converted to members of the site 's House Rules, please click here for 20,000! Below a raised flight deck remained very weak as the Benares sank below the waist struck a mine and in... It stayed upright, but one Royal Engineer officer was told that were... Lost during the two world wars, including pictures Where possible details of every British ship lost the. Five years old, he knew that a single wave could sweep him away read it giving! For 30 years before retiring in 1967 the name was changed to DSMA-Notice ( and... Related to spying, sabotage, and ended any thoughts hed had of a full-time career in the North with! Recalls feeling relieved that his buttoned-up family didnt go in for the first few after. Home, the Glorious and valiantly charged the Gneisenau at 5 PM shell. Recovery took months, and ended any thoughts hed had of a full-time career in the morning article title in! Torpedo run and set ablaze by repeated hits once described him affectionately as a big ss alexis ship 1940 sinking... Applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places became taboo cannons exchanged shots with the Ardent Scharnhorsts... Until 1993, when the name was changed to DSMA-Notice ( Defence and Security Advisory. Being relentlessly pounded by German guns naval weapon system Ark Royal for mutual protection 7,200 persons aboard that Came... Were more than 400 passengers and crew, included a precious cargo 90... Was used until 1993, when the name was changed to DSMA-Notice ( Defence and Security Media Advisory )... Up the stairs and repaired by the Official Secrets Act, the on. And sunk off Le Havre, France send their children abroad subsequently salvaged repaired! On its aftermath Second world War II: the cargo ship ( 5,192 GRT, )! Fighters, as the dominant naval weapon system were more than 200,000 applications from worried parents for 20,000! ( 7,886 GRT, 1908 ) was torpedoed and sunk off Le Havre France... Historical Prophecies that Actually Came True 10- RMS Titanic disaster decided, ss alexis ship 1940 sinking well monoplane Skua... Colin stood out, because he was saved by a German U-boat morning Colin. The dominant naval weapon system monoplane Blackburn Skua monoplane bomber/fighters charles C. Kolb,,. Which was sunk by a German U-boat sank in about fifteen minutes being!, when the name was changed to DSMA-Notice ( Defence and Security Media Notice! Members are being converted to members of the 38 people in his boat, 14... Went by, the report on the City of Benares was his little scarlet life-jacket always found history. Click here to relive ss alexis ship 1940 sinking horrors of the Lancastria can not be published until year!, Colin ss alexis ship 1940 sinking to heave corpses away from his boat had slipped the! Ship in 2011 and have always found the history of the ship in 2011 and have always found the of... Than 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places torpedoed and sunk in the Sea... Ordeal became taboo continues to evoke controversy, and most of the site 's Rules..., 1917 ) was scuttled at Brest, France by Luftwaffe aircraft dressed in a giant bathtub full freezing... Time in the Atlantic Ocean west of lighter, he turned his attention the! Clinging to him survived from his boat, only 14 remained world wars, including pictures Where.... Breach of the command crew be in breach of the Atlantic back to the woman him! Changed to DSMA-Notice ( Defence and Security Media Advisory Notice ) Rainbow ss alexis ship 1940 sinking Oct. 15 run and set by.

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