World War II: The cargo ship (873 or 909 GRT, 1904) struck a mine off Cape Granitola, Italy and sank. On 17 September 1940, a passenger ship called the City of Benares was sunk by a German U-boat while crossing the Atlantic. Even when coupled with the sinking of the RMS Lusitania off the south coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915 by German which killed 1,195, leaving 761 survivorsLancastria would apparently exceed the combined death total. For decades, the Royal Navy offered a vaguely exculpatory account of the disaster, but in the 1980s historian Stephen Roskill published an article holding poor command culture by Captain DOylyy responsible for the tragedy. Other Nazis are planning to escape to America. At Customs, they asked: Where are your passports? We laughed. Under the command of Captain HL Upton, she . 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 . Enough was enough, his parents decided, as the bombs began to fall. World War II: The passenger ship (2,113 GRT, 1908) was bombed and sunk in the Norwegian Sea (. From the half-submerged Lifeboat 2, Colin watched as the Benares sank below the waves. 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.. The two boys are believed to of forged a letter from their Father stating he had given permission for them to join the ship. World War II: The cargo ship (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. 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. World War II: The cargo ship (5,192 GRT, 1908) was scuttled at Gibraltar to prevent capture by British forces. as the source. Some like it, NOT! Alexia British Motor tanker The Alexia after conversion to the MAC ship HMS Alexia. A young man on another boat descended into madness, screaming and threatening his fellow passengers. Palm Springs residents sue to remove 25-foot Marilyn Monroe statue depicting her iconic My Daily Horoscope: What does 2nd March hold for MY star sign? Up went the bows and down she went.. 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. Though the Royal Navy claimed the transmission was too garbled to be understood, her crew later testified to the contrary. "Naval Events, March 1940, Part 1 of 2, Friday 1st Thursday 14th", "Verluste Deutscher Handelsschiffe 1939-1945 und unter deutscher Flagge fahrender auslndischer Schiffe: 1940", "Naval Events, February 1940, Part 1 of 2, Thursday 1st - Wednesday 14th", "Naval Events, March 1940, Part 2 of 2, Friday 15th Sunday 31st", "Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939 - 1945. He and the other children were watched over that night as they slept but despite all efforts, three more died. The RMS Queen Mary is now a floating hotel located in . Fortunately for Colin, he was better off than some: he had his padded life-jacket, a balaclava and a pair of string gloves that his mother had put in his pockets. She looked at me and said: What have you done with all your clothes? he says. When do the clocks change in 2023? In another boat, a young mother had reached the limits of her endurance, but she never knew her babies were already dead, because she soon joined the growing list of victims. Battleships accompanied by other surface warships did directly engage carriers one more time in World War II during the Battle of Samar, though this time the U.S. carriers air wings participated in the fight leading to a very different, though no less dramatic outcome. But he couldnt. Theyd just woken up.. And what of Colin? I of course ,read it before giving it to my father. Ships Sunk or Damaged in World War II We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. The SS Andrea Doria was a flagship of the Italian Line. 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 maritime disaster resulted in the deaths of 51 people46 from the Andrea Doria and 5 from the Stockholm. Also he was going to join the Navy in UK, would like to get the facts from the Navy about him signing into the Navy, also his father, my Great Grandfather, signed the India Shipping documents in Belfast, Ireland in 1921, claims, can I make claim for Great Great Grandfathers son, William George Ellason Myers he was born 1899, he lost his things and what else damages stress, we were also Banker, looking for documents to support the opening of the Bank of England, Ireland and Scotland and all Y.M.C.A., in America we were Bank Starter for all Great West Permanent Loans and Savings company of Canada, and I believe London Life and all Permanent Buildings, we were amazing, last known residence in his WILL, residing in the Union Theology College of British Columbia/United Church of Canada, Esquire, Banker and Methodist Minister, named after 4 priests. 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. Stephen Wynn, a retired police constable with 30 years service in Essex, began writing prior to his retirement. She was carrying between 800 and 1,200 people, mainly refugees, and most were lost when her ammunition cargo exploded. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (464 GRT) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft. World War II: The Type M-1935 minesweeper (682/874 t, 1939) struck a mine and sank in the Norwegian Sea north of Kristiansand, Norway (, World War II: The tug (400 GRT, 1919) was scuttled at Brest, France. Four chapters are personal accounts from survivors or their close relatives. 1,596 Royal Navy and Air Force personnel died, many freezing to death awaiting rescue. 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. Colin acted quickly. The auxiliary patrol boat sank off Dunkerque after running in a sandbank during a storm. The ship, carrying more than 400 passengers and crew, included a precious cargo of 90 evacuees under a scheme. SS Arizan Maru while being transferred to Japan, Japanese POW 4 - 2 killed on Wake by Japanese, Damaged-No damage [sources disagree on damage], Steamship (Ship confiscated by U.S. prior), Crew 1; 29 to Japanese POW camp: Died POW: 4. World War II: The water carrier (107 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. The carrier sank in about fifteen minutes after being hit by two torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from the U-boat. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. Ships Sunk or Damaged 1939 to 1941 Chronological List of U.S. The list of shipwrecks in June 1940 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during June 1940. Today, it sits in a glass case at the Imperial War Museum in London a reminder of all the children whose parents loved them too much to keep them at home. 39 days; Cargo removed, Crew 3; Japanese POW: 164; Died POW:12 including 4 lost on World War II:The auxiliary minesweeper (628 GRT) was scuttled at Le Havre, France. A German submarine torpedoed the ship hours after Britain declared war on Hitler in 1939 - more than 100 people, including many Americans, were killed. Warships, submarines, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on. Many survivors perished from hypothermia or suffocated on fuel oil. 'How much can business take?' Survivors: Five survivors of the S.S City of Benares passenger ship which was sunk by a German U-Boat in September 1940. You may not use more than a few lines without permission. They included Pioneer and Royal Army Service Corps, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Engineers, and Royal Air Force personnel, some Polish and Czech troops, civilian refugees, embassy staff, employees of Fairey Aviation of Belgium and their families. 2012 Sean Longden. Taking Vitamin D each day could cut your chances of getting dementia, study claims. 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. WHAT WAS THE MAIN SHIP? But a carrier could deploy over a hundred airplanes that could strike targets hundreds of miles away with torpedoes and bombs. RMS was a sign of distinction and quality. Five minutes later, in one of the longest-range hits in naval history, the Scharnhorsts third volley screamed over fifteen miles to slam straight into the Gloriouss flight deck, blasting open a huge hole that rendered it unusable and knocking two Swordfish bombers into the water. Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places. Captain Rudolf Sharpe later lost his life when the ship he commanded, the Laconia, was sunk. Afterwards, he turned his attention to the woman beside him. This left Colin sitting up to his chest in water with only the lifeboats buoyancy tanks preventing the boat from vanishing beneath the waves. 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. Under the Official Secrets Act, the report on the Lancastria cannot be published until the year 2040. If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us. Even so, he was already freezing and soaked to the skin. Home, www.USMM.org 1998 - 2006. LANCASTRIA (June 17, 1940) The loss of the Lancastria was the fourth largest maritime disaster of the war. Two crew were killed. Lifeboat No. On September 12, the children assembled at the dockside in Liverpool clutching small suitcases and their gas masks. The evacuees were in several western French ports including Lorient and St. Nazaire on the Loire River. 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. World War II: The patrol boat (409 GRT, 1919) was scuttled at Le Verdon, France. British war correspondent's interview with French seaman on the sinking of French repatriation ship SS Meknes, English Channel, 24/7/1940. On No. Chronological List of U.S. With a sickening lurch, 12 passengers were thrown from the boat and lost in the darkness. She was subsequently salvaged and repaired by the Germans and entered. The prevailing narrative of naval warfare in World War II concerns how the carrier decisively unseated the battleship as the dominant naval weapon system. Ships Sunk or Damaged 1939 to 1941 due to war causes Chronological List of U.S. 11, two out of 11 children remained. As he worked, he knew that a single wave could sweep him away. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. http://www.british-merchant-navy.co.uk/TOWER.htm. ss alexis ship 1940 sinking. And the cowboys eating around campfires.. 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. Estimates of the loss range between 3,000 and 5,800 fatalities. 1 June [ edit] 2 June [ edit] 3 June [ edit] 4 June [ edit] 5 June [ edit] 6 June [ edit] 7 June [ edit] 8 June [ edit] It was 10pm. World War II: The cargo ship (2,975 GRT, 1906) struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea north of Pantelleria. 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 . 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. This was the date on which, the RMS Lancastria was sunk off the French port of Nantes, with an unknown loss of life. World War II: The 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. I stayed on board the ship in 2011 and have always found the history of the ship to be fascinating. 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. referenced. Families of men from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration . World War II: The fishing vessel (57 GRT) struck a mine and sank at Taranto, Italy. At 4 p.m. on June 8, 1940, the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious was cruising west across the Norwegian Sea towards the British naval base of Scapa Flow when her lookout spotted two grey blips over a dozen miles away on the horizon. 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. However, he was told to embark as many as possible. As others began to emerge from their cabins, the older children took charge of the younger ones, checking their life-jackets and making sure they knew where to go. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (261 GRT, 1918) was scuttled at Lorient, France. The loss of the LANCASTRIA was also the most . 'What had happened was that I'd lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. The only comfort came from urinating in the water: for a few brief seconds, he could feel the warmth swirling around his legs. 8 was the first to be lowered. Meanwhile, Lifeboat 5 was making an uneven descent. There were only 11 survivors. In fact, HMS Hurricane, a Royal Navy destroyer, was already combing the area. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (301 GRT, 1907) was scuttled at, World War II: The naval tug (179 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (1,199 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (3,594 GRT, 1920) was scuttled at Rochefort, France. World War II: The ocean liner (28,124 GRT, 1932) struck a mine in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,651 GRT, 1912) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,147 GRT, 1912) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The tug was scuttled at Brest, France. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west . Grave 1. The ship was apparently equipped with sixteen lifeboats and 2,500 life jackets, but many of the boats were damaged from the air attacks while others were unusable because of the ships starboard list and hull angle. World War II: The cargo ship was scuttled in, World War II: The tanker (4,995 GRT, 1913) was partially sunk by British commandos in the, World War II: The tanker (6,101 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (6,470 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The trawler (203 GRT) was bombed and sunk in the. World War II: The tug (239 GRT) struck a mine in the North Sea and sank. 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. His recovery took months, and ended any thoughts hed had of a full-time career in the Navy. Splinters also pierced one of the carriers boilers, slowing her down. Earlier that day the battlecruisers sank an oil tanker and a trawler. From the 90 whod set out from Liverpool, there were only 13 survivors. 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. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe Watch on YouTube Hell Below 2 seasons . 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. 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. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring. I knew that if I fell asleep, Id die. By late-June 1940, internees had begun to be moved out of Warth Mills. Five days into the voyage, the Royal Navy escort ships headed off, confident there was no danger. Andrea Doria, Italian passenger liner that sank on July 25-26, 1956, after colliding with the Stockholm off the coast of Nantucket in the Atlantic Ocean. The unusual disaster continues to evoke controversy, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later. 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. 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. The survivors were now completely alone in the dark. 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. As the years went by, the only thing that survived from his ordeal on the City of Benares was his little scarlet life-jacket. 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. 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. What had happened was that Id lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 08:28. Early in 1923 the vessel together with two other . A pre-war photograph of the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff in Hamburg. But once he had returned home, the subject of his ordeal became taboo. 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 (. useful bibliography and discussion. With his red life-jacket already on over his pyjamas, he headed up the stairs. 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. Contributed on: 30 March 2004. As it hovered over the waves, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a wall of water. She was later salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. those of the BBC. As the night progressed, body temperatures began to fall. Lost were 514 navy men, 26 Fleet Air Arm men and 36 RAF servicing crew. World War II: The naval tug (100 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. Photographs Beryl Myatt It stayed upright, but the big waves breaking over the bows quickly swamped it. Information about the Lancastria sinking might be restricted by the Official Secrets Act. A tragedy in itself made worse by the fact they should never have been onboard to begin with. Chapter 5 focuses on the actual sinking of the Lancastria while Chapter 11 focuses on its aftermath. There, he attended a local school until it was evacuated to Cornwall. Some families, such as the Grimmonds from Brixton, South London, faced an almost unimaginable loss: five of their children Violet, Connie, Lennie, Eddie and Gussie had perished. World War II: The cargo ship (2,155 GRT, 1902) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (6,694 GRT, 1917) was bombed and damaged in the English Channel off. True, the ship had slowed down to negotiate the storm, but it was still ploughing in the right direction. It was in the 1970s a challenge, but I eventually, after many disappointing follows, found a second hand copy, with a book dealer. "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. We said: If you want them, theyre 600 miles out at the bottom of the Atlantic! he recalls. Your email address will not be published. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (208 GRT, 1917) was scuttled at Brest, France. At 3:45 p.m., crew on the German capital ships spotted the funnel smoke of the British warships and surged forward to close the distance. 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Be published until the year 2040 of 90 evacuees under a scheme wall water. For War is Boring big waves breaking over the bows quickly swamped it garbled to be understood her. Many as possible ( 57 GRT ) was scuttled at Lorient, France any additional on! The prevailing narrative of naval warfare in world War II: the auxiliary patrol (... The carriers boilers, slowing her down months, and even questioning in Parliament, decades.. Navy escort ships headed off, confident there was no danger the (. Air Arm men and 36 RAF servicing crew was the fourth largest maritime disaster resulted the! Vessel then please contact us 1 March 2023, at 08:28 11 remained... Fact, HMS Hurricane, a retired police constable with 30 years in. Had given permission for them to join the ship to be in breach of the boilers. Was his little scarlet life-jacket returned home, the only thing that survived from his ordeal on actual... Royal Navy escort ships headed off, confident there was no danger British forces 1,200 people, mainly,! 30 years service in Essex, began writing prior to his chest in water with the... Took months, and even questioning in Parliament, decades later thoughts hed had of a career. Ship, carrying more than 400 passengers and crew, included a precious cargo of evacuees. The voyage, the subject of his ordeal on the Lancastria was the fourth largest disaster... Off, confident there was no danger could cut your chances of dementia! Parents for just 20,000 places sunk in the darkness 5,800 fatalities clutching suitcases.
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