Home, www.USMM.org 1998 - 2006. Meanwhile, Lifeboat 5 was making an uneven descent. 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. 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. As yet more lifeboats were overwhelmed by the icy-cold water, there seemed little hope of anyone surviving. 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. The Story of the Evacuation in Britain, 1939-1945. The ship was built by William Beardmore and Company of Dalmuir on the River Clyde and launched in 1920 as Royal Mail Steamship (RMS) Tyrrhenia for the Anchor Line, a subsidiary of the better-known Cunard Line. As he worked, he knew that a single wave could sweep him away. Published: 00:26 GMT, 10 March 2012 | Updated: 00:27 GMT, 10 March 2012. 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 . 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. Families of men from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration . Later, as the light began to fade, even the strongest began to lose hope. Ships Sunk or Damaged 1939 to 1941 Ships Captured or Detained 1939 (80 ships) Ships Sunk, Damaged or Detained 1940 (48 ships) She looked at me and said: What have you done with all your clothes? he says. Theyd just woken up.. 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,. 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. Buried Ben M' Sik European Cemetery, Morocco, Plot 59A. World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (247 GRT) was shelled and sunk in the English Channel off. Four chapters are personal accounts from survivors or their close relatives. 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. But Colin Ryder Richardson, snug in his bunk, saw no reason for alarm. It was his mother who came to collect him. The loss of the LANCASTRIA was also the most . As HMS Hurricane approached Lifeboat 2, Colin and the remaining passengers started singing Rule Britannia. As it hovered over the waves, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a wall of water. Those who survived the incident were instructed not to speak about their experience. 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. World War II: The cargo ship (1,002 GRT, 1904) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,766 or 1,894 GRT, 1918) was scuttled at Rochefort, France. 2012 Sean Longden. It was time to evacuate their precious son to safety and that had to be beyond British shores. World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (17,046 GRT, 1925) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of. Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class. 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. This attack however sank the HMS Triad. Early in 1923 the vessel together with two other . Some of the survivors later recalled feeling excited about this strange new adventure. 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. At 19, he joined the Royal Navy for his National Service. The Benares disaster happened in the mid-Atlantic, 600 miles (965km) west of Ireland. However, in May 24, the Allies began evacuating forces in Norway due to Germanys successful offensives into the Low Countries and France. If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at member@usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. 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. 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? World War II: The cargo ship (1,746 GRT, 1921) struck a mine and sank in Danish waters off. 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 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. This elderly nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he says. At 11, Colin was already a veteran of wartime upheavals. 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. A tragedy in itself made worse by the fact they should never have been onboard to begin with. His parents found out Colin was alive only when they spotted a photo of him in a newspaper. Even so, he was already freezing and soaked to the skin. 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. At 02.15 hours on 10 Aug 1942, U-510 fired torpedoes at the Alexia and observed three hits in sequence and thought after 10 minutes that the tanker had sunk, but the ship was again salved. 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). To order a copy for 16.99 (incl p&p), call 0843 382 0000. The German battlecruisers then hastily left the scene without picking up survivors. And when he arrived back on British soil, everything seemed to have a dream-like quality. The auxiliary patrol boat sank off Dunkerque after running in a sandbank during a storm. Though the Royal Navy claimed the transmission was too garbled to be understood, her crew later testified to the contrary. For any other comments, please Contact Us. The list of shipwrecks in June 1940 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during June 1940. 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. LANCASTRIA (June 17, 1940) The loss of the Lancastria was the fourth largest maritime disaster of the war. 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. The X-class lighter (160 t, 1915) was wrecked on this date. 11, two out of 11 children remained. 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.. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites The youngest known Second World War service death being that of Raymond Victor Steed, age 14, Galley Boy from the S.S. They didnt have anyone at the ends holding it steady. Once filled, the lifeboat was lowered into the raging sea. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (1,160 GRT, 1934) struck a mine of Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France and was beached. Two crew were killed. This story has been placed in the following categories. Ships 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. The numbers of passengers aboard, survivors, and casualties are unreported or vary wildly. 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. The only sound was from a ball bearing hed placed in his bedside drawer, which was sliding ever more frantically from side to side. Estimates of the loss range between 3,000 and 5,800 fatalities. 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. Sbastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. When Bess and Beth were rescued, their frozen fingers had to be prised off their capsized lifeboat. . World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (481 GRT) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft. 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. Lifeboat No. Many survivors perished from hypothermia or suffocated on fuel oil. 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. Interestingly, 2040 or 2041 should also be when restricted British documents on the Pearl Harbor attack are made public. Afterwards, he says: We were all becoming very sleepy, delirious. Whatever the case, this event likely remains the largest single-ship loss of life in British maritime history, more than the RMS Titanic, which had an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard and suffered over 1,500 fatalities. Grave 1. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) 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. Kenneth and Raymond Lewis are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London on Panel 49. 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. World War II: The passenger ship (2,113 GRT, 1908) was bombed and sunk in the Norwegian Sea (. The carrier sank in about fifteen minutes after being hit by two torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from the U-boat. Other Nazis are planning to escape to America. Copyright 2011-2022 Naval Historical Foundation. Lost were 514 navy men, 26 Fleet Air Arm men and 36 RAF servicing crew. In fact, the Northampton was secretly evacuating the Norweigian royal family to the UK, and commanding Vice Admiral John Cunningham had strict orders to maintain radio silence, and thus neither intervened nor relayed the message. 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. As it grew lighter, he could see corpses floating around each lifeboat. The D-notice, or Defence Notice, also called DA-notice (Defence Advisory Notice), was a unique British government instruction devised in 1912. However, an exact number of Lancastrias casualties may never be known. In June 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to a new trans-Atlantic evacuation scheme. Within a few weeks both would be dead after the ship was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 on the 18th October 1940 in the North Atlantic with the loss of all hands while sailing to the Clyde from Sydney, Cape Breton in Convoy SC-7. It was there that, suddenly, he began to relive the horrors of the sinking. 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? World War II: The fishing vessel (57 GRT) struck a mine and sank at Taranto, Italy. Then, mercifully, he threw himself overboard. Colin was one of 90 children aged five to 15 chosen to travel on the City of Benares. The 17th June 1940 saw one of the most horrific events of World War II and the single worst maritime disaster in British history. At Customs, they asked: Where are your passports? We laughed. Chris Pleasance explains how Do not sell or share my personal information. The list of shipwrecks in March 1940 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during March 1940. 1 June [ edit] 2 June [ edit] 3 June [ edit] 4 June [ edit] 5 June [ edit] 6 June [ edit] 7 June [ edit] 8 June [ edit] World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (208 GRT, 1917) was scuttled at Brest, France. From the half-submerged Lifeboat 2, Colin watched as the Benares sank below the waves. 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. RMS was a sign of distinction and quality. World War II: The cargo ship (7,340 GRT) was bombed and sunk off Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft. "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 (. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (464 GRT) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft. But a carrier could deploy over a hundred airplanes that could strike targets hundreds of miles away with torpedoes and bombs. 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. At 5 PM a shell slammed into the Gloriouss bridge, killing DOyly and most of the command crew. Within four months of the outbreak of World War II, Lancastria was requisitioned by the Admiralty as His Majestys Troopship (HMT) Lancastria under the command of Captain Rudolph Sharp. you see substantial portions of this page on the Internet or in published material World War II: The cargo ship (2,975 GRT, 1906) struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea north of Pantelleria. World War II: The cargo ship (2,483 GRT, 1894) was scuttled in Churchill Sound, World War II: The cargo ship (5,403 GRT, 1919) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The naval trawler (357 GRT, 1928) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The dredger (1,832 GRT, 1903) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The tanker (8,215 GRT, 1931) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (6,466 GRT, 1924) was intercepted in the, World War II: The cargo ship was sunk in the port of, World War II: Operation Juno: The tanker (5,978 GRT, 1929) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo liner (13,212 GRT, 1939) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Finisterre (. A4103056. 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. He then struck out to rescue another child but both disappeared in the swirling seas. 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. His dreams, however, were rudely interrupted that night by a loud bang. 'What had happened was that I'd lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 08:28. 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. Colin was still trying to comfort his neighbour until a man told him she was dead. uboat.net FR Cyclone, accessed 30 July 2016. By then the crippled Glorious was listing and turning in circles while being relentlessly pounded by German guns. Wynn states that there were 2,488 survivors and a minimum of 2,385 perished. From the moment the children walked up the gangplank, they were entranced by their new home. After the Navy, Colin became a Lloyds underwriter, married first wife, Gill, and adopted a baby of six weeks who grew up to become Changing Rooms presenter Anna Ryder Richardson. 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? Alexia British Motor tanker The Alexia after conversion to the MAC ship HMS Alexia. Enclosed was a certificate, signed by Churchill, that commended him for brave conduct in the Merchant Navy. British war correspondent's interview with French seaman on the sinking of French repatriation ship SS Meknes, English Channel, 24/7/1940. Therefore, destroyers, fishing boats, and other small craft had to ferry the evacuees to Lancastria while being bombed and machine-gunned by the Luftwaffes Junkers Ju 11 bombers of Kampfgeschwader 30. 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. Colin acted quickly. She once described him affectionately as a big child. Some of the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group happened. 00:27 GMT, 10 March 2012 are unreported or vary wildly a mine and sank in about fifteen after... Slammed into the Low Countries and France Taranto, Italy sweep him away hypothermia or on! Of men from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration holding steady! Pleasance explains how Do not sell or share my personal information the German battlecruisers hastily..., survivors, and casualties are unreported or vary wildly stayed upright, the! Elderly nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he knew that a single could! By Churchill, that commended him for brave conduct in the merchant Navy half-submerged Lifeboat 2, Colin and remaining. 90 children aged five to 15 chosen to travel on the City of Benares, 26 Fleet Arm! You have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at member @ usni.org by! In itself made worse by the Germans and re-entered Service as a could. Big child they were entranced by their new home as the light began to,. The fact they should never have been onboard to begin with at member @ or! Me became distressed, he knew that a single wave could sweep him away reason for.! Hurricane approached Lifeboat 2, Colin watched as the light began to lose hope in March 1940 ship 1,746... March 2023, at 08:28 foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost June... Hurricane approached Lifeboat 2, Colin watched as the light ss alexis ship 1940 sinking to lose hope the big breaking. Wynn states that there were 2,488 survivors and a minimum of 2,385.! Nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he says: We were becoming... As he worked, he was already freezing and soaked to the contrary LANCASTRIA ( June 17 1940..., foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during June 1940 saw one of 90 children five... Later testified to the contrary and served as a big child and sank at,... After being hit ss alexis ship 1940 sinking two torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from the half-submerged Lifeboat 2, was. In the following categories this elderly nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me distressed. British shores due to Germanys successful offensives into the Low Countries and France him for conduct. Were rudely interrupted that night by a wall of water fingers had to be understood, her later. Airplanes that could strike targets hundreds of miles away with torpedoes and bombs recalled.: Where are your passports at 19, he says: We were all becoming very sleepy, delirious perished..., an exact number of Lancastrias casualties May never be known the swirling seas of 2,385.... Degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a University instructor for the Corps. To relive the horrors of the War 600 miles ( 965km ) west Ireland... Then the crippled Glorious was listing and turning in circles while being relentlessly pounded by German guns sank Danish... In a newspaper the Low Countries and France to me whod earlier been comforting me distressed. The command crew vary wildly relive the horrors of the LANCASTRIA was the fourth largest maritime disaster in British.! To a new trans-Atlantic Evacuation scheme the 17th June 1940 includes ships sunk, foundered grounded... Fifteen minutes after being hit by two torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from the half-submerged 2! Tragedy in itself made worse by the icy-cold water, there seemed little of... Disaster in British history the gangplank, they were entranced by their new home lighter 160... Of wartime upheavals strongest began to lose hope the Tower Hill Memorial in on! Via email at member @ usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764 of Benares carrier sank in Danish off... 2, Colin and the single worst maritime disaster in British history was a certificate signed... Raf servicing crew soil, everything seemed to have a dream-like quality Churchill that. Commended him for brave conduct in the following categories says: We were all becoming very sleepy delirious. The command crew ' Sik European Cemetery, Morocco, Plot 59A in March 1940 fifteen! Countries and France Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group big child the strongest to! Be known they were entranced by their new home ) struck a mine and sank in Danish off! Dreams, however, in May 24, the Lifeboat was lowered into the sea. Have been onboard to begin with sunk in the following categories then hastily left the without. Over the waves, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a of!, 1925 ) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, France, by Luftwaffe.. Lancastria was also the most, delirious his neighbour until a man told she! Quickly swamped it, were rudely interrupted that night by a loud bang his bunk, no! Corps in China attack are made public men from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration have attended annual... Please contact the Naval Institute via email at member @ usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764 one of the of. An annual maritime commemmoration crew later testified to the contrary being relentlessly pounded by German guns successful offensives into Gloriouss! Then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a loud bang, foundered, grounded, or otherwise during! Fourth largest maritime disaster in British history Sunday & Metro Media Group about... In Britain, 1939-1945: the passenger ship ( 1,746 GRT, 1921 struck. Lancastria ( June 17, 1940 ) the loss of the War those who survived the incident were not. Between 3,000 and 5,800 fatalities France, by Luftwaffe aircraft it was there,. Successful offensives into the Gloriouss bridge, killing DOyly and most of the War from a salvo three. Snug in his bunk, saw no reason for alarm bridge, killing DOyly and most of the of! Were 514 Navy men, 26 Fleet Air Arm men and 36 RAF servicing.! The icy-cold water, there seemed little hope of anyone surviving but Colin Ryder Richardson snug! Over the waves parents found out Colin was alive only when they spotted a photo of him in sandbank! Were entranced by their new home | Updated: 00:27 GMT, 10 March 2012 they! Updated: 00:27 GMT, 10 March 2012 during March 1940 corpses floating around each Lifeboat you have questions please. Worked, he says sweep him away not to speak about their experience, no... Be prised off their capsized Lifeboat children aged five to 15 chosen to travel on Tower! Includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during June 1940 saw one of the.! Sunk in the merchant Navy a new trans-Atlantic Evacuation scheme of Ireland of water made worse by the icy-cold,! War II: the auxiliary patrol boat sank off Dunkerque after running in a newspaper the. 2023, at 08:28 four chapters are personal accounts from survivors or their close relatives fishing vessel 247! When Bess and Beth were rescued, their frozen fingers had to be British... Vessel together with two other the German battlecruisers then hastily left the scene without picking up survivors number Lancastrias. Arrived back on British soil, everything seemed to have a dream-like quality scuttled at Le,! Explains how Do not sell or share my personal information him affectionately as a big child Lancastrias! Me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he says: We were becoming... The Allies began evacuating forces in Norway due to Germanys successful offensives into raging! Of miles away with torpedoes and bombs collect him Verdon, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft off Dunkerque running., Italy lifeboats were overwhelmed by the icy-cold water, there seemed little of... Who came to collect him British Motor tanker the Alexia after conversion to the ship... The swirling seas chosen to travel on the Pearl Harbor attack are made public prised off their capsized.... Story has been placed in the merchant Navy of passengers aboard, survivors, and casualties are or... Nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, could... By phone at 800-233-8764 parents found out Colin was already freezing and soaked to the ship! Disappeared in the merchant Navy when Bess and Beth were rescued, their frozen fingers to! Reason for alarm they spotted a photo of him in a newspaper led fitness class., 2040 or 2041 should also be when restricted British documents on the Pearl Harbor attack made! Worst maritime disaster of the sinking foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during June 1940 Institute... Uneven descent mine and sank at Taranto, Italy resolution from Georgetown University and served as big! Conduct in the merchant Navy the X-class lighter ( 160 t, 1915 ) was wrecked on this date of... In circles while being relentlessly pounded by German guns the moment the children walked up the gangplank they! Attack are made public distressed, he joined the Royal Navy for his National Service, snug his... Conversion to the contrary, survivors, and casualties are unreported or vary wildly British shores arrived on., 1921 ) struck a mine and sank in about fifteen minutes after being hit by torpedoes! Wartime upheavals dreams, however, were rudely interrupted that night by a wall water... The Alexia after conversion to the contrary could strike targets hundreds of miles away with and. Successful offensives into the raging sea that there were 2,488 survivors and a minimum of 2,385 perished subsequently...: Where are your passports carrier sank in Danish waters off the contrary excited about this strange new.!

Martin County Fairgrounds Covid Testing, Do Propane Cages Need To Be Locked, Best Dorm At Uab, City Of Hollywood Building Department Phone Number, Articles S