MV Staffordshire

[chrish53]

I hope someone can help me here. I am looking for more details of the attack on the MV Staffordshire, 150 miles NW of the Butte of Lewis on 28th March 1941. She was outbound from Liverpool to Rangoon but I have no details as to a cargo. She was on fire and beached, recovered later. There were, I think, 30 killed and many injured, one of the dead was my cousin once removed; John Miller.

John was born in Egypt 29th August 1916 and had 2 brothers and 2 sisters. He was an engineer aboard the Staffordshire which I believe was attacked by aircraft. I know there was no U boat involvement as I have checked the U boat site.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

[Bilge]

There are a number of bodies recovered from the water by various vessels on the following days after the steamships sinking.

http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1941-03MAR.htm

http://scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/scottishwargraves-ftopic443-0-asc-15.html

British steamer STAFFORDSHIRE (10,683grt) was damaged by German bombing in 59-30N, 10-18W.
Fourteen crew and fourteen passengers were lost.
The steamer was beached at Loch Ewe on the 29th. On 23 April, the steamer sailed for the Tyne.

[chrish53]

Thanks Bilge, more for my file. I shall add a photo or two when I get home from work.
 

[seaweed]

According to Lloyd's War Losses the passenger vessel STAFFORDSHIRE was carrying a general cargo and she was damaged by aircraft. It would seem she never made a survivors report. No doubt there will be details of the attack somewhere in the National Archives together with maybe some personal records IE his engineers certification. Do you wish to go down this road? It would possibly mean a visit to Kew.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2801010

http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/Sparta%20to%20Stangrant.html

There are downloadable pre 1941 records for him on the Find my Past website
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/merchant-navy-seamen/results?event=S&recordCount=-1&otherDataSet=2%3A41&forenames=john&includeForenamesVariants=true&_includeForenamesVariants=on&surname=miller&_includeSurnameVariants=on&county=&place=&birthYear=1916&birthYearTolerance=5&x=21&y=13

[chrish53]

Thanks Seaweed,
I know a fair bit about him pre-1941. His family were often visited by my Grandmother when they lived in Lisbon, his sister Maisie was a bridesmaid at my Grandparents wedding.  I have gleaned masses of Documents etc from both Ancestry and FindMyPast, and this goes along nicely with the mass of family photographs.

My aircraft enthusiast head is trying to work out which German type had the range to hit the Staffordshire at that position I assume it was a unit operating from Norway as HE 111's and JU 88's used to raid into Scotland and Fighter Command units were tasked to intercept them. Another possibility would be the four engine Fokker Wolf Condor which was used as a maritime raider/reconnaissance type.

Thanks again to all and keep those replies coming!

Chris

[chrish53]

As promised, pictures of John, one possibly on MV Staffordshire though we may never know.

The comments on the pictures includes the long held family belief that the ship was torpedoed by a U boat. It was also said that his lifeboat was machine gunned.

[chrish53]

Dammit!
Try again.

[Bilge]

Another one for you to look at!

http://ww1.convoyweb.org.uk/mem/index.html

just add his name or vessel name for a list of losses.

[chrish53]

Thank you,
Chris