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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: stockton on Tuesday 17 January 12 14:21 GMT (UK)
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:) Hi did any one have a father, grandad, g grandad who served on HMS. Loosestrife a flower class corvette, this corvette cammander J. Stonehouse was in the famous convoy battle out in the Atlantic
ONS.5 1943, my late fathers merchant ship was the Wentworth, it was torpedoed between 5-6th May, the captain thought the ship was about the break up and ordered abandon ship, my dad with the rest of the survivers were swimming for thier lives in the cold sea when the Loosestrife picked him and other survivors up from 2 other merchant ships hit and sunk, a very very brave act on the commanders part, the survivors were all still on board when Lossestrife sunk a U-Boat with depth charge, my dad always thought Loosestrife had rammed the U-Boat until i read out in the book Atlantic Star that it was a depth charge, all then taken on the St. Johns, Nova Scotia, dad sailed on one Russian convoy on the merchant ship Empire Celia. All the best Derek ;) :D
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Have you seen this?
The most informative site on the Battle of the Atlantic etc
http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4784.html
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And this ...
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0jsj/
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And this especially!!!
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/2906.html
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:) Hi scrimnet, even from a very very young lad i knew my dad was picked up in a flower class corvette
and knew the name Loosestrife, but no more than that until early 90s when i set out to find out if my dad was entiltled to any thing like a medal, my late mother asked dad about ships he had sailed on and he mentioned { not to me as we didn't want to tell him what i was about } Wentworth among other ships, i went to my local library and got hold of the book " Atlantic Star " and thier was the battle of ONS.5 and came across Wentworth & Loosestrife, to cout a long story short christmas eve 1994 through the post all my dads campaign medals arrived, in the years before he passed away i added to his tally,
he didn't see the little Arctic Star Emblem or the France & German bar to his Atlantic Star, sadly thier are still thousands of unclaimed campaign medals, men left the sea and they were not sought out to be given thier dues, the flower class corvette design was suppose to be from a whaler, bad sea boats but work horses, the ship yeard that drew up the design Haverton Hill not half hours walk from where i live.
All the best Derek ;) :D
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Hi there, my grandfather was the PO sick berth attendant on the Loosestrife from 1941 to 1945, although he passed away many years ago now, without emparting any of his memories to me of his experiences during those dark days, i recently inherited a collection of photographs and his medals, indirectly from him, several of these have proved quite interesting, including a complete crew photograph, it is on my web site www.zen16514.zen.co.uk also some of the other photographs are on line at the flower class corvette forum theflowerclasscorvetteforums.yuku.com/topic/576/More-New-Images-HMS-Loosestrife-Crew-Photos
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Hi graham162, i think your grandfather would have rubbed shoulders with my dad that night, the survivors would have been packed every where on Loosestrife that night so long ago now, still amazes me on the decision by the commander to pick the crews up that night while a battle raged,
my late father never forgot loosestrife, he never mentioned convoy work more than a few times in my life, but i remembered the name Wentworth & Loosestrife in the early 90s when i started looking into my dads convoy work during WW11, always wondered why dad had nothing to show for being in the war, to cut a long story short i found the two vessals linked together in the book Atlantic Star, after limited research sent off for dads campaign medals with out telling him, December 1993 xmas eve dads medals were sent to him, i was over the moon, had Loosestrife not pick up dad who knows i may not have been here my self, i have good reason to remember the flower class corvette Loosestrife very well.
All the best Derek :) :D
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Hi my late father was also on board SS Wentworth when it was torpedoed by U 358 on the 5th May 1943. My father was a Fireman & Trimmer. He related the same account of being picked out of the water by HMS Loosestrife and taken to St John's Newfoundland.
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Mpowered, thanks for reply, do you know how your father got back to the UK, my dad crossed over into America
and I beleive he signed up on possibly the smallest ship used during the war, Dynia I think it was called, would love to know if your father did the same, many years ago I was told a chap who lived in Middlesbrough was also on
SS Wentworth, my dad Robert Casey was a Stockton on Tees lad born and bred, where was your dad from?
All the best ;)
Derek
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Hi all, in responding to Mpowered I've just came across a R. Casey born 1924 on a ship called Arundo,
I have my dads sea certificate and no ship by this name appears, also sight states this Robert Casey was aboard
1942, my father was Robert Casey born 1924.
Please can any one tell me if the Robert Casey who sailed on merchant ship Arundo is my father.
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Hi Derek, my dad was William (Bill) Power from South Bank Middlesbrough looking through his discharge book his joined the Dunsley in Sydney Nova Scotia in June1943 but discharged back in St Johns Newfoundland in July 1944. His next entry shows him leaving Halifax Nova Scotia onboard the SS Telapa (Tilapa) in November 1944 arriving back in Victoria Dock Liverpool on the 21/11/1944. He never spoke much about being torpedoed but I know he had a bit of tough time getting back to Britain. He went back to sea in March 1945 onboard the Cape Sable which according to records was an Armed Merchant Cruiser.Dad never lost his love of the sea but eventually came ashore permanently in 1967 and worked at British Steel South Bank as a tackleman/rigger in the sailor gang.
Regard Michael
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Hi all, in responding to Mpowered I've just came across a R. Casey born 1924 on a ship called Arundo,
I have my dads sea certificate and no ship by this name appears, also sight states this Robert Casey was aboard
1942, my father was Robert Casey born 1924.
Please can any one tell me if the Robert Casey who sailed on merchant ship Arundo is my father.
I take it that the R Casey you refer to was on board in 1942?
There was no British or Empire ship named ARUNDO. Could it be ARONDA? There were several other ships with similar names but ARONDA official number 168076 would be the strongest contender.
Do you have your fathers Discharge Book or CRS10? These will tell you exactly which ships your father sailed on.
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Thanks for reply seaweed, i do have dads seamans pouch, some of its so hard to read, i beleive my late father Robert Casey first went to sea on HMS Help, early 1943, i was told this was a deep sea tug?
All the best.
Derek
ps i got info from Uboat.net about Arundo.
Mpowered, looking through some files i found names of other SS. Wentworth crew { ONS 5 1943
my late father.
Robert Casey.
Bowes, Richard George age 20. Assistant steward.
Carson, James Oliver age 32 Greaser.
Hine, James Bland. age 27 Fireman/Trimmer.
Murdoch, Joseph. age 20 Fireman/Trimmer
Phillips, Reginald Gilbert. Master.
Wilson, John Henry. age 24 Fireman/Trimmer.
and now thanks to you, Willaim Powers. Middlesbrough.
All the best.
Derek
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That explains it. She was Dutch!
Many British Seamen sailed on Dutch and Norwegian ships in WW2.
Yes HMS HELP was a Salvage vessel 950 ton's built at at Smiths Dock launched 5/5/1943. So if it was your fathers first ship he was not the person on board ARUNDO in 1942.
To check out the Crew Agreements of ARUNDO it may pay you to look here.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C11105969
There is no record of R CASEY in the book Nederlandse Zeemansgraven.
Henk Meurs may be able to clarify https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://members.ziggo.nl/hmeurs/&prev=search
See also https://oorlogsgravenstichting.nl/
You really need to get hold of your fathers CRS10 this will record all the ships he sailed on, Allied as well as British ships from early 1941. Together with Dates and ports of engagement and discharge.
If anywhere it will be here.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_ep=casey&_cr=bt%20382&_dss=range&_ro=any&_st=adv
It's a pity that i did not see this post before as I was at TNA on Thursday and could have looked for you. I know it is difficult for you to get to the National Archives. If you wish I can send the name of a researcher at Kew who is reliable and Cheap!
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Once again seaweed thanks for reply, I will try and look again at dads records, some years ago here in Stockton on Tees I met a young chap who was ex merchant navy, I'de exchanged a few emails with him about my father, when dad passed away 2002, this young man turned up at dads funeral, he had gone to his Redcar merchant navy assoc and got a wreath for my dad, his name was Billy McGee, he went onto become the merchant navy archivist, I think
Mpowered he had been in touch with your late father midd to late 90s as Billy had told me of another man aboard SS Wentworth with my dad.
Once again thanks for reply seaweed, I will look again a bit harder with dads papers.
All the best.
Derek
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Yes Billy is a very good friend of mine.
regards SW
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Seaweed, just after dad passed away, billy rang me up saying he might, just might be able to get earliest photo's of dad in war time ??? I was surprised to say the least, billy being billy knew about my dads seamans pouch (of which I'de never heard of) he got a friend to pull the pouch (public records kew) his friend photographed pouch, what a shock my wife and I got when first of two photos turned up, it was the double of our eldest son, its from the seamans pouch I'm trying to read what ships dad sailed on, I do have his seamans certificate and the ship (dutch) not mentioned, so unless certificates wrong dad could not have been on ship in 1942.
Billy McGee I've always said is a great servant to both Merchant Navy & many a folk he has helped in research.
Just wonder if that good friend who photographed dads pouch was your self?
All the fery best.
Derek
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More than likely, yes. I have lost count of the number of seamen I have researched for Billy and internet enquires. I stress you need to get hold of your Dad's CRS10. You will go round in circles if you don't.
regards SW
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Hi seaweed, i've had a look at dads papers, not sure whats what but! earliest date i can see is
Gordon 22-1-43 ?? to Middlesbrough 27-1-43.
I dont know if this a ship or was it a training place down in Gravesend.
I now dont think the R. Casey on ship Arundo? my dad
All the best.
Derek
ps a few years ago i wrote to the Russian embassy to ask them to recognise the old navy & merchant navy lads who had passed away, i was hoping they would award posthumously the Russian medal that i'de heard about being given out to our remaining merchant & royal navy lads, i thought it was wrong
that just because these brave men had passed thier contribution did not go away, at the time of writing this the name of the Russian medal i cant think of its name, began with a K, my dad did one russian convoy on Empire Celia, he got the Commemorate medals 3.
I know the old lads have passed but thier families would have greatly treasured the award.
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Are you thinking of the Russian Medal of Ushakov or the British Arctic Star?
GORDON would be the Training School at Gravesend.
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Hi seaweed, dad got his Arctic Star, he had passed away before government finaly awarded the Russian convoy campaign medal, yes I ment the Ushakov medal, as I stated because these brave lads have passed away thier contribution and sacrifice didn't, veterans families, grandchildren and great grandchildren should know what the lads of Royal & Merchant navy endured, who know's how much longer world war two would have gone on with out the Arctic convoys to Russia.
I did some years ago write to the Russian Embassy asking for them ( Russian government) to consider awarding the
Ushakov medal, would have been nice to get a reply.
Yes the Russian's did award the vets the Comm medal before our government got around to it.
All the best.
Derek
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If my late father returned to the UK after convoy ONS5 and crossed US border and signed up for return to UK on small merchant Gydnia, can any one tell me the code number of convoy return to UK?
Many thanks.
Derek
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Convoy ONS5 sailed from Liverpool on 21/April/1943 Arrived Halifax NS on 12/May/43
I cannot find a ship called GYDNIA are you sure its not GYDA official number 167564. Ex Danish registered in London UK in 1940?
If so she probably sailed from Halifax NS part of Convoy HX245
https://www.warsailors.com/convoys/hx245.html
To be 100% you need to look at the vessels Logbook.
You can download the movements of GYDA here
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8652358
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Thanks again seaweed, will try to get son to download for me.
Once again big thank you.
Derek
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Hi Derek i've recently come across this;
Immediately after putting the second torpedo into the Bristol City, Manke lined up his sights on the next ship astern, the 5,565-ton US-flag West Madaket, and fired a single torpedo, but due to a technical fault on the part of the U-boat, the American ship survived. Manke noted in his War Diary: Launch order given, but the torpedo stuck in the tube. A Mechanikersmaat [engineer’s mate] prodded it out with a mine ejector and it hit the target after a run of 118 seconds. A large explosion resulted amidships on the target and the steamer broke apart and destination was Cuba, where she was scheduled to pick up a cargo of sugar. At about 0230 on the 5th, all having been quiet since the torpedoing of the Harperley, Captain Phillips had decided to go below for a much needed break, but he had not been in his cabin for many minutes when the bridge telephone rang to report that the Bristol City had been hit. Phillips was back on the bridge of the Wentworth within seconds, and five minutes after he entered the wheelhouse, U-358 struck again. Phillips wrote in his report: At 0310 on 5th May in position 53° 59ʹN 43° 55ʹW, steaming at 6 knots on a course 220° (approx.), we were struck by a torpedo. The weather was cloudy but clear, it was just dark, and visibility was good. There was a moderate sea and swell and light variable airs. The torpedo struck on the port side, midships, in the stokehold. It was not a loud explosion, there was no flash or flame, and only a very small amount of water was thrown up. The funnel collapsed, the wireless room also collapsed, and all electricity failed. The main deck was split across midships, the port shell plates were cracked, and there was a hole in the ship’s side about 12 feet in diameter, extending about 3 feet above the waterline. When the Wentworth staggered under the blast of Rolf Manke’s torpedo, the Radio Officer on watch followed standard procedure by sending out a prearranged SOS to all ships, but this went no further than his Morse key. As in most merchant ships of the day, the Wentworth’s wireless aerial was suspended between her masts, and it had been brought down by the explosion.
Edwards, Bernard. From Hunter to Hunted: The U-Boat War in the Atlantic, 1939–1943 (p. 168). Pen & Sword Books. Kindle Edition.
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Hi thanks for reply, many years ago a lad contacted me, his grandfather served on flower class corvette's during the war, not on the flower dalss cirvette lossestriffe that picked my father up during convoy ONS 5, the lad in question very kindly sent me the captains report of thier ships being torpedoed, think i have 6, they make chilling reading. Its strange that all these years later since i started out finding out about my dad that little nuggets still crop up.
Thank you for time & kindness.
All the very best.
Derek