MV Staffordshire

[seaweed]

Try a post on this site.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/forumdisplay.php?f=8

If you get no answer there then its Kew or the Bibby Line archives in Liverpool.
There may be some details in the ships Logbook depends on if it was destroyed in the attack. If you cannot get to Kew. Try obtaing the Narritive Pages by post or e-mail.
Go to.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=8197512&CATLN=6&Highlight=%2C161082&accessmethod=0&Summary=True
and hit Obtaining and Viewing options
Her official number for search purposes was 161082.

Likewise try e-mailing
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=B10859

There is book called The "Bibby Line 1807-1990: A Story of Wars, Booms and Slumps"

I don't know if there is any information about the attack in the book but I suspect if there were it would be minimal. When ships are sunk then theres loads of info. Damaged. That's another story.

[chrish53]

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

Tanks again for this seaweed, those three items were not in my collection! I have passed this on to John's nephew.
Chris

[porkypie]

My late father was an 18 year old artificer in the Fleet Air Arm who was taking passage on the Staffordshire en route to Ceylon.
There were a number in his draft who had passed out early from RAF Halton due to the onset of hostilities.
He told about the attack, which was unsurprisingly a very big deal for a lad of such tender years. One of his mates was killed (named Peters) and one lost a leg. "Tarz" Eastmann, who was apparently a great sportsman.
The main thing i remamber was that the senior naval officer was travelling with his wife and children and one of the kids was killed. The officer was wounded (may have lost a foot?).
He also remembered a senior NCO (RN) who put some steel in a few young backbones that day with some well timed verbals.
He wrote an account once, which i have filed away somewhere and was i think in the Sea Breezes magazine about twenty years ago.
It is a humbling reminder of the quiet courage that won the war in thousands of forgotten actions like this one 

[chrish53]

"My late father was an 18 year old artificer in the Fleet Air Arm who was taking passage on the Staffordshire en route to Ceylon.
There were a number in his draft who had passed out early from RAF Halton due to the onset of hostilities.
He told about the attack, which was unsurprisingly a very big deal for a lad of such tender years. One of his mates was killed (named Peters) and one lost a leg. "Tarz" Eastmann, who was apparently a great sportsman.
The main thing i remamber was that the senior naval officer was travelling with his wife and children and one of the kids was killed. The officer was wounded (may have lost a foot?).
He also remembered a senior NCO (RN) who put some steel in a few young backbones that day with some well timed verbals.
He wrote an account once, which i have filed away somewhere and was i think in the Sea Breezes magazine about twenty years ago.
It is a humbling reminder of the quiet courage that won the war in thousands of forgotten actions like this one"

Thank you for that, I shall pass this on to my Miller relatives as I am sure they will find this as interesting as I did.
Chris

[chrish53]

From my Miller Cousins I now have copy of a letter written by one of John's shipmates written in 1941 about what happened. My next action is to trace him or a relative. He was/is  J. P. Robson of 48 Ormonde Street, Sunderland.

[N17]

My grandfather E F Don was aboard this vessel on his way to his family home in Ceylon. His body was never found.

Has anyone followed up on archives of passengers, etc?

[Beeonthebay]

My 1st cousin 2 x removed was on this ship also and was one of the missing, he is commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, he was an assistant steward, Walter Joseph Povall of Liverpool.

[chrish53]

I found another document recently, which I passed on to the Millers, you may find it interesting. If I remember when I get home from this visit I shall look it out and post it.

[Charlie1962]

My father was onboard as a Fleet Air Arm newly qualified Artificer taking passage to Ceylon. A few of his draft were killed and one lost a leg.
He was 18 years old at the time.
He spoke warmly of the crew and how they dealt with the situation.
There was an RN officer on board with his wife and children and one of the kids was killed