Died at Sea

[ADM199]

9th December the Italian Transport "Jason" (Sebastiano Venier) carrying 2,000 Commonwealth POW was torpedoed by a British Submarine of Cape Methoni, Greece.

She wasn't sunk but was reversed over the shoal onto Rocks in the shallow waters.

The dead from the ship and those washed ashore were buried for the most part in a mass grave.

Unfortunately the soil had a large Lime composition so when Searcher parties had the grave opened for re-burial years later almost all were unidentifiable.

[Billyblue]

What is it you are seeking help about?

9th December which year?

Dawn M

[seaweed]

1941
Italian motorship of 6,310 tons, built in Amsterdam in 1939 under the name JASON. Requisitioned by the Italian Navy and renamed SEBASTIANO VENIER, the ship had left Benghazi harbour with around 2,000 British prisoners of war including black South African troops, New Zealanders and Australians, all captured by the Germans in North Africa. Five miles south of Navarino on the Greek Peloponnese, the ship was attacked by the British submarine HMS PORPOISE. She was not flying a P.O.W. flag. Hit by a torpedo between the No.1 and No.2 hold on the starboard side, the force of the explosion hurled the heavy hatchway covers to mast height, the falling timbers killing dozens of men trying to escape from the hold. From the flooded No.1 hold only five men survived. Most of the panic stricken crew abandoned the ship taking all the lifeboats. The Italian hospital ship ARNO appeared on the scene but ploughed its way through the men struggling in the water and kept on sailing, its priority being the rescue of the crew of a German ship sunk nearby. A total of 320 lives were lost among them 309 British P.O.W.s, including 45 New Zealanders. Eleven Italian soldiers also died. The ship did not sink but managed to reach the shore at Point Methoni near Pilos where it was beached. All prisoners who managed to reach the shore were confronted by hundreds of Italian occupation troops and were taken to a makeshift camp where during the next few months many died from frostbite and disease. In May, 1942, the prisoners were transferred to Campo 85 at Tuturano in Italy.

Lest we forget

[ADM199]

What is it you are seeking help about?

9th December which year?

Dawn M

Sorry Dawn should have said 1941.

[ADM199]

The "Jason" was torpedoed in the forward Hold and was down by the Bows.

After the Captain and other Officers Deserted the ship a German Officer took Control.
At gunpoint he forced the Italian engine room crew back to their positions. The engines were still running and the ship was moving in a circle.
The German Officer had most of the survivors move to the stern to counteract the flooded bows. He then had the engines put in reverse and managed to get the ship over the shoal onto rocks in shallow water.
A Line was taken ashore by 2 - 3 of the survivors.
Several made the Beach but others fell from the rope and died.

Evacuation of survivors and dead was done in an organised manner the next day.


As there was no embarkation Roll any Casualty lists can only be stated as PROBABLE.

My figures are just Military - 218 Remembered on the Alamein Memorial and just 17 Buried in Athens under their own names. 13 of the latter are South Africans 3 from N/Zealand and one from
the 60th Fld.Rgt. R.A.

I do know from survivors that there were some Naval POW aboard but have no details of any Naval Casualties.

Official Documentation states that as Italian Merchant Naval Officers came under Military regulations the Jason's Captain having deserted his ship was shot at Tripolis.

There is also information that the Arno was in the Locality, but none that states she steamed through survivors.