Merchant Navy Heroes.

[Stitcher]

My old friend who now lives in a small village near Llanelli in S. Wales was an engineer on the North Atlantic convoys. Two of the boats he served on were torpedoed and he lost a number of mates. After the second sinking he was told his next boat was to be The HMS Trinidad, however, on the eve of that boat sailing he was taken off the crewlist and put onto a landing craft with a couple of tanks and their crews. A few days later he was informed that the Trinidad had been sunk with almost all hands lost.
The reason I started this thread is because of what this man has told me over the years, and believe me it has taken years for him to tell me most of it. He always says that there were many unrecognised heroes in The Merchant Navy, They were unarmed and depended entirely on others for their safety. That is why I am posting this cutting from a Daily Herald in the late 1930s.

 

[paul stacey]

Its always been a bone of contention with me, the way the "Mercantile Marine" was treated by the powers to be, post WW2. The hazards they faced, not only from nature, but enemy action, and cargo's they carried were as dangerous if not more, than the other fighting forces during the war. Those as well as the "Arctic Convoy" men deserve official recognition and medals for their heroism. I had a mate from Liverpool who told me his dad and uncle had been torpedoed 4/5 times during the war but still went straight back on to another ship to bring much needed supplies to the country, hero's all!!.
paul

 

[Stitcher]

Hello Paul, It must have been just as frightening and traumatising on the water as it was on land. My friend has dementia these days so I never mention the six years he gave up for king and country but he has mentioned in the past that a dreadful experience was when they were astern of The Matabele (I think that is how it is spelt) when it was hit by two torpedoes and they spent time picking up survivers along with the dead knowing that there was a u bout in the vicinity and they could be in the sights.

 

[Dave M]

Flowers,,,,,,,R.I.P. in Sutton Coldfield

 

[Stitcher]

Hello Dave, my friend has never given any details other than to say what a dreadful experience it was, It is hard to imagine all those dead in the water.

 

[paul stacey]

There must be many other moving stories out there stitcher, I am sorry your old mate has dementia, thanks for the details Dave I had never heard of this particular ship.
paul