Honouring the Men who gave their lives whilst serving in the Merchant Navy
and whose names are on the Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll
and whose names are on the Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll
S.S. SCOTTISH CHIEF (London)
WW2
WW2
On February 2nd 1942, the Scottish Star, bound for Montevideo, sailed from Liverpool with a convoy. Ten days later, somewhere in the western Atlantic, the convoy dispersed. At 9.05 p.m. on the 19th, when the ship was about 700 miles east north east of Trinidad, she was suddenly torpedoed abreast of Number 3 hold on the starboard side. Hatches were blown off by the force of the explosion, and the hold flooded at once, the engine-room and stoke hold also filling with water within ten minutes. The Scottish Star settled fast, so at 9.30 p.m. the Captain Edgar Norton Rhodes, gave orders to abandon ship. In spite of the heavy swell all four boats were safely manned and lowered leaving the ship when the deck was awash. The Captain, who was the last to leave, jumped overboard and swam to the nearest boat. Shortly afterwards, the U-boat (R.Smg.Luigi Torellicame) came to the surface and fired five rounds at the sinking ship, then disappearing on the surface.
The boats lay to their sea anchors all through the night, and at daylight on February 20th two boats had drifted out of sight, leaving only one in company with the Captain's. He made sail for Trinidad; but that afternoon three of the lifeboats were sighted and picked up by H.M.S. Diomede, which had intercepted the Scottish Star's S.O.S. The fourth boat, that in charge of the Chief Officer, Charles H Watson, reached Barbados on February 27th, after a voyage of nearly 600 miles as the seagull flies.
Four men of the Scottish Star's engine-room department lost their lives when the ship was torpedoed. - copied from http://www.bluestarline.org/scottish1.html
The boats lay to their sea anchors all through the night, and at daylight on February 20th two boats had drifted out of sight, leaving only one in company with the Captain's. He made sail for Trinidad; but that afternoon three of the lifeboats were sighted and picked up by H.M.S. Diomede, which had intercepted the Scottish Star's S.O.S. The fourth boat, that in charge of the Chief Officer, Charles H Watson, reached Barbados on February 27th, after a voyage of nearly 600 miles as the seagull flies.
Four men of the Scottish Star's engine-room department lost their lives when the ship was torpedoed. - copied from http://www.bluestarline.org/scottish1.html
Ordinary Seaman Jack BRASSINGTON
Born: Sydney, N.S.W.
Merchant Navy
Date of Engagement 25-10-1941 Sydney, N.S.W.
Killed in Action 20-11-1942, aged 19years
Son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Brassington.
Honoured: Tower Hill Memorial, London, England - Panel 93
Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll
Born: Sydney, N.S.W.
Merchant Navy
Date of Engagement 25-10-1941 Sydney, N.S.W.
Killed in Action 20-11-1942, aged 19years
Son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Brassington.
Honoured: Tower Hill Memorial, London, England - Panel 93
Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll
The Armidale Express & New England General Advertiser (N.S.W. ) 26-3-1943
WHEN TORPEDOED
Youth's Terrible Ordeal
In a letter to Mrs. Ware, Ron, her 17 years old son, graphically describes his terrible ordeal when torpedoed while on a merchantman.
Mrs. Ware is a sister of Mrs. W. White, of Mann-street.
Ron writes: I suppose you can guess what happened to our ship! Even after finding a raft we had to hide underneath it for twelve hours, as the submarine came up to gloat over us, -and we had to hide to save being machine-gunned. Two are still in hospital from wounds: but I am one of the lucky ones, for I'm well on the way to recovery, and expect to be off the convalescent list soon.
Blown From Depths
How I escaped God alone knows, for the ship sank in less than 1½minutes and I was trapped and carried under for more than fifty feet. When the boilers exploded I was blown clear and fought my way to
the surface. My nose and mouth were bleeding from the pressure. All I can say is thank God I am alive, for we spent three days and nights on a raft, six feet by eight, adrift hundreds of miles from land,
before we were rescued. A Catalina aircraft sighted us and sent a corvette to rescue us, so when we reached shore I made inquiries and found out who the crew of the plane were who sighted us. We all
met at a place in town, and we had a party. The Air Force chaps were marvellous, and are firm friends for life.
Hero's End
When- I was discharged from hospital I was invited up to this farm away up in the north of Natal, near the Umgina River. The place is gorgeous - and the people are the finest I have ever met. They can't do enough for me and they take me for drives everywhere. " There are seven thousand acres of the most beautiful country I've ever seen (including Wamberal). We go horseback-riding and hiking over the mountains and there are beautiful waterfalls and green pastures everywhere. I have visited the Zulu kraals and tasted their food and and been in their huts, I've been trout fishing in the mountain streams and and been shooting porcupines and wild buck. I am having a glorious time and the people are doing all in their power to make me forget the past few weeks. This place is an absolute paradise and I shall be terribly sorry to "leave it.
If you can, find out about a boy named Brassington (Jack)—he lived in Newtown, Sydney—tell his mother he was game to the last, and died trying to help a wounded old man into a lifeboat.
WHEN TORPEDOED
Youth's Terrible Ordeal
In a letter to Mrs. Ware, Ron, her 17 years old son, graphically describes his terrible ordeal when torpedoed while on a merchantman.
Mrs. Ware is a sister of Mrs. W. White, of Mann-street.
Ron writes: I suppose you can guess what happened to our ship! Even after finding a raft we had to hide underneath it for twelve hours, as the submarine came up to gloat over us, -and we had to hide to save being machine-gunned. Two are still in hospital from wounds: but I am one of the lucky ones, for I'm well on the way to recovery, and expect to be off the convalescent list soon.
Blown From Depths
How I escaped God alone knows, for the ship sank in less than 1½minutes and I was trapped and carried under for more than fifty feet. When the boilers exploded I was blown clear and fought my way to
the surface. My nose and mouth were bleeding from the pressure. All I can say is thank God I am alive, for we spent three days and nights on a raft, six feet by eight, adrift hundreds of miles from land,
before we were rescued. A Catalina aircraft sighted us and sent a corvette to rescue us, so when we reached shore I made inquiries and found out who the crew of the plane were who sighted us. We all
met at a place in town, and we had a party. The Air Force chaps were marvellous, and are firm friends for life.
Hero's End
When- I was discharged from hospital I was invited up to this farm away up in the north of Natal, near the Umgina River. The place is gorgeous - and the people are the finest I have ever met. They can't do enough for me and they take me for drives everywhere. " There are seven thousand acres of the most beautiful country I've ever seen (including Wamberal). We go horseback-riding and hiking over the mountains and there are beautiful waterfalls and green pastures everywhere. I have visited the Zulu kraals and tasted their food and and been in their huts, I've been trout fishing in the mountain streams and and been shooting porcupines and wild buck. I am having a glorious time and the people are doing all in their power to make me forget the past few weeks. This place is an absolute paradise and I shall be terribly sorry to "leave it.
If you can, find out about a boy named Brassington (Jack)—he lived in Newtown, Sydney—tell his mother he was game to the last, and died trying to help a wounded old man into a lifeboat.
Able Seaman Daniel Patrick SULLIVAN
Merchant Navy
Died 19-11-1942, aged 54years
Son of Denis Edward and Sarah Sullivan
Husband of Catherine Bain Sullivan, of Marrickville, New South Wales
Honoured: Tower Hill Memorial, London, England - Panel 93
Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll
Merchant Navy
Died 19-11-1942, aged 54years
Son of Denis Edward and Sarah Sullivan
Husband of Catherine Bain Sullivan, of Marrickville, New South Wales
Honoured: Tower Hill Memorial, London, England - Panel 93
Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll