DETAILS OF OTHER SHIPS LUCELLUM A tanker of H.E Moss & Co. of Liverpool. Voyage 20th September to 4h November, 1944. LUCELLUM was built in Odense Denmark in 1939 and was preparing for sea trials when the Germans invaded Denmark. The Danish Master and a scratch crew sailed the ship to the U.K. Captain Svenson and the Danish Chief Steward were still sailing in the ship during the voyage I was there. I joined the ship at Purfleet and we later sailed in a convoy from Southend and headed down the Channel, my first time from this direction since the war began. Joining with another convoy from the Bristol Channel we sailed westward, and after an uneventful voyage our ship arrived in New York on 12th October. We then entered a dry-dock in Brooklyn for repairs. Repairs completed, we moved across the bay to Bayonne N.J on 20th October. Here we loaded high octane and sailed in convoy the following day. Homeward bound was uneventful, although we experienced some days of atrocious weather. On arrival at Avonmouth I paid off. Previously in September 1940 LUCELLUM was attacked and bombed by a German aircraft in the Irish Sea. Gutted by fire she underwent a complete rebuild and returned to service after ten months. Local seamen on this voyage were Ron Wood, Bill Cousins, Ron Cornell, Jim Bailley, Jock McBride, Ralph Gilbert as Chief Cook and Ernie Appleford as Bosun. EMPIRE UNITY A tanker, Ministry of Shipping. Managed by Hunting and Sons Ltd of Newcastle. Voyage 14th November 1944 to 29th February 1945. This tanker had been a blockade runner with the name BISCAYA and was attempting to reach Germany when she was captured by the Armed Merchant Cruiser SCOTSTOWN - ex Anchor Lines CALEDONIA ON 19TH October 1939. On 22nd October 1940, SCOTSTOWN intercepted the German liner POSEIDON and she was scuttle to avoid capture. On 13th June 1940, SCOTSTOWN was torpedoed and sunk by U-25 North West of Scotland. Six of her crew were lost. I joined EMPIRE UNITY at Thameshaven and took a cargo of petrol to Grangemouth, then to Hamble and loaded for Swansea. We berthed there on 24th November. We sailed then for Purfleet and loaded petrol for Antwerp. Antwerp had been liberated by the British troops on 4th September 1944 but the port could not be used for another ten weeks as the Germans still occupied the Flushing area at the mouth of the river Acheld. After clearing the river and docks of mines and wrecks the first ships arrived on 28th November, and from this time our service was in carrying petrol from the Thames refineries to Hoboken, Antwerp. Each voyage from the Thames took us through the swept channel of minefields off the coast of Belgium but the German aircraft constantly laid other mines which caused many casualties to shipping. Many attacks were made on the convoys by E-boats, and again there were many shipping casualties. We made four voyages from the Thames to Antwerp, and 31st December 1944 found our ship discharging petrol at the Antfwerp refinery. During this period Antwerp was under attack by V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets, causing a tremendous amount of damage and many casualties among the people. The front line was only sixty miles from there. Around 10 p.m on this New Years Eve I left the ship with two shipmates with the intention of visiting a local bar, the Blue Dove, to celebrate the New Year. As we walked through the refinery a V2 rocket on a petrol storage tank a few hundred yards ahead of us. The resulting blast blew us off our feet. A huge fire ensued and other tanks were soon exploding and a strong wind was blowing the flames in our direction and toward the ship. We ran back to the ship and then assisted in disconnecting the pipelines and releasing the moorings. Before the engines could be started the ship was blown across the river by the strong winds and grounded on the opposite river bank. With the ebb tide we were soon high and dry. The fire in the refinery attracted many German bombers during the night, and some of the bombs exploded in the mud around our ship. I remember it was a very uncomfortable night. Re-floating on the incoming tide at dawn, we then sailed down river in company of other ships and were all steaming in single file. The ships were under constant attack from German aircraft and many dog fights were to be seen in the skies. It was New years Day 1945 and the enemy lost many aircraft on this day. We received orders to proceed to Thameshaven to discharge the 5,000 tons of petrol remaining in the tanks, but on arrival there we topped up all tanks with petrol and returned to Antwerp where we arrived on 12th January 1945. AT ANCHOR for two days on the Scheldt, we discharged part of our cargo into coastal tankers and river craft, then berthed at Hoboken to discharge the balance of cargo. Many V2 rockets fell on Antwerp during this time. From Antwerp we sailed for Coryton and loaded 2000 tons of diesel oil and then sailed on 23rd January 1945 for the Mersey where we berthed at Stanlow on 28th January. At Stanlow we loaded another 6000 tons of diesel oil. Later we sailed in a four ship convoy for Iceland and on arrival we anchored in Hvalfiord. Also at anchor in this remote fiord were some heavy units of the Royal Navy-battleships and cruisers. During the next few days we supplied fuel to these warships, then returned to an anchorage for a week before repeating the process of refuelling. During our two weeks in Iceland I went ashore only one time. It was a four hour trip in a tug to Reykjavik allowing six hours ashore before the four hour journey back to the ship. I found it very expensive in the shops and bars, and there was absolutely no sign of friendship by the Icelanders. Thousands of U.S servicemen were based in Iceland at the time. When our cargo tanks were empty we sailed in a convoy for the UK where on arrival I paid off the ship. Local Tilbury seaman Alec Rothbury was on this voyage. EMPIRE UNITY was returning from another voyage to Iceland when she suffered torpedo damage by U-979 on 4th May 1945. EMPIRE UNITY became STORDALE Br in 1947 and again renamed MAGEOLIA under the Panama flag in 1951. She was broken up at Castellon in 1966. The DUKE OF YORK, a L.M.S ferry was now in service as a troopship. Pr-war she had been in the Harwich-Hook of Holland service. My service time in this ship was 14th March 1945 to 24th May 1945. Taken over by the Ministry of War Transport in 1944 she became an Assault Ship HM LSI(H) for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy and renamed HMS DUKE OF WELLINGTON. My service in DUKE OF YORK was involved in Trooping duties between Tilbury and Ostend and we made on round trip daily-staying overnight in Tilbury Docks. Apart from the many service personnel we carried, there were also many from the world of entertainment. There were also some top bands including Henry Hall, Norrie Paramour, Oscar Rabin, Harry Roy, Joe Loss, Carrol Gibbons and their vocalists. As we approached Ostend on 16th April a tanker of Anglo-Saxon Petroleum, the GOLDSHELL, was mined when in a position of one mile ahead of us. She exploded into a huge fireball with flames and smoke rising some hundreds of feet into the air. There were few survivors. During our occasional runs ashore in Ostend we saw many bars and cafes destroyed by fire, and witnessed men and women having their heads shaved in the streets. They had been accused of collaboration with the Germans during their occupation. DUKE OF YORK was in Tilbury Docks when peace was declared on 8th May 1945. Many of the crew went ashore to local pubs to celebrate, and consequently the ship sailed some hours late. . . . . .to be continued.
FORT GLOUCESTER A Fort Type ship built in 1943 by Victoria Machinery Co, B,C Canada and was managed for MOTWT by W. Souter & Co, Newcastle.In August 1944 the ship was heavily damaged by a torpedo from an E-boat off Folkestone. She was beached and abandoned, and some months later was re-floated and towed to Tilbury where she entered dry-dock and underwent repairs to a huge hole in the ship’s side- amidships. Sufficient repairs were made for her to be sailed to Sunderland where permanent repairs could be carried out. On 6th June I joined the ship with a ‘run crew’ and we sailed her to Sunderland where we paid off on June 12th. In 1950 she became BEDFORD PRINCE under the Canada flag. In 1953 she grounded at Gulf Paria, and with extensive damage was towed to New Orleans. In the same year she was scrapped in Baltimore. CONAKRIAN Of United Africa Co., London This ship was damaged by a mine off Folkestone in April 1945 and suffered damage below No 4 hold. She was towed to Tilbury Docks where her cargo from West Africa was discharged. She then entered Tilbury dry-dock for repairs which lasted until mid June. On 18th June 1945 I joined with a ‘run crew’ and we sailed her to Newcastle where we paid off on 25th June, 1945. In 1949 the United Africa Co., became Palm Line of London and all ships were renamed. The CONAKRIAN became the DAMOMEY PALM. In 1959 she was sold to Wallem & Co., of Hong Kong AND AGAIN RENAMED THE southern mariner. She was finally broken up in Japan in 1968. BRITISH MERIT British Tanker Co., London. Voyage 28. June 1945 to 23rd August 1945. I joined this ship at Thameshaven and we sailed for Falmouth where torpedo protection nets were removed from the ship. On completion of this job we sailed for Corpus Christi, Texas and at this port we loaded crude oil for discharge at Thameshaven. Outward bound we began painting the ship in the Company colours which was a very pleasant duty after painting ships in drab grey paint for almost six years. Our cargo was loaded at Corpus Christi on 3rd and 4th August and we sailed for the UK. On the following day the U.S B29 bomber ENOLA GAY dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, and 150,000 people died. Hiroshima was destroyed. On 9th August the U.S bomber BOCKSCAR dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki and on 14th August 1945 Japan surrendered. The formal surrender was signed later aboard the U.S Battleship MISSOURI in Tokio Bay on 2nd September 1945. BRITISH MERIT was torpedoed and damaged by U-552 on 25th July 1942 in Atlantic of New Foundland. She was in convoy ON113 in position 49.03N, 40.36W. Repairs were effected in New York. She was finally broken up at Briton Ferry.
WARTIME - Information on ship types and convoys. In convoy ports mentioned throughout, the waiting time at anchor in these ports could be from one or two days to a week or more until a sufficient number of ships had assembled to form a convoy. Prior to sailing, the Masters of the ships concerned would attend a conference on shore to receive orders and instructions on convoy procedures. Their ships were given a numbered position to take up as the convoy was assembled in readiness for sailing. As an example 35 would be the fifth ship in line in column three from port side of convoy. One of the ships would be the Commodore ship and the Commodore, who was usually a retired Royal Navy senior officer, would control the movements of the convoy. The Commodore would have a staff of six consisting of radio operators and signalmen. The Commodore ship would be the lead ship of column 4 or 5. Ocean convoys would be from 40 to 60 ships and sailing in 8, 9 or 10 columns which would cover a sea area of about six square miles. The early years of the war saw an insufficient number of escort vessels, so convoys were poorly protected, sometimes having only three or four escorts. After a few days at sea the convoy would be dispersed and the ships sailed on independently to their various destinations. As the war progressed, the convoys received better protection with seven or eight escorts plus an AMC - Armed Merchant Cruiser which was usually a converted passenger liner. These ships were no match for the heavily armed warships and commercial raiders of Germany, as was proved with the loss of the JERVIS BAY, RAWALPINDI, VOLTAIRE and many others. They were withdrawn from convoy protection services in December 1941. CAM ships, Catapult aboard Merchant Ships, wee introduced to convoy work in June 1941. These cargo ships were fitted with a huge catapult device over the fo'c'sle head from which an aircraft could be launched into the air. These aircraft Were used to attack marauding Focke Wolfe bombers which were capable of patrolling a thousand miles from their base in France. There was no return for the aircraft after its action or patrol. The pilot would crash dive into the sea close to an escort vessel and hope for rescue. It was a job deserving the highest praise. The first CAM ship, the MICHAEL E, was torpedoed and sunk by U-108 on 2nd June, 1941-only six days into her maiden voyage. Escort aircraft carriers were introduced during 1943. The first were conversions from Oil Tankers which continued to carry cargo in their tanks - either grain or heavy oil. Six to eight aircraft were carried. Other small aircraft carriers were built and were known as Woolworth carriers or MAC ships. Many tankers were fitted with a spar deck which was a false deck built over the tank tops. A cargo of cased aircraft or vehicles were carried on it. Many newly built cargo ships and tankers were fitted with AND gear. Admiralty Net Defence. Huge steel wire nets were suspended from long booms attached to the masts, and when the nets were in a streamed position they covered about fourth fifths of the ships side. Torpedoes fired into them would have their propellers and rudder fouled in the mesh. There were many reports of this occurring. Armaments on Merchant Ships were usually a 4 inch or 4.7 inch heavy gun installed on the after end of the ship for defence against U-boats. Bofors guns and Oerlikons, plus numerous machine guns were carried for defence against low flying attacking aircraft. When in coastal convoys, ships would carry a large balloon (as described in my WINHA voyage). Servicemen gunners sailed with the ships as gun crews and were known as DEMS gunners - Defence Equipment Merchant Ships, or the Maritime Regiment. On cargo ships and tankers there would be four Royal navy seamen and four Army personnel. On troopships and larger ships many more gunners would be carried. Some Merchant Seamen also held Gunnery Certificates as I did, and were paid sixpence (2½ pence) per day for it. A rescue ship would be attached to each ocean convoy. These ships had seen service as coastal passenger ships and continental traders before the war and had been owned by the well known companies of Associated Humber Lines, Clyde Shipping Co., and Dundee, Perth & London Line. They were sturdy ships in heavy weather. The duties of rescue ships were extremely hazardous as they were stationed astern of the convoy and performed rescue work when ships were torpedoed, either by taking survivors off ships before they sank or by rescuing them from the sea. They were very heroic ships. From 1943 good air cover was provided for convoys on North Atlantic routes. U.S and Canadian aircraft were able to patrol to mid -Atlantic from the Eastern Seaboard bases, and the RAF of Coastal Command would cover the oceans westwards from our shores. These aircraft had many successes in attacking and sinking U-boats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With the ending of the war the Merchant Navy Reserve Pool and the Shipping Federation remained in operation enabling seamen to find employment throughout their offices in all UK ports. The War Bonus or Danger Money was integrated with the wages paid by the ship owners. During World War 2 the wages for an AB were £10.12.6d (£10. 62½ ) plus £12 per month War Bonus or Danger Money paid by the Government. With the sinking of your ship, wages ceased as the ship owner regarded us as unemployed without a ship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The medals I received for war service were: War Medal 1939-1945 1935-1945 Star Merchant Navy service Atlantic Star with Cluster Africa Star North African Campaign Italy Star Sicily Operations France and Germany Clasp Liberation of Europe. . . . . . .ends
Norman Brice Jnr, Norman Brice Snr, Mrs Mayes, Stan Mayes, Max Melman
Meeting up for a photograph aqt the Tower Hill Memorial on M.Navy Day 2003
| 
