Gloucester Castle

[Captain Kong]

It is possible Lou would know, he was a mate of a family friend of mine who was also killed, 17 year old Joe Farnworth of Bolton.
Lou is in Liverpool at the moment and will be going down south at the weekend.
Cheers
Brian.

[Charlie Hannah]

Just pressed what i thought was the like button, then relized it said unlike so pressed the like button had me puzzled for a minute thought i was losing it.Sorry Lou.

[Captain Kong]

Clement Weir Hi Guys, I have just found your site and wonder if anyone would have any information about Clement Weir who was lost when the Gloucester Castle was sunk. He was my uncle and only 16 , an Ordinary Seaman. His brother ,my uncle John , also went down with the SS Traveller off New York.
Regards, Dave Hewson ( Canada )
.
. Hi David,
If it is of any Consolation to your family,
I was going to Cape Town on the QE2 in 2001,
I took a Merchant Navy wreath with me and told Captain Ron Warwick the story of the Gloucester Castle and its position just south of Ascension Island.
When we got into position of the site, Captain Warwick had arranged a Service on Deck, a table was covered in the Red Ensign with the wreath,Service sheets were issued to the passengers and over the site of the sinking he conducted a Service of Rememberence.Then the Wreath was cast over the side and two minutes silence followed.
A few tears were shed by some of the ladies. A very fitting Tribute to the men, women and children who died, when the Gloucester Castle was sunk.
The dead can now Rest in Peace.
That was the first and only time a Service had been held over the ship.
Cheers
Brian.

[Jim Brady]

Hi Guys, I have just found your site and wonder if anyone would have any information about Clement Weir who was lost when the Gloucester Castle was sunk. He was my uncle and only 16 , an Ordinary Seaman. His brother ,my uncle John , also went down with the SS Traveller off New York.
Regards, Dave Hewson ( Canada )

Hi Dave,I'm sure your uncle Clement was a friend of our shipmate on here Lou Barron.Lou was talking to my brother yesterday about joining the G C he said he joined it with his best mate "Chummy" which was your uncles nick name I believe.I just broke off this post to ring Lou at the hotel to make sure I had the right person it is your uncle alright that joined the ship with Lou.They grew up together in Rock Ferry on the Wirral Lou and I went over to Rock Ferry the other day and had a couple of pints in a pub on the corner of his old street.I wont say anymore I'l leave it to Lou but he wont have access to a computer until Monday next.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Lou Barron]

Just got onto this post about Clement(ChummyWeirDavid Chummy and i went to school together before the war and we always talkedabout going to sea together but in November 1940 i went to sea and lost track of Chummy,until April 1942 i paid off the Duchess of Bedford in Liverpool and went home in Rock ferry and lo and behold i met up with Chummy he told he had been to sea on one of the Blue Funnel ships that got sunk but he was one of the survivors so we went over to the pool and we both got a job on the G/ Castle as OS .In the action when we got sunk We both got onto the port side boat deck with some other guys that was the last i saw of my mate.After the war went to see his mother and believe me it was the hardest thing i had to do .So David you should be proud of him

[Chris Isaac]

You might find some more of the story here:
You can click onwards to related pages.
Gloucester Castle
If you enter Gloucester Castle on the search line it will give more links to other persons involved
Regards

Chris

[happy daze john in oz]

Looking at the staff register IO noticed Ron Tarrent first class smoke room barman on the Windsor 1972. Ron was on the Windsor I think since her maiden voyage. He was involved in organising the Ships Dance each voyage homeward bound on Tuesdays at the De Waal Hotel. He was also involved in setting up the sound system in the Navigators Den.

[Chris Isaac]

Thanks John I have updated his page with your comment.
Cheers
Chris

[Lou Barron]

Has i have said there as been few stories about the G/Castle with the number of survivors and all been taken to Japan well that is not correct there twenty of us dropped off in Singapore with thirty other survivors off other ships the two German raiders had sunk .There would have been between 250 to 300 taken to Japan by the German supply ship a tanker

[happy daze john in oz]

Following on from #18 regarding Ron Tarrant. As I noted it was he who used to organise the Tuesday night ships dance at the De Waal Hotel when I was on the Windsor. Did all the UCL shipos on the Cape Mail run have a ships dance or was it just the Windsor? I did a couple on the Pretoria and cannot recall if we had one or not. But there again there were a number fo incidents on that run I do not recall.