Question about Cargo carried during WW2

[Maureen Wright]

I sadly never knew my Uncle, William Thomas Galley. My Mum has often spoken about how he desperately wanted to join the Royal Navy when war broke out, but he was too young. In June 1940 he turned 16 and signed up to the Merchant Navy much to his Mum’s ( my Nanna) distress but his Dad’s reluctant approval ( Grandad had worked on the sea all his life , his final work being as a Thames Lighterman).

Information then becomes sketchy and confusing. My Mum remembers the “ most awful day “ ( she was 12 years old) when Nanna was at the sink washing clothes, and a telegram arrived informing her of Billy’s loss, something that Nanna never really recovered from. For many years, the family was under the impression that he had been on a ship called Faraday that had been sunk and as a child I remember that they had a large picture on the wall “the Faraday”. They even called their bungalow by that name. Billy had apparently told them that this was the ship he had been assigned to.

Years later, I went to Tower Hill to find his name with no success. My Mum was terribly upset by this and I wanted to know why I couldn’t find it. I managed to eventually find out that he had ,in fact been on board the Kayeson which set off from Liverpool bound for Montevideo carrying 2802 tons of general cargo and 3901 tons of coal. It was attacked and sunk by U 32 ( captained by Hans Jenisch) off the West coast of Ireland on 2nd October 1940, only 6 months after his 16th birthday.

My mum, is the only one left now of Billy’s siblings and was really shocked that the family had been totally under the wrong impression but she felt glad to finally know what had happened. I located the panel at Tower Hill and took her to see it. A wonderful day.

I would like to know what would be meant by “general cargo” going to Uruguay and why was coal being sent to South America during wartime?

Also does anyone know more about either the Kayeson ( all souls were lost) or U-32 or Hans Jenisch.

I have enjoyed reading about other members’ stories and hope my family story is of interest.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Will try to find out more for you:

https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/c...son/36726.html

https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/574.html

Keith.



Just added the actual Panel Keith
Cheers

Tower Hill:|WW2 Memorial Panels 51 to 60 (benjidog.co.uk)
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[Ivan Cloherty]

Maureen most of us started our seagoing careers at age 16 and a lot even younger, I was aged 13 when first went to Iceland on a trawler.

Coal would be carried to South America (and elsewhere) for coaling stations, a lot of vessels in that era were coal fired and their bunkers needed replenishing after an ocean voyage, so coaling stations were set up around the world, where a ship could take onboard a few hundred tons to complete its return voyage or onward passage.

General cargo could consist of anything, depending on what a particular country needed, it could be machinery, cotton goods, barbed wire, explosives for mining, railway lines, sanitary items, the list and mixture is endless

[Doc Vernon]

From Plaistow London i presume . Birth 1924. Death 2nd October 1940 Ship Kayeson
Archive Ref BT334 Box 0098 Page 43

Tower Hill:|WW2 Memorial Panels 51 to 60 (benjidog.co.uk)

BMD_MTM_BT334_0097_001-209 Kayeston.jpg

Kayeson 1929 (tynebuiltships.co.uk)

[Keith at Tregenna]

why was coal being sent to South America during wartime?

Demand and supply, they needed coal that we had in abundance and as we being an island that could have starved, they had much that we required.

Keith.

.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Demand and supply, they needed coal that we had in abundance and as an island, they had much that we required.

Keith.

Keith see #4, a lot of these countries we sent coal to, already had coal, but it was the wrong type for producing steam, that is why coal stations were set up, and coal was sent from Wales and NE UK because it was known as 'steaming or furnace coal' These coals also produced less smoke when burned and a lot of ships didn't like Norfolk USA coal or S African coal because it didn't burn cleanly and produced a lot of smoke, not ideal in a convoy situation or on a lone passage. Nothing to do with us having an abundance of coal, as most coal produced in the UK during WWII was for domestic industry purposes and fueling our own and allied ships, which at that time were in the majority coal burners'

Don't ever remember S.America being an island

[Keith at Tregenna]

We traded, we had to, as an Island that would have starved - it did not matter if it was gold,
If we had something that they needed we swopped.

K.

[j.sabourn]

#7 Ivan to try and explain cargo work , care carriage handling stowage of all the different types of cargo to the uninitiated is nigh on impossible. People just don’t know unless they are doing the job day after day year after year. The grain cargoes alone are extensive with the different types of stowage factors alone .A general cargo mate has to have extensive knowledge and experience , I served 11 years in Runcimans and no doubt would still be there today or yesterday maybe if things had been different . A cargo ship mate as long as he was active and competent was the most important man on deck what I saw. The master of old got his promotion when he became more infirm and was reward for long and faithful service and able to sit back and take it easy.That got all changed with the reduction in manning and the new spunk trumpets coming up wanting a title of captain to put in the telephone book . Times changed, I was brought up the old way and that is always what I will remember. The last 3 old time masters I sailed with told me straight , I’m here for decoration and backing for you. Give me a shout when we get there. The same applied to the. Second engineer he ran the engine room if he was competent. It was rare on a lot of ships to see the chief down below. Today however this is all different they have to also do their share, their is no promotion for long and faithful service , more than likely a chiv in the back by someone who wants your job. And is more than likely incompetent to do it. We live in different times today I prefer to live in Days of yore. To discuss with a shore person on how to stow cargoes would take years far better they just think it’s stuck in a box and goes parcel post. JS....

[Keith at Tregenna]

RE: Cargo carried during WW2.

If blood was the price, the Merchant Navy paid in full.

K.

[cappy]

Hence exam'ple steamer point in aden