My Dads time at Sea

[Robert M Hughes]

Congratulations to the Researchers - Brilliant team!
Cheers, Bob

[Annette Mae]

Hi Elizabeth. My Father was also in the merchant navy from 1939 to 1943 (working for Wills and Co refrigeration Port Said1943-1947) and sailed on many vessels under different flags in the Atlantic, the Capetown, Iran, Belgium, Egypt etc. He was on the Sorensen when the Italian 2 man subs damaged the ships in the Alexandria harbour. He also met my Mother in Alexandria while his ship was being repaired. Can you also list other vessels you Father had served on as my father was an engineer so most of his time was below deck?

[Elizabeth Copp]

Hi Annette
My dad sailed on the Dorington Court from 4th November 1941 to 8th April 1942. He was a third Radio Officer. Then he was on the Rohna from 6th August 1942 until it was sunk in the Med on 26th November 1943. After that he was on the Ville de Strasbourg from 10th Feb 1944 to 27th April 1944 as a third Radio Officer. His last ship was the City of Dundeee from 29th April 1944 to 27th July 1944 as a second Radio Officer. That trip began in Durban and he was discharged in Alexandria. He was discharged from the Merchant Navy after that as being physically unfit for sea service, which might have been because he developed Type 1 Diabetes. After the Rohna posting, SAM 11 is listed but the engagement was cancelled. I wrote to someone at the Imperial War Museum quite a few years ago asking what this engagement meant. She wondered if it might have been initials for a convoy but couldn't find out anything about it. I can find no record online of a convoy with those initials. Can anyone help? Hope the above info helps, Annette.

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Elizabeth
Not sure on this but i d know that they started to use the SAM concept during WW2 , it was a new thing, and took some time to develop properly.
That Engagement may have been one of those SAM 11 type ones that was for some reason cancelled for a later date.

(Surface to Air Missile) of course since then has come a long way and is now used regular in all Forces!

So it could well have been as said that, in one of the Convoys that did not take part at that time .
Cheers

[Elizabeth Copp]

Thank you all for your interest and help when I first posted about my dad, John Cumming Sclater, who served on HMT Rohna as a radio officer in 1943. A film by Jack Ballo, an American film maker who is investigating the bombing of the convoy in which HMT Rohna was sailing, is coming out soon. The Press and Journal, which is widely read in north-east Scotland, published this article about my dad and the sinking of HMT Rohna on Friday. The anniversary of the sinking is on 26th November. Ann Good in Canada has been instrumental in getting interest from the British press in this week of Remembrance. I am very grateful for your interest and letting me know my dad's records are kept at Kew. I hope to go there next year.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp...419/hmt-rohna/

[j.sabourn]

Whilst commiserating with your wanting to get the truth into the open Elizabeth , I wouldn’t put too much faith in your choice of a widely read paper of the NE . My view only and not for you to take the wrong way. Think you would be better off having a neutral investigator more interested In The truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Just my personal opinion , and you will have to be prepared for reading things you might not agree with , and others views also about conflicting stories , whatever you do don’t sign any of your rights of information over to any news media. All the best and hope things work out the way you want . JS

[Elizabeth Copp]

I think this is why Jack Ballo the American filmmaker has made a film on the sinking of the Rohna and I like to think that he would have a painstaking approach to a difficult subject. The film should be coming out soon. Jack Ballo wants to find out why it was hushed up for so long. All I want is for all the young men who died to be remembered.

[j.sabourn]

They also made a film about the slaughter of a large amount of American GIs practising off British beaches for the D-Day landings , when E boats got amongst them and ran amuk . That was also hushed up until much later after the war. A movie was also made of this . The authenticity of this would only be known by those who were there. There are many things during war that are hushed up by the warring factions, and there is usually a practical reason for the same. The general public even today are restricted by any government that is in power to what is suitable for general publication , all they do is put an M notice on the subject and lift it after so many years .As regards Rules and Regulations during wartime mostly all fall by the wayside due to circumstances beyond people’s control , there is very little chance of getting a safety inspector there to see if things are going by the book, more opportunity’s for the cleaners to clear up the mess. Movies and Documentary’s are made by people for entertainment gross as it may seem , but if there is no profit at the end , then the program would be discarded by most of them. I should have been christened Thomas with my attitude to others motives maybe. ! ! Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

There has been much talk over teem about the Geneva convention during war time.

The theory of such is fine, but when at the front in any form of warfare the rules go amiss.

It is not some form of sporting contest but rather one of the strongest being the winner.

[j.sabourn]

Japan after the war was accused of atrocities which were well founded, but believe she was not a signatory to the Geneva Convention. However Geneva convention or not they got the chop, the same as if the boot had been on the other foot, especially if had been repaired by the cobblers Keith and I worked for . JS