City of Manchester WWII

[Dan Paris]

Hello, I am trying to find information on my late Grandad Bernard Berntsen who was on the City of Manchester in WWII. The fate of this ship is described below. I would like to know how to get information on his seamens registry or if there is a crew list for ths Manchester for this time. Are there any crew lists of the rescue boats Whipperpool or dutch liner Zaandam. any help will begreatl appreciated.

CITY OF MANCHESTER official number 164262 built in 1935 (Ellerman Hall Line).
28.2.1942 Torpedoed and sunk by gunfire by Japanese submarine I-153 (Nakamura), in the Indian Ocean SE of Tjilatjap, Sumatra, in position 08.16S 108.52E while sailing independently on a voyage from Pekan, Malaya, to Tjilatjap, with 6400 tons of general cargo including military stores. The Master, Capt Harry Johnson, 126 crew, 17 gunners and 13 naval signalmen were rescued by US minesweeper WHIPPOORWILL, landed at Batavia and brought to Fremantle by Dutch liner ZAANDAM. 9 crew were lost.

Thanks

Dan Paris

[DeepSea]

Unfortunately the 1942 Crew Agreements for the City of Manchester have not survived.

As far as I can find there were only four casualties:

Tower Hill Memorial. Panel 29 (both died onboard the USS Tulsa and were buried at sea)

ROBERTS, Apprentice, GUY SMITH, S.S. City of Manchester (Liverpool). Merchant Navy. 28th February 1942. Age 21. Son of Richard Hawkins Roberts and Alice Maud Roberts, of Ainsdale, Southport, Lancashire.

TAWS, Chief Officer, STEPHEN CORNER STEPHENSON, S.S. City of Manchester (Liverpool). Merchant Navy. 3rd March 1942. Age 44. Husband of A. H. Taws, of Houston, Renfrewshire. Master Mariner, Merchant Navy.

Bombay/Chittagong Memorial

ALI AZAM, Seaman, S.S. City of Manchester (Liverpool), Indian Merchant Navy. 28 February 1942. Age 39.

Buried Jakarta War Cemetery (Died from an unknown cause whilst a PoW)

BURNHAM, Quartermaster, ERNEST, S.S. City of Manchester (Liverpool). Merchant Navy. 24th May 1945. Age 62, of Birkenhead

[Ray Buck]

Dan
Can you check the spelling of your Granddad Bernard Berntsen I have found a "Bernard Bernsten " note spelling aboard the "City of Manchester"
Signed on in Birkenhead on the 29th October 1940 signed as 8th Engineer he was aged 23 with 4 ½ years service he was 5’ – 11” in height and weight was 161 Lbs

The ship arrived in New York 16th July 1941 Havening sailed from the port of Panama on the 10th July 1941
Ray

P.S.
could this be your Grandfather
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/c...accessmethod=0

[Hugh]

Hello Dan,
Best if you keep your threads in one place - makes it easier for all to understand what is known already.

http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=9311

Regards
Hugh