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1st September 2013, 04:50 PM
#11
Sailed with the Captain of British Chivalry in 1950. He was taken off the lifeboat by the Jap sub and held POW in Penang.
He was tortured and abused so severely that he never wrote legibly and took ages before I could read his messages as Radio Officer.
He was a great Skipper and very good natured.
Eric
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1st September 2013, 05:52 PM
#12
Re: M.V. Limerick
sailed with a great old man on british tanker he was taken prisoner on the altmark and rescued from that ship alwaysv found old time captains much fairer than young new ones who were having to make there mark I suppose and show there power...where the old timers new who they were
Last edited by Mike Hall; 10th December 2018 at 03:26 PM.
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2nd September 2013, 10:18 AM
#13
Re: M.V. Limerick
Originally Posted by
eric fisher
Sailed with the Captain of British Chivalry in 1950. He was taken off the lifeboat by the Jap sub and held POW in Penang.
He was tortured and abused so severely that he never wrote legibly and took ages before I could read his messages as Radio Officer.
Eric
What was his name ?
Last edited by Mike Hall; 10th December 2018 at 03:26 PM.
"Across the seas where the great waves grow, there are no fields for the poppies to grow, but its a place where Seamen sleep, died for their country, for you and for peace" (Billy McGee 2011)
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2nd September 2013, 10:44 AM
#14
Hello Billy,
I am sure Eric willl confirm that it was Captain Walter Hill.
Regards
Hugh
"If Blood was the price
We had to pay for our freedom
Then the Merchant Ship Sailors
Paid it in full”
www.sscityofcairo.co.uk
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2nd September 2013, 11:47 AM
#15
Re: M.V. Limerick
From "The Sea is Their Grave"
Tanker British Chivalry, 7,118grt (British Tanker Co. Ltd) had been sailing independently on a voyage from Melbourne to Abadan in ballast. On the morning of the 22nd February 1944 at 10.30 hours the track of two torpedoes were spotted. Taking evasive action one torpedo passed harmlessly astern, but the second detonated on the starboard side square into the engine room killing the engineer on watch, all the fireman on duty and a young apprentice who had been painting the starboard lifeboat. The torpedoes had been fired from the Japanese submarine I-37 commanded by Lieutenant Hajime Nakagawa the same man who had been responsible for the sinking of the Hospital Ship Centaur in April 1943. At the time the Centaur had been sailing fully illuminated and displaying the Red Cross. 317 crew, wounded service personnel, doctors and nurses were murdered in this atrocity. The survivors from the British Chivalry were about to see his brutality first hand. As the survivors were taking to the lifeboats as the ship lay dead in the water I-37 broke surface about a mile away. Rounding up all the survivors the Master took a head count, which revealed that the ships Cook was also missing and as the galley was directly above the engine room where the torpedo had detonated it was presumed he too had been killed in the explosion. I-37 now began shelling the floating hulk and fired another torpedo into the port side, which broke her back and she sank in position 00’ 50S 68’ 00E South-West of Addu Atoll, Maldive Islands. I-37 now began to maneuver towards the lifeboats and life rafts shelling them indiscriminately. The tankers Chief Officer made an attempt to signal the submarine by hand semaphore asking “what do you want us to do” The firing ceased and I-37 passed between the survivors asking for the ships Master to identify himself. Once this was done he was taken prisoner and the survivors in their boats were ordered away and I-37 maneuvered astern. The survivors had barely come to terms with the sinking when the submarine was observed altering course and was heading directly for them and then the machine guns opened up. For the next couple of hours the submarine passed back and forth through the survivor’s machine guns firing indiscriminately at the boats and men in the water. Once Lieutenant Hajime Nakagawa was satisfied not a man remained alive his submarine disappeared over the horizon. By some miracle men had survived in fact after a head count it was found fourteen men had been killed and a further five, some seriously wounded, and would eventually succumb to their injuries. The thirty-eight survivors spent the next thirty seven days adrift in the searing heat, caught in the doldrums of the Indian Ocean until they were rescued by the British Merchant ship Delane after having drifted only 320 nautical miles South form their original position of sinking. The ships Master who had been forced to watch the unfolding tragedy and would witness other atrocities against defenceless Merchant Seamen before being held prisoner at Penang for the duration of the war. He was released when Japan surrendered and for whatever reason he had, he declined to give evidence against his captors at the War Crimes Commission.
Last edited by Mike Hall; 10th December 2018 at 03:27 PM.
"Across the seas where the great waves grow, there are no fields for the poppies to grow, but its a place where Seamen sleep, died for their country, for you and for peace" (Billy McGee 2011)
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2nd September 2013, 12:51 PM
#16
Re: M.V. Limerick
that makes me want to weep for those seamen god bless them all
Last edited by Mike Hall; 10th December 2018 at 03:27 PM.
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2nd September 2013, 07:44 PM
#17
Yes DeepSea and Hugh, His name was Walter Hill. The Best Captain I ever sailed with. Sporting, Gracious, but reserved until we swapped WW11 stories. Eric
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26th December 2015, 02:59 PM
#18
Re: M.V. Limerick
HI MarsshalloftheRAF, Ii is nice to make contact with you, i was on the M.V. LIMERICK No 18462, my engagement started on 27/09/1962 at the Avonmouth dock and was discharged
on the 21/01/1963 at Victoria docks London. I don't know if he would remember me i was a young 16 year old boy in the galley
Thank you
Last edited by Mike Hall; 10th December 2018 at 03:28 PM.
Reason: i would like to add a picture
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27th December 2015, 08:31 AM
#19
Re: S.S. Limerick
Cappy your memories of the bloke off the Altmark. Wasn't by any chance Norrie Smith was it, he was a Welshman. Was rescued by the Cossack up off Narvik. In that much publicised at the time naval engagement. John S
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cappy thanked for this post
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27th December 2015, 10:39 AM
#20
Re: M.V. Limerick
morning john.....he was the old man on the british defender ..hewas in his late 50s or so ...i sailed from the tyne on december 24 1959 we did 11 months ....the old man must have been in his 30s when rescued from the altmark but cant remember from what ship .......he was the best old man i ever sailed with .......no problem keeping a monkey ......but the most crappy ports in india and all round that area .....he was the most genlemanly person you could meet but in no way a pushover.....bangladesh in the rainy season ....full ahead going up to chittagong and making no headway ...and more lines tying up than i ever saw.........i guess as often happens those who have had a hard time are better persons to others in later times.......always remember as i left her at about 6 at night in falmouth he was on the wing of the bridge and shouted by capsy.....i didnt even think he knew my name ........i have read one book on the rescue of the guys from the altmark and it must have been not a nice experience battened down in that vessel.......jeez that was 56 xmases ago i joined the defender .......a lot of turkey under the belt.......hope you had a good xmas ......pat and i have been talking about it over breakfast this morning ......the family have now gone ....about the best xmas we have had ........happy days best wishes cappy
Last edited by Mike Hall; 10th December 2018 at 03:28 PM.
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