avila star

[djones]

My dad was on the Avila Star in '42 when it was torpedoed. he spent 3 wks in the lifeboat before being rescued. Is there anyone there who was on the same ship?

[Doc Vernon]

Hi DJones
Would just like to give you a warm Welcome to this very good site!
Here you will find lots of info,good Crew and with luck also find a few old Shipmates!
So sit back,relax and just enjoy the trip!
Hope we will have you here for a long time!
A site truly worthy of the British Merchant Navy!
Cheers

Hope you may get some good responses to your query!
The Lads here are good!!

If you want to you can also suply his R Number full name if you have it and last Ship
SEE BELOW!

Was he W Jones!
from Lycett Rd Liverpool? or Beech Street

Or

J Jones
Clement Road
Liverpool?

Note Well

If you would like to join in and have your Full name R Number and First Ship
Included in the Flag project then please pass it on to Mike Hall who is doing a Main Flag for all
to be displayed some time in one of the UK Museums!
We need your names to get the New Flag full,so please do respond!
Thank you
Vernon (castleman)

Please go to following Link

http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=1974

Or reply to me in person! Via Private Message Link and I will pass on the info!

http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/p...?do=newpm&u=18

You most probably have seen these Links but in case here they are!
Interesting!

http://www.bluestarline.org/avila1.html

http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/1902.html

[Ivor Jones]

My great uncle Donald McIndoe was on the Avila Star when it was torpedoed in 1942. What do you know about the three weeks at Sea? He was in one of the lifeboats and died shortly after being rescued. I am reading a book about the ordeal at the moment which is fascinating.
Ivor Jones

[Michael Pease]

My research is currently focusing on the vitally important role of the Açores archipelago during WWII.I will visit 5 islands in the archipelago from September 28th. I have the details of 46 Commonwealth war graves at Lajes in Terceira and of Ship's Boy, Donald Black, from the S.S. Avila Star whose body is buried at the Ponta Delgada British Protestant Cemetery. We will visit. I am puzzled that, apart from Donald Black, there are no other graves of servicemen whose bodies must surely have been washed up on the archipelago between 1939-1943. I expect to meet with British and German Hon. Consuls during our visit. I have yet to obtain information re German servicemen's bodies washed up on the Açores. I suspect they may have been buried in public cemeteries throughout the archipelago. Re Avila Star, 3 other bodies are buried at St. George British Churchyard, Lisbon.

In the late '40s in Kenya I recall a guy who was ex Merchant Navy. I think he would have been an officer. He had survived in a lifeboat for many days and, even some years later, still suffered considerable post event trauma which was evident in conversation. I think his experience was in the Atlantic. There were, of course, many such instances during the war. However, I cannot help but wonder whether he might have survived 20+ days in a lifeboat, following the sinking of S.S. Avila Star in July 1942. I do npot recall his name.

Mike

[Michael Pease]

What is the title of the book you are reading?

See my separate note re the S.S. Avila

Mike

[Valerie Combe]

Hello Mike

I was looking up Donald Black on the internet - when I found this thread connected to his name. Don (as he was called) was my mother, Jean's, brother. She never really got over losing her young brother at the tender age of 17. All I know was that he was found off the coast of the Azores on a life raft badly injured. He was taken in by a kind family who lived there but sadly he died in their care. They wrote to my grandparents after he died and actually kept in touch for a while. I read the report on the Avila Star and it affected me quite deeply.

In 1983 whilst on a Canberra cruise we stopped off at the Azores, Ponta Delgada, a beautiful place. Obviously I felt I had to try and find where Don had been buried and I asked in a local shop if there were any war graves. They were very helpful and said that although there were no war graves there was a small English church and in the churchyard were several graves of English families. They gave us directions. To cut a long story short we found the little churchyard and also Don's grave. It was covered iin the most beautiful orange flowers. The church was undergoing restoration work at the time but we tidied his grave and took lots of photographs to take home to my mum who was completely overcome as you can imagine! On the gravestone were the words "Thank God for lads like these who gave their all so we could live in peace". Although I didn't know him I felt very close to him at that moment.

I have no idea why Don was the only one who ended up in the Azores but I hope the little information I have may be of interest to you.

Kind
regards

Valerie

[DeepSea]

Donald Black was one of a number of survivors from the Avila Star picked up by the Portuguese Destroyer Lima two days after the sinking and landed at Ponta Delgada. He spent his 17th Birthday in hospital, but died eleven days later after the sinking in hospital from the effects of exposure.

[arvlut]

...
... It was covered in the most beautiful orange flowers. ....

This sounds great. I also would love to see this grave. I love flowers and I think it is very important to always have colorful flowers on graveyards. Whenever I get flower delivery vouchers I use them to order flowers and when I receive them I bring them to the local graveyard and put it on graves which nobody takes care about.

[Jane Edwards]

Hi DJones,
I'm picking this thread up after a number of years, but wonder if your father had any links to Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire/Ceredigion? A cousin of my grandmother was called Ivor, and was a survivor of the Avila Star, being in the last lifeboat to be found. We have a few newspaper reports of the incident, which it only now that I am getting around to reading. Very emotional reading!

[gray_marian]

Hello Jane, none of the above members have been on site since 2013 except of course Deepsea. It may be quicker if you sent D Jones a pm that way it will arrive in his/her email address if still current. I personally would appreciate learning more of this harrowing account also. Good luck, Marian