Crossed the Bar

[DeepSea]

It is with deep sadness that I have just been informed of the death of Bill Short 29/12/10. Bill spent four days in an open boat in temperatures of –10. after his ship the SS Induna was sunk in 1942. After being rescued warm water had to be siphoned into his stomach as ice crystals had formed. He then had both legs amputated without anaesthetic due to frostbite. At the time he was just 22 years old.

Cargo ship Induna, 5,086grt, (Maclay & McIntyre) loaded with war materials and cased petrol at New York for the Russian port of Murmansk left Sydney, Cape Breton in the 35 ship Convoy SC-63 on the 3rd January 1942. 10 days out the after being hampered by severe storm, which forced ten ships to return to port, the Induna left the convoy and set course for Iceland where the ship would join up with the 21 ship Convoy PQ-13, sailing from Reykjavik on the 20th March. Three days later as the temperature dropped the convoy encountered a full arctic gale and during the evening of the 25th March, the Induna became detached from the convoy and as daylight approached, the ship was sailing all alone. Later on during the day, the ship encountered several more ships from the scattered remnants of PQ-13. By the 28th March, the weather subsided and apart from the occasional snow squall, the weather remained fairly clear. By the evening, the Induna had entered an ice field and took the escort vessel HMS Silja in tow who was running short of fuel as well as taking onboard sixteen survivors picked up from the SS Ballot by the escort ship. By the 29th, the weather once again blew up and the towline to the escort vessel parted and the Induna lost touch with the ship and had no choice to battle onto Murmansk. On the morning of the 30th March in rough seas North-East of the Kola Inlet a torpedo from U-376 detonated in number five hold containing the cased petrol and blew up setting the ship ablaze. The order to abandon ship was given and the lifeboats were launched as the ship settled by the stern. U-376 then fired a second torpedo which detonated in number 4 hold and the ship started to sink stern first with the bow rising high into the air the ship plummeted to the depths in position 70’ 55N 37’ 18N. The two lifeboats became separated and for four days, the survivors battled the seas in temperatures as low as –10 degrees, a number dying along the way and their bodies being committed to the deep. Finally, a Russian minesweeper found both lifeboats and the men finally arrived at Murmansk on the 3rd April where a number of men died from severe frostbite. Other survivors had to have limbs amputated without anaesthetic.

Fair winds and calm seas Bill

[Neil Morton]

Bill must have been a very tough old sailorman to sail on for another 68 years.RIP Bill; I raise my hat to you.

[Frank Appleford]

We had it easy!

[Doc Vernon]

May i convey my Sincere Condolences to Bills Family and Friends,may his Sails keep him travelling to all those Exocitic and Intereseting places that he knew,hope you have calm Wtaers wherever you may go Bill!
Rest in Peace!
Sincerly
Vernon

[Keith at Tregenna]

Respects,

K.

[Richard Quartermaine]

The epitaph on a his gravestone in the garden of Robert Louis Stevenson's hilltop residence VAILIMA, Apia, Samoa, reads:

Home is the Sailor
Home from the sea
And the Hunter
Home from the hill

Bill Short is home from the often cruel sea.

Respectfully,

[Red Lead Ted]

May the sun always be in your face and the wind behind you certainly a true hero R.I.P Terry.

[HelenS]

I'm Bill Short's daughter and on behalf on my sister and myself, I'd like to thank you all for your kind words.

[Alan Blyth]

I would like to pass my condolences and thoughts to Bill's family. I had the privelege to meet Bill nearly 20years ago when I began researching my uncle's career in the Merchant Navy, and corresponded with him over many years. My uncle was lost aboard Induna, and Bill was almost certainly the last person to speak to him. In fact Bill had been helping our family understand the circumstances of Uncle Norman's loss since 1943 when two aunts met him in hospital on his return to the UK. My father met him in Murmansk on one of the early return trips by Veterans in the 1980s and had enormous respect for him. Bill became a special person to two generations of our family and will be remembered with gratitude and fondness. A truly remarkable man.

[Tom Abernethy]

With greatest sympathy and respect. A true man, who made it possible for all us who came after to do what we did. Rest in peace bill short. I think i speak for all hands.......
Tom abernethy ( r721582 )