BAD SHIPS AND DR,s

[Duke Drennan]

The bad ship i had the misfortune to be on was a German ship Michel and the Captain Helmuth von Ruckteschell for killing my best mate and afew of guys i knew well

Tell us how you got to be on the Michel Charles, what type of ship was she?
Duke.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Duke,
the Michel was a German Raider and ambushed the Gloucester Castle that Lou was sailing on, They shelled the Gloucester Castle, who was the way to Cape Town on July 14/15 1942, 95 Women Children and Crew members were killed including a family friend of mine, Joe Farnworth aged 17.
Lou after beating his way through flames of burning kerozene ended up in the sea and eventually picked up by the Germans, They were later transferred to a tanker , Charlotte Schlieman and taken to Singapore and handed over to the Japanese for slave labour until the end of 1945.
Correct me if I am wrong Lou.
Cheers
Brian

[Duke Drennan]

Hi Duke,
the Michel was a German Raider and ambushed the Gloucester Castle that Lou was sailing on, They shelled the Gloucester Castle, who was the way to Cape Town on July 14/15 1942, 95 Women Children and Crew members were killed including a family friend of mine, Joe Farnworth aged 17.
Lou after beating his way through flames of burning kerozene ended up in the sea and eventually picked up by the Germans, They were later transferred to a tanker , Charlotte Schlieman and taken to Singapore and handed over to the Japanese for slave labour until the end of 1945.
Correct me if I am wrong Lou.
Cheers
Brian

Thanks for that info Brian.
Assuming that the Gloucester Castle was a passenger boat, wouldn't it be unusual for a passenger ship to make voyage like that in wartime and the likelihood of attack by German ships? Was she carrying only passengers?

[Tony Wilding]

hi *Duke, a British Passenger Ship was Torpedoed on the first day of the War, the Athenia. without warning, and many more, thousands and thousands of innocent Passengers killed, Germany did not make a difference, *if it was an allied ship *it was sunk.

[Duke Drennan]

Thanks Tony,
I was aware that passenger ships were attacked but thought that this happened in the very early days of the war, just as the Athenia was. What surprises me is that passenger ships such as the Gloucester Castle making a voyage to Capetown knowing that any vessel was likely to be attacked. At least convoys crossing the Atlantic had some sort of escort. I can't understand why a passenger ship would need to make that voyage in wartime. I can't imagine a line up at the pool for that job.
To think that we complained about bad feeders, D.R's, lousy accommodation and the like, I have the highest respect for Lou and many like him that had the balls to make voyages like that, completely unprotected and never knowing the minute that you'd be attacked.

[Keith Tindell]

I think the assumption was that passenger ships had a good turn of speed which gave them certain safety, i think i read somewhere that the Queens travelled under their own speed, and if they had been in convoy they were restricted to lower speeds. I could be wrong of course as i am only a nipper of 72 years , regards KT

[Ivan Cloherty]

Thanks for that info Brian.
Assuming that the Gloucester Castle was a passenger boat, wouldn't it be unusual for a passenger ship to make voyage like that in wartime and the likelihood of attack by German ships? Was she carrying only passengers?

Duke, the vast majority of passenger ships in that era were never 'passenger only' virtually all had some cargo carrying capacity, but generally it was not war materials. The German and Japanese High Command made no distinction twixt passenger and freight only vessels, as all were perceived as 'enemy' vessels. Passengers for what ever reason, be it returning to their homelands, or going to military or hospital outposts and numerous other reasons had no option but to travel by sea in those days. All passenger ships were perceived as potential troop ships, even white painted hospital ships were not immune from being attacked, regretfully our opponents, especially in the Far East did not respect any aspects of the Geneva Convention. Air travel (passenger) was still in its infancy and pricewise beyond the reach of the man in the street and the volume required certainly not available..

Maybe I will get castigated for this but quite frankly I am amazed that any ex seaman had to frame such a question as above.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Duke,
The Gloucester Castle was in convoy to Freetown then independently for the Cape. she was a very old and slow ship. Known as the GoSlowster Castle,
Cheers
Brian.

[Duke Drennan]

I'm surprised at your response Ivan, I thought my curiosity was reasonable but apparently not.

[Duke Drennan]

Hi Duke,
The Gloucester Castle was in convoy to Freetown then independently for the Cape. she was a very old and slow ship. Known as the GoSlowster Castle,
Cheers
Brian.

Thanks Brian, I appreciate the info. I wasn't aware that she was part of a convoy.