Little known fact

[vic mcclymont]

At the outbreak of WW2, British Shipping Companies owned approximately 750 tramp ships. By the end of the War 571 of these ships had been sunk by enemy action. Many of these ships were replaced by war standards and Liberty ships.
At cessation of hostilities there were only 400 tramp ships on the UK Registers.
Vic

[E.Martin]

I don't know about tramp ships,my figures for British ships lost in WW2, 2,426 with a grt of 11,331,933.

[Lou Barron]

That was it all those ships sank most with a heavy loss of life but very little said about the part the MN played in the war

[Keith Tindell]

I have just finished reading *the real cruel sea*, by Richard Woodman, which gives the story from the MN side. Incredible loss of men, and treated really badly, some turned their MN badge upside down to mean *not wanted*. There were a lot of citations to MN seamen, mostly for incredible journeys in open lifeboats, and consisting of weeks to sail to safety. Its a very fact full book, listing all the ships, companies, and names where possible. I found this on Amazon and used a Kindle, but i think the book is also available, KT

[cappy]

##keiththis is a book i have had for many years ....it is almost a bible to me ...i have read it time and time again ...its shows the deavastation wreaked on the MNby the uboats and others .......i often just open a page and read ....without naming names which sadly i once did ...i was with a mate on a trampwho was a alky caught drinking the medical alcohol and on his watch but for the grace of god put us high and dry on an atol in the south pacific ......he begged for drimks from even the boy ratings ......but in the book you mention i saw the terrible tale of his life during the war and i would have forgiven him anything had i known.......i also had a woman who married my father ....she lost her brother on a ship called the effna ...out of shields ....he was a very clever electronics young man ....but some sick person put a white feather on his locker .....he went to the mill dam in shields the next day and signed on as a trimmer on a coal burner.....the effna was sunk and they only got a lettter....saying lost with all hands ......many years later i bought the book you are reading and saw the name of theuboat commander on the internet i gave her the date of the sinking andsaw a photo of the u boat commander.....she is long gone now but did shed a tear for her older brother....there was a picture of supposed survivors in a life boat ...but this was not true as the uboat commannder said she went down so fast of iceland in winter there was no chance ........i often wondered if the person who did the white feather felt any guilt by all accounts the young man was a great academic whocould of saved lives working in maritime electronics.......but such is life regards cappy

[happy daze john in oz]

Sadly there will never be a full understanding by the general public of what those men did for UK during both wars. Their names will live forever.