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saw a program last week or so with michael palin it showed timbuctoo today ......it was a dosser ...so the lord only knows what it was like in the 40s....i cannot understand why they were not given the payments the french gave to them after the war.....a blatant disgrace from the powers that be.....cappy
I have just emailed the account of this incident to my Mp Bob Seely conservative, asking if he could enquire on this, will keep you informed, but don't hold your breath, you can but try, kt
well done keith ...it should not be allowed to disappear ....what happened to those funds ...cappy
CRITON, 4,564grt, built 1927 (Wm. Gray & Co., West Hartlepool) for Cie. de Navigation d'Orbigny, La Rochelle. 9th May 1941 intercepted by Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS CELICIA and taken into Freetown. 1941 taken over by MOWT, managed by Ropner Shipping Co. Ltd. Attacked and sunk on the 21st June 1941 by the Vichy French sloop AIR FRANCE IV off the West coast of Africa sailing independently from Pepel to Belfast with a cargo of iron ore after becoming detached from Convoy SL-78. 4 crew died in prison of war camps. The ship had originally been under the flag of the Vichy French and was arrested by the Royal Navy for carrying contraband. The ship was taken over by a scratch British crew of DBS (Distressed British Seamen) returning home from previous sinking’s and local African engine room Firemen & Trimmers.
FREEMAN, Fireman and Trimmer, WILLIAM, S.S. Criton. Merchant Navy. 19th November 1942. Age 28. Buried Dakar (Bel-Air) Cemetery.
SAVAGE, Greaser, JOHN, S.S. Criton. Merchant Navy. 10th September 1941. Age 29. Buried Dakar (Bel-Air) Cemetery.
STRIKER, Donkeyman, WILLIAM THEOPHILUS, S.S. Criton. Merchant Navy. 20th August 1942. Age 43. (Served as WILLIAMS, George). Son of William and Albertina Belvina Striker, of Freetown Sierra Leone; husband of Jestina Striker, of Freetown. Buried Dakar (Bel-Air) Cemetery.
HYLAND, Mess Room Boy, DOUGLAS IRVINE. S.S. Criton. Merchant Navy. 16th January 1943. Son of Sidney George and Jessie Violet Hyland, of Ringwood, Victoria, Australia. Buried Freetown (King Tom) Cemetery.
The crew of the Criton received far worse treatment than any other British prisoners of the Vichy French, and was imprisoned longer than other MN prisoners in West Africa. After the war the French government made an ex gratia payment to the British government in compensation, but did not apologise. To add insult to injury, the British Labour government of the day kept the money, and the exceedingly poor treatment of the crew of the Criton conveniently forgotten. Like the Japanese, the Vichy French withheld medicines, Red Cross parcels, clothing and footwear, leaving them rotting in the sun.
Maybe it would be a good idea to get in touch with the French government, who might also want to know what the British government did with the ex gratia compensation payment they sent after the war to compensate the British Merchant seamen tortured by the Vichy French.
Surely the Merchant Navy Association could do this simple task.
Regards from,
Fouro.
Good point Fouro, kt
Just emailed my MP again, reminding her.
Suggest we all bombard our relevant MPs, asking the question.
Vic
will do cappy....
have sent a e mail to local mp ....julian smith re timbuctoo......cappy
have got a reply from my MP re timbuctoo......they are very busy and cannotagree they will follow every query up but will try later......cappy