Troopship Strathallan

[Harry Nicholson]

21 December 2021:
Today, in 1942, the trooper Strathallan was torpedoed off Oran in North Africa. She carried 2000 troops and 250 Queen Alexandra's nurses.
A elderly lady, Liz Turner, was a member of our art group in Robin Hood's Bay (she died about 2007). Liz spoke about how her ship was torpedoed off Oran, and she took to the boats with many other Queen Alexandra nurses and was landed at Oran. As she was helped off the rope ladder and over the gunwhals of a destroyer, the matelot declared: 'Lummee, a skirt!' I assume she was a survivor of Strathallan.
She was a cultured lady and a fine artist - she must have lived into her 90s. A twinkling eye - she will have seen a lot.

[DeepSea]

Troopship Strathallan, 23,722grt, (P&O SN Co. Ltd) carrying nearly 4,500 British and American troops and 248 nurses, bound for Algiers joined the 12 ship Convoy KMF-5, which departed the Clyde on the 11th December 1942. After a safe crossing, the convoy departed Gibraltar on the 20th December for their final destination. The following day U-562 fired a spread of four torpedoes into the convoy of which one detonated in the engine room of the Strathallan killing two Engineers and four engine room ratings on watch below as well as five troops. Developing a list to port the Master ordered the nurses and troops to abandon ship. After surveying the damage, it was deemed the ship was stable and the evacuation was halted. Those who had already abandoned ship were picked up by the Destroyer HMS Verity and landed at Oran, while the Destroyer HMS Laforey took the ship in tow. The Rescue Tug Restive also came to assist the ship pump out the water from the engine room. As the pumping was taking place the ships leaking fuel oil came into contact with the still red hot boilers causing a massive explosion. With the ship well ablaze the order to abandon ship was given. Retaining a small skeleton crew, Restive continued to tow the ship in the hope of beaching her. For fourteen hours the ship edged along, but it was finally realised the ship was going to capsize and after cutting the tow line the ship finally rolled over and sank in position 36’ 01N 00’ 33W.