Remembering the SS Nerissa

[Bill Dziadyk]

In April 2016, during a Friday noon-hour gathering (and a few pints) with some retired naval officers, I first learned of the S.S. Nerissa. The next day would have been the 75th anniversary of her being sunk on 30 April 1941 by U-552 (Erich Topp). As the lifeboats were being lowered, Topp fired a second torpedo (coup de grace) into the already stricken Nerissa. The sinking of this troopship, about 80 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland, resulted in 207 casualties (81 Merchant Navy, 73 Canadian Army, 10 RCN, 8 RAF, 4 RN, 11 Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) American pilots, 3 Royal Norwegian Air Force and 17 civilians. My book “S.S. Nerissa, the final Crossing” tells the full story, and the first edition was published on Remembrance Day 2019.

As a representative of the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust (owners of HMCS Sackville in Halifax), I attended the Battle of the Atlantic (12-14 May 2023) memorial services in Londonderry. Dave Lepine, a former shipmate and also a CNMT representative, and I arrived in Dublin nine days earlier on 3 May, and we took our time driving to Derry. As we drove up the Irish west coast, we visited locations where the northwesterly winds caused some of the human remains from the sinking of the SS Nerissa to have washed ashore … and be buried in nearby church graveyards.
Click on the RCLSA web site for some highlights of our Irish road trip.

Eighty-one Merchant Navy crew members were killed during the 30 April 1941 sinking:
• five ship’s officers;
• 19 engineering department;
• 14 deck department; and
• 43 Purser’s department – including two women.

Almost three months later, on 20 July 1941, the body of Ernest Walter Winspear (age 30), a Steward, washed ashore onto the north coast of County Donegal. His would be the only body of a Nerissa crew member which was identified during the war. We paid our respects at his grave in the Malin Presbyterian cemetery ... and also remembered his shipmates.

On 28 June 1941, an unidentified body wearing the uniform of Merchant Navy Master washed ashore at Ashleam, Achill Sound in County Mayo. His remains were interred in the Protestant Cemetery at Achill Sound.
We now believe those remains to be those of the 58 year-old Master of the S.S. Nerissa, Gilbert Ratcliffe Watson. The inscription on his gravestone currently reads “A SAILOR / OF THE / 1939 – 1945 / WAR / A MASTER / MERCHANT NAVY / FOUND 28TH JUNE 1941 / KNOWN UNTO GOD”.

Bill Dziadyk

[Peter Kohler]

In case you have not seen this:

https://wantedonthevoyage.blogspot.c...s-nerissa.html

[j.sabourn]

Very interesting Peter especially about Newfoundland , 3 week voyages from same to around the BWI ( British West Indies ) seems rather short for those days what ports did they encompass. In 1967 I was employed by Saguenay Terminals of 1060 University Street
Montreal on their Sun Princess an old Victory ship of WW 11 vintage refitted out for 12 passengers and general cargo of course , our fixed run was Montreal , Quebec, Halifax, the Virgin Islands , Trinidad , and fitted in Puerto Rico when necessary , loaded Bauxite in chagaramus for return to Port Alfred and Other ports on the St. Lawrence and discharge of passengers at Montreal , before restarting the whole process again.This however was a 6 week round trip , the ship still being capable of 18 knots , forgot to mention Bermuda was also a port on the itinerary . I was on that run for nearly a year. Also just prior to accepting that job I was on the short list for a Job in the College of fisheries in St. John’s Newfoundland and heard after joining the vessel in Halifax another port on its retinue of ports , I was told I had been accepted for the lecturer in seamanship for the same. However it was too late as had accepted the ship job and was ensconced there for the next 11 months . So reading your story brought back many thoughts of what could have been a difference in life styles . However whatever will be will be, thank you for bringing back old memories . Regards John Sabourn .
PS The Sun Princess was under the Liberian flag but actually owned by the American Bauxite Company. Or better known as the Aluminum Company of America . JS .