SS GLOUCESTER CASTLE.
This is the SS Gloucester Castle, of the Union Castlre Line.
On 21 June 1942, my birthday, I was up and out early round to my mate Clogger Farnworth`s house, His brother Joe Farnworth was off to join a ship, SS Gloucester Castle, at Liverpool.
Clogger and I helped to carry his sea bag to the bus stop. "Where you going to Joey" I asked.
"To South Africa` he replied, " Wish we could come as well" we said.
Joe sailed that day in convoy to Freetown, Sierra Leone. then on alone towards the Cape.
On the night of 15 July 1942, she was attacked by the `Michele" a German Raider, Captain Ruckstele, [sic]. Shelled and torpedoed, she sank just South of Acension Island, 93 passengers and crew were killed including Joe Farnworth, aged 17. Deck Boy.
The survivors, 41 were picked up by the Germans, some were transferred to another German ship then the rest were taken out east, three taken off in Singapore to work on the Burma Railway , one died, the others taken ashore in Japan and used as slave labour in the coal mines and steel works in Osaka.
they did not get home until January 1946.then the story came out. Mrs Farnworth was then told that her son Joe had died nearly four years before.
Captain, Helmuth von Ruckteschell of the Michele, was tried for war crimes at the end of WW2, and in 1946 was imprisoned at Spandau.
In 2001 I joined the QE2 to sail to Cape Town. I told the Farnworth family including my old mate `Clogger` and took a Merchant Navy wreath with me.
I spoke to Captain Ron Warwick about the incident and he said he would make arrangemets when we got in the position of the sinking.
On the day south of Acenscion Island a table was laid on the upper deck with a red ensign over and with the wreath I had brought.
with many passengers , a lot of them ex Union Castle, Captain Warwick held a Service over the place of the sinking. then after two minutes silence the Wreath was cast into the sea, A few tears were shed by some of the ladies. The dead of the Gloucester Castle had had their first Service. The Family was very pleased it had happened.
Built in Scotland in 1911.
Gloucester Castle was built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company in 1911 for the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company. Her tonnage 7999 GRT, a length of 450 feet and 7 inches with a beam of 56 feet 2 inches, her speed, a humble 13 knots.
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In September 1914 she was converted to a 410 bed hospital ship In 1915 she was serving in the Galipolli campaign.
Although well identified as a Hospital ship with her large Red crosses painted on her hull, she was torpedoed on the 30th. of March in 1915 on a trip from Le Havre to Southampton, with 399 passengers on board, only 3 died. She did not sink and was taken in tow for repairs In 1919 she was back in service with Union Castle on the South African run.
Gloucester Castle and the Raider, Michele, the Gloucester Castle sinking in the First World War in 1915.
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