Ellerman Line War Losses 1939 - 1945

[Hugh]

Hello all,

At the outbreak of WWII the Ellerman Line owned 105 cargo and passenger ships and by the end of hostilities in 1945 they had paid a very heavy price - 60 vessels had been lost.

There is a lot of information in books and on the Web about the company but I couldn't find a complete list of war losses anywhere so I decided to write this up.

http://www.sscityofcairo.co.uk/warlosses.php

Please feel free to point out any errors or omissions.

Regards

[Ron (Steve) Wylie]

Hi Hugh Your Thread Ellerman Line War losses Ships and causes great.
What I am trying to track down is the loss of life of each individual ship to be included in the table Fleets.
Would wish to include treatise in MM-Pedia under Fleets, Ellerman Castle Line with attached crew losses each ship.
Our Chief Purser (Catherine) will be back on board Friday. Standby, Regards Ron(S)

[Hugh]

Hello Ron(S).

No problem, I will see what I can find out regarding casualties.

Regards

[Hugh]

My latest project as requested by Ron (S) is to document the losses of the Ellerman fleet during WWII. The ships lost have already been uploaded to my website and I am now currently trying to establish the casualty figures. This was always going to be the most difficult part of the research.

For most of these vessels I have various sources agreeing with the total casualties but there are about a half dozen which give differing figures. These are mainly vessels with a large loss of life and some complicated by the fact that troops and passengers were carried. Some of the discrepancies are also down to the fact that DEMS gunners were missed out in some of those sources.

I hope you don’t mind if I post the ships that I need help on in this thread. I will do them one at a time to keep it simple.

The first ship is FLORIAN official number 166292 lost with all hands, 21st January 1940. Some sources say 41 lost others say 43 or 44 but I am not sure if the two DEMS gunners are accounted for in those figures. Any confirmation would be appreciated.

Regards

[Billy McGee]

Hugh,

44 casualties

Tower Hill

ALLAN, Fireman and Trimmer, FRANK,

ALLAN, Fireman and Trimmer, WALTER CHRISTOPHER,

ALLEN, Apprentice, GRAHAM SIMSON,

BARBER, Trimmer, WILLIAM ERNEST,

BARKER, Cadet, RONALD

BEWLEY, Assistant Cook, FREDERICK

BROBERG, Fireman and Trimmer, GUSTAV VICTOR

BROWN, Fireman and Trimmer, JOSHUA,

BROWNLEE, Carpenter, GEORGE LESLIE,

CAWKWELL, Fireman and Trimmer, HAROLD,

CONSITT, Able Seaman, VICTOR,

DEAKIN, Sailor, SIDNEY

FOSTER, Cadet, JOHN GERALD

GEDDES, Fireman and Trimmer, JOHN CORAL

HARWOOD, Fourth Engineer Officer, ROBERT SAMSON

HAZELL, Chief Steward, GEORGE RONALD,

HOLMES, Able Seaman, THOMAS GEORGE,

HUNT, Donkeyman, ALFRED ALBERT DARDANELLES,

HUNTER, Able Seaman, WILFRED

IBBETSON, Able Seaman, LESLIE,

KRINKLE, Assistant Steward, FRANK,

LIKEMAN, Third Officer, THOMAS GEORGE,

LOVE, Cadet, DAVID RONALD

LOWSON, Trimmer, FREDERICK

MANN, Master, LAURENCE ROBERT

MANNING, Donkeyman, ERNEST CARR,

MARKWELL, Boatswain, EDWARD,

MOIR, Chief Engineer Officer, JAMES ARCHIBALD,

McGOWAN, Fireman and Trimmer, BERNARD

NEEDHAM, Chief Steward, STANLEY OSCAR,

PETLEY, Chief Officer, JAMES ARTHUR,

ROCHE, Able Seaman, JOHN WILLIAM

SHAW, Second Radio Officer, JACK,

STEPHENS, Third Engineer Officer, CLARENCE FREDERICK

STEVENSON, Cook, ARTHUR,

STONE, First Radio Officer, RENDLE CHARLES JAMES

TAYLOR, Fireman and Trimmer, WILLIAM,

WETTON, Donkeyman, JOHN HENRY,

WILLIAMS, Second Officer, WILLIAM LLOYD,

YEOMAN, Trimmer, GEORGE HERBERT,

YORGENSON, Second Engineer Officer, ARTHUR CARLO,

Halifax Memorial

CROWELL, Fireman CLYDE

DEMS

EVANS, Able Seaman, ALBERT HENRY, D/JX 219188.

WHEATLEY, Able Seaman, REGINALD HORACE, P/JX 204917.

[Hugh]

Many thanks, Billy we are off to a flying start.
Regards

[Ron (Steve) Wylie]

Hi.
If we can come up with a figure from U.K. of all WW2 "crew" losses (Passengers?) available Ellerman Line Ships for addition to Hugh's table.
This a great example to all Forum users of collective losses one source.
Your source of info the best way to go. Interesting Regards Ron(S).

[Hugh]

Most of my sources agree that the figure for CITY OF CARDIFF is 21 lost, but Able Seaman Dennis CHATWIN R.N. is listed on naval-history.net as a casualty being lost from CITY OF CARDIFF 18/08/1942 10 days before the loss of the ship. Can I assume that this is not a mistake and he wasn't killed on 28th August when the ship was torpedoed.

Regards

[malcolmmacdonald]

Can you clarify the status of previous casualties on vessels who died through illness, accident, lost overboard, action, etc?

In otherwords, serving crew who died on other dates before the date that a specific ship was sunk by enemy action.

I just want to be clear on what is being looked for as I am aware of a Quartermaster who went overboard from the City of Cairo in 1941 and is not in CWGC records but is in Marine Death Registration records.

Regards
Malcolm Macdonald

[Hugh]

Hello Malcolm,

The casualties that I am researching are the numbers lost when each of the vessels was sunk which, as I am already finding out, is no easy task. To compile a list of all those lost on these vessels at other times would be outwith my resources at present.

I would be interested in the name of the QM who was lost on "CITY OF CAIRO" in 1941.

Regards