| HMS CURACOA (October 2, 1942)
British light cruiser of 4,290 tons was engaged mainly in convoy escort duties during World War 11. It was while escorting the Queen Mary that disaster struck. The Cunard White Star liner was carrying 15,000 American troops to England when the Curacoa's lookout reported what he thought was a submarine on the port bow. The Queen Mary turned sharply to starboard and the Curacoa, in pursuit of the suspected U-boat, crossed her bows with insufficient clearance causing the two ships to collide. Proceeding on a zigzag course at a speed of twenty eight and a half knots the Queen Mary knifed through the escort cruiser cutting her in two, the halves separated by about 100 yards. Fearful of U-boats in the area and aware of his responsibility to his passengers, the captain did not even slow the ship down until it entered the safer waters of the Firth of Clyde. The 'Queen' was badly damaged, her bow plates folded back at least forty feet into the ship. A total of 338 men aboard the Curacao died as a result of this tragedy (25 officers and 313 ratings) There were 26 survivors. The incident occurred some 20 miles off the coast of Donegal, Ireland.
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On weald of Kent I watched once more
Again I heard that grumbling roar
Of fighter planes; yet none were near
And all around the sky was clear
Borne on the wind a whisper came
'Though men grow old, they stay the same'
And then I knew, unseen to eye
The ageless Few were sweeping by
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