City Of Benares 1940

[Gage]

BBC Inside Out - City of Benares

Such a loss of life. So many children whose parents thought they were doing the right thing.

[Hugh MacLean]

CITY OF BENARES official number 164096 built in 1936 for Ellerman Lines.
18.9.40 torpedoed and sunk by U-48 (Bleichrodt), in the Atlantic 253 miles WSW of Rockall, in position 56.43N 21.15W while on a voyage from Liverpool 13.9.40 to Quebec and Montreal, with 191 passengers, part of convoy OB 213 comprising 19 ships. The Master, Capt Landles Nicoll, Commodore Rear Admiral E.J.G. MacKinnon DSO RN 3 naval staff, 121 crew and 134 passengers including children were lost. 105 survivors were rescued by HM destroyer HURRICANE 1340/39 (H.06) (Lt-Cdr H.C. Simms) ex-Brazilian JAPARUA and landed at Greenock; 42 survivors were adrift for 8 days, then rescued by HM destroyer ANTHONY 1350/29 (Lt-Cdr N.J.V. Thew) (H.40) and landed at Greenock.

Ralph Barker wrote the book "Children of the Benares" and I corresponded with him briefly a few years ago in my research about ss "CITY OF CAIRO" he also wrote a book about that sinking.

Regards
Hugh

[Peter Clare]

CITY OF BENARES (September 17, 1940)
City Lines passenger liner of 11,000 tons (Captain Landles Nicoll) carrying some 400 passengers and 99 evacuee children on their way to a new life in Canada. Part of convoy OB-213, the ship was torpedoed by the U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) when 600 miles and five days out from Liverpool, its starting point. A total of 325 souls were drowned including seventy seven of the ninety children on board. Many survivors were picked up by the destroyer HMS Hurricane. This tragedy ended the British Government's Children's Overseas Resettlement Scheme in which 1,530 children were sent to Canada, 577 to Australia, 353 to South Africa, 202 to New Zealand and another 838 children sent to the United States by the American Committee in London. In August, 1940, the Dutch liner Vollendam was torpedoed and sunk off Ireland but the 321 children on board were all saved. (HMS Hurricane was later lost on December 24, 1943 to the U-415). The U-48 survived the war and was scuttled on May 3, 1945.

[von Poop]

Beryl Myatt, who died aged nine when the SS CITY OF BENARES was torpedoed on 17 September 1940. Beryl was being evacuated to Canada where she was due to stay with her aunt.

IWM Collections Online: Search Photographs Archive

[KriegsmarineFreak]

So horrible that so many innocent children died! They could have cared less about the war! I would feel so bad if I was the German U-boat commander who sunk the City of Benares. Have you guys read the book called, "Miracles On The Water?" Its about the City of Benares and gives a really great overall on the disaster.

[urqh]

There is a marvellous though emotional chapter on the 2 girls fight for survival in the book Their finest hour, the name of the BBC series also of a few years ago. I have to admit to having to put the book down myself during one of the young girls descriptions when the sailors on HMS Grenade (could have been Hms Hurricane memory lacking here) were rowing towards them imploring them to hold on.

[Gage]

Originally Posted by urqh

There is a marvellous though emotional chapter on the 2 girls fight for survival in the book Their finest hour, the name of the BBC series also of a few years ago. I have to admit to having to put the book down myself during one of the young girls descriptions when the sailors on HMS Grenade (could have been Hms Hurricane memory lacking here) were rowing towards them imploring them to hold on.

That's where I first read of the 'City of Benares'. Great book.

[urqh]

Particulary liked the Durham sgt Leggets story in that book. A different generation. Thats a book that should be part of the UK curriculum in my view.