The S.S. Aguila was torpedoed and sunk off the West Coast of Ireland on 19th August 1941. 145 of the 161 crew and passengers went down with the ship. 21 of them were Wrens and one Nursing Sister of the QARNNS. I have a record of the 21 Wrens who died but am unable to identify the Naval Nursing Sister can anybody help please? Grateful for any assistance. Tony
This is the only one listed killed on that day but a different ship: 001 GRIBBLE K E - HMS CORMORANT 19/08/1941 QUEEN ALEXANDRA'S ROYAL NAVAL NURSING SERVICE. CWGC :: Casualty Details
From 'Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service' by Kathleen Harland: 'Trooping was no pleasure cruise.' These words by a Sister who had experienced a long passage on a troopship would probably be fervently echoed by many colleagues. Conditions on board were frequently cramped and crowded, long detours were required for safety reasons whilst always there was the ever present danger of mines and submarines. A tragic incident occurred early in the war, in August 1941, when the SS Aguila was torpedoed five days out from Liverpool with twenty one WRNS on board and one QARNNS Sister, Kate Ellen Gribble who has sometimes been mistakenly included in the number of WRNS. A lifeboat, the Aguila Wren, named in their memory, was lauched in 1952 at Aberystwyth. After service there, it was not broken up, as is customary, but was handed over to the Scunthorpe Sea Cadet Corp, by whom it is still used. Sue
A good book is "Beyond the Call of Duty" by Brian James Crabb. The loss of British Commonwealth Mercantile and Service Women at Sea during the Second World War. If anyone needs a look up let me know. Regards Hugh
Sue Things obviously moved on since Kathleen Harland's book. The following is an extract from the details added to my unfortunate ladies profiles from information picked up from various sources. "As a tribute to the memory of the Wrens a Lifeboat was built and launched 0n 28th June 1952 and named Aguila Wren. During her service at Aberystwyth, Wales, 1951-1964 she saved 14 lives and at Redcar, North Yorkshire,1965-1972 she saved a further 28 lives. She was eventually replaced by a new boat on 22nd November 1972. . There was some concern about the future of Aguila Wren as she was in fact a war memorial so, to avoid her being sold off for use as a fishing boat, Commander Peter Sturdee of RNLI Head Office arranged for her to be sold to the Sea Cadets as a training vessel for Naval Ratings and Wrens and was formerly handed over to Scunthorpe Sea Cadets on 20th May 1973 where she spent 20 years of valuable service, before becoming a diving boat at Tyne Dock. However in 2004 she was found in a poor condition by the son of one of the lifeboats former Redcar shore crew and she was placed in storage. Subsequently in January 2006 she was moved to a specialist firm if lifeboat restorers under the sponsorship of P&O Ferries also the National Historic Ships. The official voice for historic vessels in the UK provided a grant of £2,000 towards the restoration of Aguila Wren." Restoration is reported due for completion in 2011. If anybody has any further news will be grateful for details Tony
Tony Yes, obviously more since then. The book was published undated, but I think it was about 1990/91, so twenty years have passed since then (and it only seems like yesterday ) Sue
Newie to the forum (in fact only joined yesterday) i have a picture of the New recently dedicated "Aquila Wren" memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas Staffs. Which i'm having difficulty in loading into this text message (i guess i'll have to read more as its currently on my desktop!) but please look at my photos at Picasa Web Albums - vianalky - NMA 24th WRNS... there are lots more photos available to see at Picasa Web Albums - vianalky Please feel free to look and take what you want, i enjoy taking the pictures and making available to ANYONE. OK went into "advance" and found a way to put the one photo, i think?
Cecilly Monica Bruce Benjamin in the UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current Name: Cecilly Monica Bruce Benjamin Birth Date: 1920 Birth Place: Islington, London Borough of Islington, Greater London, England Death Date: 19 Aug 1941 Cemetery: Plymouth Naval Memorial Burial or Cremation Place: Plymouth, Plymouth Unitary Authority, Devon, England Has Bio?: Y https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36001356 UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 Name: Cecilly Monica Bruce Benjamin Event: Death Birth Date: 13 Apr 1921 Death Date: 19 Aug 1941 Death Age: 20 England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976 Name: Cecilly Monica Bruce Benjamin Father's name: E M Benjamin Publication Date: Aug 1941 TD
Chief Wren Phyllis Bacon in the UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current Name: Chief Wren Phyllis Bacon Death Date: 19 Aug 1941 Cemetery: Plymouth Naval Memorial Burial or Cremation Place: Plymouth, Plymouth Unitary Authority, Devon, England Has Bio?: Y https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13286199 UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 Name: Phyllis Bacon Event: Death Birth Date: 24 Mar 1920 Birth Place: Not Recorded Death Date: 19 Aug 1941 Death Age: 21 England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976 Name: Phyllis Bacon Father's name: Harold Bacon Death Date: Aug 1941 England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007 Name: Phyllis Bacon Registration Date: 1920 Registration district: Bucklow Inferred County: Cheshire Re-registration Year: 1920 Mother's Maiden Name: Ingleby Volume Number: 8a Page Number: 317 On the basis that her fathers address is Cheshire TD England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995 Name: Phyllis Bacon Death Date: 19 Aug 1941 Death Place: Cheshire, England Probate Date: 12 Oct 1942 Registry: Manchester, Chester, England
