Hi Folk's,I was looking for something totally different on the CWGC website and noticed the burial of two unknown sailors in a local churchyard,not an unusual occurrence in cemeteries along the Tyne as no doubt many souls were recovered during wartime repair's.What surprised me is that the burial date 22/7/42 coincides with the torpedoing and beaching of the ship in the Med.Very strange entry. Casualty Details | CWGC Wiki has this. SS Malines (1921) - Wikipedia
According to post #12 HMS Malines - Axis History Forum: "when the ship was broken up here in my local town in 1948 two dead sailors where found".
Question? Are we actually talking about the same vessel? The Malines built in 1921 that you linked to was commissioned into the RN as HMS Malines in 1940. I’ve confirmed that with the book “Short Sea Long War” and it confirms her torpedoing in the Med in July 1942. After docking in April 1943 she didn’t return to the U.K. until 1945 to be scrapped. At that time she was still HMS. But the CWGC record refers to S.S. Malines, a merchant ship. So was another merchant ship built after 1940 and named Malines or was another vessel renamed Malines in the interim? You might be able to get a Ship Movement Card from the National Archives. These are free at the moment if you register. That might help clarify things.
There is this file at the National Archives: HMS Malines: 22 July 1942: damaged by enemy action, torpedoed by enemy aircraft and... | The National Archives
The Grave Registration Report that Steve linked to states H.M.S. Malines, so the AHF info could well be correct Ewen. Do you know where she was scraped? Anywhere near Whickham? Edit: She was apparently broken-up very nearby, in Dunston, by Clayton & Davie in 1948. Malines 1921
Yes. HMS not SS. My bad. Clearly need a trip to Specsavers. Very sad that the ship was dry docked in Alexandria in March 1943 for patching up and again at Falmouth in 1945 and they didn't find those bodies. She left Egypt under tow in May 1945 and arrived at Wallsend, via Falmouth, on 7 Nov 1945 where she was found to be beyond economic repair and eventually sold for scrap.
Thank's folk's,that clarifies thing's my first thought was that the bodies were discovered during scrapping in 1945 I can only assume the CWGC did their homework and tied these men's death's to the ship's torpedoing in July 42 as you know many unknown burial's are not as specific.be interesting to know how many died in the incident and who was missing.
Amazing what info is out there,see entry 22 july. Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, July 1942 So five missing I know it's pure conjecture but I would assume two of the three stokers?