Troopship Mohamed Ali El-Kebir

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by indypendypuss, Dec 7, 2014.

  1. indypendypuss

    indypendypuss Member

    She was sunk on 7th August 1940 bound for Gibraltar.

    The troops on board were;

    - six officers and 243 men of the 706th Construction Company,Royal Engineers

    - six officers and 289 men of the 15th Company, Royal Pioneer Corps,

    - two officers and 44 ratings of the Royal Navy, 20 Royal Marines,

    - 97 officers and men of the Royal Artillery and the Intelligence Corps.

    Would anyone know where the Royal Artillery unit was to be deployed or where I can find out.

    Thanks,

    Andrew

    on behalf of my Village History Society as one of the men lost was Gunner William Tyrrell Mobbs who came from our village.
     
  2. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The only way to be certain is to order a copy of his service records as presumably the CWGC file holds no further unit information. I'm not sure how RA DEMS gunners were shown on CWGC listings.

    However, there are two further RA casualties on 7th August who are possibles from this ship - another on the Brookwood Memorial and one buried at Ahamplish Churchyard on the west coast of Ireland which fits in with the bodies later washed ashore. There are also several from the Pioneer Corps there from the same date.

    http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx

    Both these men were 56 Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery. In the case of Loft, we're told 'B' Battery.
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hello and welcome to the forum. Without wishing to do a sales pitch on you there is a Missing Men file on this ship at The National Archives. It should contain as close as you will get of a nominal roll of all on board her. I only recognised the name as she is listed amongst all the 1940 France mising men files. The ref number is WO 361/7

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  4. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

    According to his death record he was shown as RA (drafted to M.E.) which I presume would be Middle East.
    Regards
    Hugh
     
  5. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Panel attached from Brookwood


    MOBBS, WILLIAM TYRRELL

    Rank:

    Gunner

    Service No:

    933636

    Date of Death:

    07/08/1940

    Age:

    22

    Regiment/Service:

    Royal Artillery

    Panel Reference:

    Panel 3. Column 3.

    Memorial:

    BROOKWOOD MEMORIAL

    Additional Information:

    Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Mobbs, of Pill, Bristol.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Bernard85

    Bernard85 WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    good day indypendypuss.yesterday.02:39pm.re:troopship mohamed ali-kebir.i am not familiar with this vessel.or the outcome of those onboard,to those who were lost may they rest in peace regards bernard85 :poppy: :poppy:
     
  7. Thank you for your replies particularly the National Archive reference. I had hoped to find some reference to the deployment of this mixed task force. As many of them survived maybe i should be focussing on the survivors or deployment records for the relevant units post the sinking of the troop ship.

    Ironically, I have just found very detailed information on when and why William's parents came to live in the village in 1915. His Dad was a groom in Northamptonshire and posted to the Remount Station at Shirehampton just across the river from us. His service record contains some very personal information.

    I have also developed the family trees of William's sisters and there is one branch of the family with a very distinctive Polish surname still thriving locally and I am hoping to get in touch with William's great nephew as I have no information on William's pre war employment or childhood. The Western Daily Press fills in some of these gaps with Roll of Honour announcements but not for William. The paper did briefly report the Admiralty announcement of the loss of the troop ship on 12th August 1940.

    Andrew

    P.S. I made initial contact with the family last night but it looks as if there is little information to be found on William's pre war life.
     

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