Hospital Ship St David - names of lost

I am looking to compile a full list of those lost when St David was sunk off Anzio on 24/01/1944. I have seen various figures for numbers lost in this sinking; where the MN, RAMC and QA nurses losses are consistent, it’s patients/others lost where it gets less clear

Using the CWGC site, and the date of sinking, the records are as follows:

Merchant Navy lost are on the Tower Hill memorial

RAMC Officers/QA Nurses are on Brookwood memorial

RAMC non-commissioned/ORs are on Cassino memorial

There are names of other allied servicemen who died on that day in other Italian war cemeteries – ANZIO, BARI, BEACH HEAD - ANZIO, CASERTA, MINTURNO, MORO RIVER CANADIAN, SALERNO, SANGRO RIVER.

Grateful for any assistance on this.

 

Tom,

In this thread there are four or five posts about the ship (no casualties in detail): Hospital ships photographs

Using an online search: "Hospital Ship" + "St David" site:ww2talk.com I found four threads.

I noted the ship was named as a HM Hospital Carrier, not HMHS and an online search minus "..." found many weblinks - which I did not look at. So using: "st david" + "ANZIO" site:ww2talk.com that returned a numbe rof threads, at a glance some refer to the awards / medals issued.

Have you seen this? It specifies the losses: H.M.H.S. St. David

Hugh McLean, our naval expert (there are others) appears on: https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/threads/hospital-ship-ss-st-david.40189/page-2 with several posts and a pointer to the ship's War Diary.

A single photocopied sheet:

See: Photocopies of extract from an official report of the sinking of the Hospital Ship <i>St. David</i> off Anzio Beach, Italy, on 24 Jan 1944, and of the citation for Captain Jenkin Robert Oswald Thompson, RAMC, who went down with the ship

Better stop you may already have these and more! Good luck.

 

Hello and welcome Tom,
As well as the detail supplied by davidbfpo

Unfortunately, the Merchant Navy, Survivor's Report for ST DAVID is one of those that I don't have it should be held at TNA Kew in piece ADM 199/2147 page 18.
Also with regard to service casualties aboard this ship then you should obtain ADM 358/4311

Author Brian James Crabb writes about this ship along with many others in "Beyond the Call of Duty" which I have a copy. He states: the crew numbered 74.
"Captain Owens had been last seen swimming in the water. He was not seen again. losing his life with 12 of his crew, 22 RAMC including 2 nursing sisters from the Reserve QAIMNS and 22 patients. 159 people were picked up, six were injured".

Regards
Hugh

 

The QAIMNS being: Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service. Who do pop up here.

 

Many thanks for this, am still trying to reconcile figures, the Benfleet site shows lost as:

Captain Owens + 12 crew – YES, per Tower Hill

22 patients - N/K

22 Royal Army Medical Corps, including 2 nursing sisters

The photocopied page titled Hospital Carrier “SAINT DAVID” extract states:

‘Lt-Col Eves, Capt. JRO Thompson and 15 of their comrades in the RAMC lost their lives.

I have found 15 so far, on CWGC plus the two sisters, and 2 other possibles, 1 x Sth Af Med Corps, 1 x RAMC on a different memorial on same day of sinking

So, depends on whether the figure in the latter included the sisters as RAMC?

 

I'm sure you've got all these, but from my notes.

S.S. St David (No27), (2702t), Hospital Carrier; Lost being attacked by German aircraft about 20 miles off Anzio
Crew
Greaser Walter Phillips (49)
Master Evan W. Owens (49)
Assistant Steward Robert Butler (44)
Sailor Samuel C. Cozens (26)
Quartermaster Philip Maher (58)
Greaser Thomas E. Llewellyn (62)
Able Seaman Joseph W. Blackburn (22)
Greaser Arthur Williams (63)
Quartermaster Thomas B. Anderson (48)
Greaser William Rees (58)
Assistant Steward George Kelly (50)
Assistant Steward Alexander K. Todd (32)
Greaser Robert J. Vine (62)

Medical Staff
Sister DIXON SARAH ELIZABETH, 206968, QAIMNS [BM]
Sister HARRISON WINNIE ALICE ELIZABETH 260251, QAIMNS [BM]

Plus these three who I've not been able to confirm, but who are listed on the Brookwood Memorial on the same date.

Captain McNAMARA ROBERT WILLIAM 0 '167784' RAMC
Lieutenant Colonel EVES THOMAS SWAN 60 '10046' RAMC
Captain THOMPSON JENKIN ROBERT OSWALD 0 '115213' RAMC

Passengers/Patients (All ex LCT542)
DEAKIN, Douglas L, Able Seaman, C/JX 352353, MPK [ChM] [ CWGC says LC Flotilla 542]
FEENEY, Thomas, Wireman, D/MX 103626, MPK [PlyM]
McCORMICK, Ronald T, Act/Able Seaman, D/JX 362279, MPK [PlyM]
MULHOLLAND, George M, Able Seaman, P/JX 168840, MPK [PoM] [CGWC says 570 LCT Flotilla]

Regards,

Steve

 

Many thanks...may I ask how you established the 4 passengers as being on board?
I agree all the other names, the other RAMC - Non commissioned, are on Cassino memorial as RAMC

 

So, my advice for what it is worth, is that trawling around will give some names but chances are the ship they were on will remain guesswork.
Although no guarantees of 100% success, I suggest you do try and obtain ADM 358/4311 as per my #3 above and also WO 177/1445

These files would/should rule in/out the following RAMC lost at sea on that day and some of the others that you may not be sure about.




Regards
Hugh

 

I found the reference to LCT542 casualties being onboard St David here. For info, the LCT had been damaged at Anzio on the 22nd.

H.M.H.S. St. David | Second World War | Benfleet Community Archive

Regards,

Steve