Martha Heafield and Ellen Quinn - Maltby War Book

Discussion in 'The Women of WW2' started by JRCowie, Dec 9, 2010.

  1. JenJon

    JenJon New Member

    Hi Marie, I am the Vice Chairman of Maltby Royal British Legion. We have recently discovered EW Quins name on a plaque in one of our Catholic Churches. This sparked our curiosity and we began to research and found this thread. We would love to be able to take a look at the letters she wrote your uncle if you still have them and any other information you have found over the years. Thanks in advance. Jon Perry
     
  2. Berties Mum

    Berties Mum Member

     
  3. Berties Mum

    Berties Mum Member

    Hello Marie. I hope I am able to make contact with you again.
    Kind regards
    Karen
     
  4. Tom Lawrence

    Tom Lawrence Member

    I have just started looking into this, and a friend kindly accessed WO 361/441

    There were 25 British military personnel on board the ss Hoi How:

    1) Lt. Col. James Owen Doyle, (N. Staffs. Regt. attached to East Africa Command as General Staff)
    2) Maj. Edward Hillam Clayton Luckham (Kenya Regt. attached to East African Intelligence Corps -commissioned in East Africa*)
    3) Maj. Jack Reah Harper*** (The Rev.) of the East African Army Chaplains' Dept. -commissioned in East Africa).
    4) T/Capt. Joseph Brown (Royal Artillery, 1 Coast Regt. (Mauritius))
    5) Capt. Frank Gordon Budd (Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion)
    6) Capt. Herbert Victor Cushing (Royal Artillery, 1 Coast Bty.** (Mauritius))
    7) Lieut. John Albert Clifford Watt (Royal Artillery)
    8) Lieut. Robert Allan Stewart Scott (Royal Army Medical Corps)
    9) Nursing Sister Annie Jobling (Territorial Army Nursing Service)
    10) Nursing Sister Ellen Winifred (Winnie) Quin (Q.A.I.M.N.S.)
    11) Nursing Sister Eileen Elizabeth Rhoden (Q.A.I.M.N.S.)
    12) Nursing Sister May Whitehead (Territorial Army Nursing Service)
    13) Warrant Officer (Class 1) Edward Quinn (1 Coast Regt. (Mauritius))
    14) Warrant Officer (Class 2) Eric George Beaumont (Royal Artillery 25th Coast Regt.)
    15} Warrant Officer (Class 2) George Edward Lawson (25th Battery, 1st Coast Regt.)
    16) Battery Quartermaster Sergt. James Bernard Sheasby (Royal Artillery 25th Coast Regt.). He was washed up on the shores of Madagascar in a boat, along with another unidentifiable person -both dead)
    17) L/Bombardier Neil Frederick Norris (Royal Artillery 25th Coast Regt.)
    18) L/Corporal Wilfred Stokes (Royal Engineers).
    19) Gunner Ronald Henry Percival Lawrence (Royal Artillery, 25th Coast Regt.)
    20) Gunner William Tegg (DEMS, 3rd Maritime Regt.)
    21) Gunner Lindon Hill (DEMS, 1st Maritime Regt.)
    22) Gunner Edward John Minton (DEMS, 1st Maritime Regt.)
    23) Gunner John Edward Jackson (DEMS, Royal Artillery, 25th Coast Regt.)
    24) Private Andrea Nanda (East African Army Service Corps)
    25) Private Simioni Gerimani Mburika (East African Army Medial Corp. He was Lieut. Scott's orderly)

    * Commission granted by the Governor. He was a school teacher at Prince of Wales School, Nairobi. His wife appears to have got into financial difficulties in Kenya, waiting for the decision that they were not missing, presumed dead. This went on into mid-1944. He is confusing as CWGC has his date of death as 4th July 1943.
    ** I assume that I Coast Regt. and 1 Coast Battery are one and the same unit
    *** His death also caused problems. CWGC have him dying on 27th July 1943
    Next are the ten Merchant Navy personnel:

    1) William Mackensie Christie (Master, s.s. Hoi How). Died in the life boat with the other survivors. DoD is 7th July 1943
    2) John Leslie Gamble (Master on the s.s. Hoi How). There were two Masters. from what i can glean Christie was the 'real one'
    3) John Worsley (Chief Officer)
    4) George Richard Wensley (Chief Engineer Officer)
    5) Robert Leonard Breen Ryde (Second Officer)
    6) Francis Colin McNaughten (Second Engineer Officer, from the Candaian Merchant Navy)
    7) Harold Alfred Thorne (1st Radio Officer)
    8) Albert George Berry (2nd Radio Officer)
    9) James Horace Taylor van Millingen (3rd Officer)
    10) George B. Constable (3rd Officer)

    On top of them were a crew of 80 men from the Indian Merchant Navy. And finally, we have three civilians:

    1) Wilfred Reginald Hare (Described as "Admiralty. Son of Maud Hare, of 5 St. John's Terrace, East Boldon, Co. Durham, and of the late Richard L. Hare.")
    2) Hugh Charles Mumford (Described as "Husband of E. M. Mumford, of 11 Long Walk, Scarborough, Yorkshire")
    3) Harry Melville Wood (Desccribed as "Admiralty. Son of Joseph and Amy Wood, of 35 Westbourne Grove, Harpurhey, Manchester.")

    There is no indication what the mention of "Admiralty" means, but I can only assume they were with the Admiralty on official business, but as civilians

    There were four survivors:

    1) M'Abdul Mea (Indian Merchant Navy, from Calcutta)
    2) Motodeo Colaco (Indian Merchant Navy, from Goa)
    3) Thurujan (Indian Merchant Navy from Bombay)
    4) Frederick William Bellinger Skottowe (Civilian working with Cable & Wireless in Montevideo, who was on leave)

    Capt. Christie and an unknown British sergeant were also on the raft. The Sergeant jumped overboard on Day 3, and Christie died on day 5, which gives six people that survived. That means at least eight survived the sinking, the other two being those who beached dead on the Madagascar Coast.

    Skottowe mentions two more people aboard. He wrote to Mr. Jobling about his daughter, and describes his cabin being next to one with FIVE women in, the fifth being a Miss Moody, "the daughter of the Colonial Secretary". I have not been able to find, or sort her out. The second was a Lieut. West... and again, cannot pin him down either

    This brings us to 122 lost with the ship, and four survivors. I have lost where I read that there were some 145 souls on board, so we are still missing the names of some 23 (or so) people -presumably civilians?
     
  5. Tom Lawrence

    Tom Lawrence Member

    I have since found out that the Miss Moody, the fifth woman on the Hoi How was the daughter of the Acting Colonial Secretary for Mauritius Sydney Moody and his wife Flora.
     

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