SS Banalbanach sunk 7 Jan 1943

Panel from my photo collection

 

Memorial Scroll to 2343566 Edmund Howe Smith of 1st Air Formation signals who died in the sinking

 

Hi

my great grandfather was John u christie who died on this ship.I was just wandering if every person that died received a scroll?and if so how or where can I view this?

 

I think everyone was entitled to them, but not sure if they were automatically issued or if you needed to request them - if he did have one it would have gone to his next of kin

 

thanks,,have you ever visited Tower Hill in London?

 

2155758 Sapper Albert John Ritchie Cochrane, 585 Corps Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

https://ww2talk.com/index.php?threa...ed-wounded-missing.82955/page-63#post-1058562

 

Passengers died in the sinking of the ship RAOC, RASC, Royal Artillery & RASC

 

Crew killed in action 7th January 1943

Benalbanach, steamship
BORLAND, Albert, Gunner, RA, 2209459, (2/1 Maritime Regt, RA, O/P), killed
CARTER, Henry J, Ty/Act/Leading Seaman, RNVR, (DEMS), C/LD/X 4052, (President III, O/P), MPK
COLE, Hugh D, Convoy Signalman, C/JX 234034, (President III, O/P), MPK
COLLARD, Ronald E, Convoy Signalman, C/JX 234035, (President III, O/P), MPK
COX, John T, Convoy Signalman, C/JX 269612, (President III, O/P), MPK
CURTIS, Alfred P, Act/Able Seaman (DEMS), C/JX 235854, (President III, O/P), MPK
EVANS, John T, Act/Able Seaman (DEMS), D/JX 230384, (President III, O/P), MPK
HENDRY, James H W, Gunner, RA, 2824959, (1/1 Maritime Regt, RA, O/P), killed
HOBBIS, John C, Act/Able Seaman (DEMS), D/JX 306300, (President III, O/P), MPK
LAW, James F, Act/Able Seaman (DEMS), C/JX 335709, (President III, O/P), MPK
MATHARS, Henry W, Act/Able Seaman (DEMS), D/JX 345008, (President III, O/P), MPK
MCKENNA, Joseph P/, Gunner, RA, 3319565, (2/1 Maritime Regt, RA, O/P), killed
POLLARD, William, Act/Able Seaman (DEMS), C/JX 333167, (President III, O/P), MPK
RUDD, James E, Act/Able Seaman (DEMS), C/JX 338273, (President III, O/P), MPK
SIMPSON, William J, Gunner, RA, 4755161, (1/1 Maritime Regt, RA, O/P), killed
SMITH, George, Lance Bombardier, RA, 3456485, (1/1 Maritime Regt, RA, O/P), killed

 

Sinking of the Benalbanach January 1943​

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BBC - WW2 People's War - sinking of the Benalbanach January 1943​

 

ADM 358/3060 SS Benalbanach: 7 January 1943; sunk by enemy action 1943 Jan 01 - 1943 Dec 31

Casualties at sea, Mediterranean: SS Benalbanach, sunk off Algiers, 7 January 1943 | The National Archives

 

For the sake of completeness:
The attack was carried out by He 111 of KG 26 (Löwen Geschwader) from Grosseto/Italy airbase


You probably won't find much more about this even in the war diary of the Kriegsmarine
Extensive picture collection:
Kampfgeschwader 26 "Löwen" (KG 26)

 

Also in the interests of completeness, Robert has missed one of the MN casualties in this list. There were actually 44 merchant seamen killed on this ship. The omission from the list above is:

DUNSHIRE, DAVID. CABIN BOY. S.S. BENALBANACH (Leith, Scotland). Canadian Merchant Navy. 7th January 1943. Panel 23. (Halifax (Can)).

The Chief Officer in his report to the Admiralty Trade Division stated there were 57 crew missing. During wartime the crew also included the military D.E.M.S. gunners. So, if they signed the articles of agreement they were borne on the ship's books as crew. 44 MN, 8 RN D.E.M.S., 5 MRA D.E.M.S made up the total crew deaths to 57. Note 3 RN convoy signalmen also died aboard but would not be classed as part of her crew as they were not permanently attached and didn't sign the articles.

Lloyd's War Losses Vol I gives 340 as the losses for the military passengers however, sources differ on this.

Regards
Hugh

 

Further to this thread would anyone have a copy of the manifest for SS Benalbanach. I am researching its journey from England to its sinking as interested in the 17th/21 Lancers who were also killed when she sank. There seems to be quite a disparity into which aircraft actually sank the ship, an eye witness account states 5 Italian torpedo bombers with alone bomber striking the ship with two torpedoes yet in Eagles over the Sea, 1943–45: A History of Luftwaffe Maritime Operations, by Lawrence Paterson it records a flight of 17 Heinkel's HEIII from Kampfgeschwader 26 (KG 26) "Löwengeschwader" (in English Bomber Wing 26 aka "Lions' Wing" by virtue of its insignia) based in Grosseto, Italy.

 

As Hugh says, in addition the 44 MN crew losses, there are various different casualty/personnel accounts for this sinking.

Lloyd's war losses says 57 crew, 17 gunners and 389 Army passengers onboard, of whom 44 crew, 13 gunners and 340 passengers lost (but doesn't mention the RN signallers).
Book Shipping company losses says 57 crew and 353 passengers killed
Book Utmost spirit says 40 survivors (plus had been carrying 375 passengers)
Book Luftwaffe aerial torpedo aircraft and operations says 463 onboard, of whom 397 lost

For information the Brookwood Memorial lists 2 Officers and 141 OR killed as onboard Benalbanch, plus has another 82 OR lost on this date who were probably onboard as their units match with identified casualties. There are another 10 casualties buried at Bone War Cemetery and 110 others remembered on the Medjez-el-Bad Memorial most of whom were almost certainly lost in the sinking, but I haven't yet been able to confirm their presence onboard (ADM358/3060 will probably shed some more light when I get a chance to see it).

In addition to the crew and passenger deaths, CWGC lists 8 OR RN and 5 Army gunners and 3 RN signalers lost with the sinking.

Regards,

Steve

 

The ship's chief officer reported that he thought the aircraft that attacked them was an 'Italian machine probably of the S.M.79 class'. Although he only saw 5 planes he was told there were 16 aircraft making the attack and that some of them were high level bombers.

His report was written not long after the attack and he only states that he thought the aircraft was Italian. He was the chief officer on the ship but probably not an aircraft recognition expert. Other more up to date research certainly seems to agree on the HE 111 from (KG26) out of Grosseto Italy, whether it involved any Italian aircraft, I cannot say.

Regards
Hugh

 

Thanks Steve, I hope I can now create a comprehensive list of the crew and troops. Would anyone have a list of the stores carried as I know the 17th/21st Lancers were expecting some new Grant tanks but I don't know if they were on board the ship.

 

Thanks Hugh that seems to confirm the details in Lawrence Paterson's book

 

To be able to account for all of the crew including the survivors and the D.E.M.S. gunners then you would need to obtain a copy of the Ship's Official Logbook or rather the shore-side copy as the physical log was lost with the ship.
This file is held at TNA Kew in piece BT 381/2585 there are other files to account for missing military troops not carried as members of her crew, namely ADM358/3060.

The ship was carrying 800 tons of ammunition, 68 tons of petrol, 300 tons of Military Stores and 136 vehicles.

Regards
Hugh

 

Once again thanks Hugh the links are very helpful

Steve

 

As for an extra confirmation of that He 111Hs from KG 26 sunk the ship
SS Benalbanach is not mentioned in the lists of Ships sunk by S.79 Sparviero torpedo-bombers in the Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Torpedo-Bomber Units by Marco Mattioli, Osprey Combat Aircraft 106 (2014), S.79s carried only one torpedo on their combat sorties anyway,