Canallers in WWII

[Dave F]

The crew of "Portadoc" were not picked up by a U-boat. The following is from uboat.net:
At 17.39 hours on 7 Apr, 1941, the unescorted Portadoc (Master John Evan Jones) was hit by one torpedo in the stern from U-124 about 150 miles southwest of Freetown. The ship settled by the stern but did not sink, so the U-boat surfaced at 17.50 hours and shelled her with 21 rounds from the deck gun and the 20mm AA gun. The master and 19 crew members had abandoned ship in two lifeboats and were provided with water after being questioned. The survivors made landfall six days later at Benty, French Guinea and were interned by the Vichy French authorities.

[Guest TB]

The memorial from Patersons office has been relocated to Kam River park.The sight of CPRs old #6 Shed

[TWilush]

Once was watching a show about German U-boats on the Military Channel, one video showed a U-boat entering harbor to cheers and champagne, captains kissing wives and getting medals, etc.; with the boat proudly wearing life rings from her victims along her deck rail. It was too eerie seeing one with "Portadoc" on it, especially now that I know her crew was taken as POW's. Perhaps they were inside the ship throughout the duration of that video..

Do you remember the name of the documentary?

[iandt]

Once was watching a show about German U-boats on the Military Channel, one video showed a U-boat entering harbor to cheers and champagne, captains kissing wives and getting medals, etc.; with the boat proudly wearing life rings from her victims along her deck rail. It was too eerie seeing one with "Portadoc" on it, especially now that I know her crew was taken as POW's. Perhaps they were inside the ship throughout the duration of that video....

[Al]

What happened to the memorial to the lost WWII sailors that Paterson erected outside its office in Thunder Bay?

[paulBeesley]

I believe of all Canadian great lakes operators Paterson lost the largest number of ships during WW2. Partial list follows:

Kenordoc - Shelled. 13 of 20 survived.
Portadoc - Torpedoed. Survivors taken as POWs.
Collingdoc - Struck mine. 1st & 2nd engineer lost.
Sarniadoc - Torpedoed. All lost.
Torondoc - Torpedoed. All 23 lost.
Troisdoc - Torpedoed. All survived.
Prescodoc - Torpedoed, 5 of 21 survived.
Thordoc - Stranded off Cape Breton Island.
Mondoc - Struck submerged object and sank.
Hamildoc - Foundered in heavy seas. All lost.
Soreldock - Torpedoed. 21 of 36 survived.

[Dave F]

According to the book "In Peril on the Sea: The Royal Canadian Navy and the Battle of the Atlantic" by Donald E. Graves, more than 12,000 Canadians served in the merchant marine during the war and 1,600 lost their lives, a higher proportional loss rate than that suffered by the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force, or the Canadian Army. Many Canadians served on foreign flag ships and foreign sailors served on Canadian ships. Merchant mariners were of all ages, some too young to serve in the military and others retired mariners who went back to sea, and others were disqualified from military service for medical reasons. They were all volunteers, no one forced them to perform this dangerous duty in extremely uncomfortable conditions. German U-boats sank 4,800 merchant vessels totaling more than 21 million gross tons, killing at least 40,000 merchant marine sailors.

[BobG]

I read Paul Beesley's comment about steam turbine-powered vessels lacking astern power, and needing time for turbines to spool down before providing it. One time, Capt. Axel Anderson of the-then Frankcliffe Hall(ii) pointed out the shaft revolution counter overhead. "When I need to go astern I ring, then raise my eyes to heaven," he said, looking up at the dial and clasping his hands as if in prayer.

[BobG]

Capt. Walter Bowen, who survived the 1942 torpedoing of the Mont Louis in the Caribbean, was sailing the Meadcliffe Hall some months later when the pulpwood-laden vessel was attacked off St. Yvon, Quebec, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Fortunately, the U-Boat captain "led" the ship too much; the torpedo crossed the Meadcliffe's bow harmlessly. Asked later why he thought his vessel presented an attractive target to the U-Boat commander, the jaunty Bowen replied "I guess he wanted to see all that wood go flying."

[William Lafferty]

The British Ministry of War Transport which requisitioned the vessels turned their management over to British shipowners, but most retained Canadian crews. For example, the crews of the two canallers that have appeared the last couple of days in the News Section, Lennox and George L. Torian, were Canadian. The master of the Lennox, Capt. Daniel Nolan and Ontario resident, survived that torpedoing and also survived the torpedoing of his next command, the Donald Stewart. less than seven months later near Labrador.

[Guest]

I believe that the canallers kept their Canadian crews when they were in British Guiana bauxtite trade or when they went overseas to England or Ireland. Remember they are all part of the Commonwealth.

[BobG]

The Hall canaller Mont Louis went south with her own crew, who remained aboard during her Caribbean service. A number of them did not survive her torpedoing.

[Jared]

During both wars they tended to be operated by British crews once they arrived. I am not positive if they did or didn't. The Kenora was manned by British sailors when she was torpedoed in the Second World War.

[KHenry]

When some of the Canadian canallers went to the Caribbean in World War II to serve in the bauxite trade, did they retain their Canadian crews or were they replaced by others from different countries?