Non-Commemorated/Angus MacLennan SS ALOE

For two years I have tried to have this man accepted by the CWGC to no avail.

During WWII when, and if possible, it was known for a U-boat Commander to take the Captain of the sunken ship PoW, or the most senior officer found. A number of these U-boats were then lost with all hands before returning home.

Of the 9 recorded British crew and 1 passenger lost in such circumstances, all those named below have received War Grave status under the CWGC remit and recorded accordingly on Tower Hill Memorial & (civilian register for the passenger lost) with the exception of Captain Angus MacLennan from the SS ALOE.

ALOE sunk by U-182: Master Angus MacLennan
BARON DECHMONT sunk by U-507: Master Donald MacCallum (Panel 14)
EMPIRE DAY sunk by U-198: Chief Officer Robert Courteney Selfe ( Panel 40)
JOHN HOLT sunk by U-66: Master Cecil Gordon Hime and passenger Stanton Hanna Elliott (Panel 59)
MANAAR sunk by Leonardo da Vinci: Second Officer Robert Gray (Panel 67)
OAKBANK sunk by U-507: Master James Stewart and Apprentice Ian Hamish Innes-Sim (Panel 75)
ST. USK sunk by U-161: Master George Henry Moss (Panel 91)
YORKWOOD sunk by U-507: Master Frank Herbert Fenn (Panel 120)

Angus MacLennan eldest of five children, son of Norman MacLennan and Mary Graham., born 12th April 1889 on the island of Fladda, a smaller island off the island of Raasay. Married a Scottish girl (a Miss MacKenzie) in South Africa. Killed 16th May 1943. Age 54.

Records from The National Archives in BT373/7 state: "According to the ships registry Captain MacLennan was appointed Master of the ALOE 15th June 1942 at Durban. No report of him being superceded has been seen and it is therefore presumed that he was still the Master at the time the ship was lost." (dated 18/4/44)

Cargo ship ALOE, 5,047grt, built 1925 (South African Railways & Harbour Admin.) had been sailing independently from Bunbury, Western Australia to Durban with a cargo of wheat, timber, lead and bags of mail. On the 5th April 1943, 420 miles South-East of Durban the ALOE was intercepted by U-182 on her first active patrol, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Asmus Nicolai Clausen , and sunk by torpedo in position 32' 37S 37' 50E. After safely abandoning ship without loss of life, U-182 surfaced and approached the lifeboats and took Captain MacLennan onboard as a prisoner. After providing food and other means in order to survive for the remaining crewmembers, U-182 left the scene. The 46 survivors were eventually picked up by the American liberty ship Alexander Ramsey and landed at Cape Town.

I have obtained a copy of a German document taken by the British at the end of the war stating:

On the 10th April, Kapitänleutnant Clausen sent a radio message to the U-boat command (Bdu) informing them of the sinking of the ALOE and that the ships Master was onboard his U-boat. The final radio signal sent from U-182 on the 1st May 1943 stated they had sunk a Greek merchant ship named Adelfotis and this is the last anything was heard from the U-boat, her 61 crew and Captain MacLennan. The Germans recorded the U-boat as officially missing 15th May 1943 and probable cause of loss by US aircraft. It turns out U-182 was actually sunk the 16th May 1943 North-West of Madeira in position 33' 55N, 20' 35W, by depth charges from the American destroyer USS Mackenzie, which had been part of the escort group for the Algiers bound Convoy UGS-8.

 

Hi Billy,

Have you spoken to Chris Harley? He does a lot of work regarding non-commemorated war dead. What was the reason CWGC gave for their refusal?

Regards
Andy

 

Andy,

Insufficient evidence to prove he was on board the U-boat at the time of loss. Don't know where they think it may have gone to drop him off or have him transferred to another vessel. Unfortunately there was no survivors report written up from the Aloe to back up the German report that he had been taken prisoner in the first place.

 

Cheers for the reply Billy,

I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to do all that work only to get knocked back by the powers that be.

Regards
Andy

 

Billy, are there any papers surviving for the Alexander Ramsey?

 

A bit too cryptic for me, Geoff - what has Alexander Ramsey (Liberty ship?) to do with this?

 

. The 46 survivors were eventually picked up by the American liberty ship Alexander Ramsey and landed at Cape Town.

Hello Kevin,
I think Geoff was referring to the above.

ALEXANDER RAMSEY was an American Liberty ship and was registered in the US. It is very unlikely that there are any records at Kew. There may however, be records across the pond.

No survivors report was made by anyone from ALOE.

Regards
Hugh

 

Billy

please have a look a our projects web site IFCP - Home Page; all the info is there on how to submit a case with us

Chris

 

I have not been looking at these pages that much recently as I have been up to my eyeball with Great War non comms

 

Doh!! Thanks Hugh, obviously missed the survivors being picked up - just saw that Alex Ramsey later ran aground loaded with bombs.....

After all this time, it is evident that Captain MacLennan is dead. Last seen alive on U182, which was sunk 15th May. If he had been put ashore, he would have been found. Therefore as he wasn't he must have gone down with U182.

Surely it's churlish to deny the man at least the dignity of his Name in CWGC records in line with the other SEVEN similar examples?

I look forward to hearing that this omission is being rectified so that his Name can be remembered properly.

 

please have a look a our projects web site IFCP - Home Page; all the info is there on how to submit a case with us


Billy has already submitted the case and had it rejected. Terry Won't take it on without additional supporting evidence. Do we know who decides these cases? The Navy were said to be quite useless, in their decisions, some years ago. Is this still the case (I'm probably thinking of the trouble Neil Clark had)

 

Billy

please have a look a our projects web site IFCP - Home Page; all the info is there on how to submit a case with us

Chris


Thanks Chris,

I have had dealings with submitting casualties to the CWGC for a number of years from the Merchant Navy who are governed by separate rules as those from the three armed services.

"British & Commonwealth Merchant Seamen lost during WWII should, according to the rules, are only to be commemorated when they are seen to be lost as a result of “Increased War Risk” and the loss is confirmed by the Registrar General of Seaman and Shipping".

Although sympathetic to the cause, until there is a change in the law, the hands of the CWGC are tied. At present I have over 1000 Merchant Seamen on file who died just between September 1939 to December 1940 who have been omitted because of these rules. I am working on the 1941 deaths at present from original files held at Kew from the Deaths at Sea Register. The intention is to have all the names up to 1945 submitted to the Commission in the hope some sort of official recognition will be given.

Another two classic examples are what I have had to contend with was the loss of the SS Lochgarry lost 20 January 1942 in comparison to the loss of the SS Ashbury 8th January 1945.

Twenty-two men lost their lives from the Lochgarry when their lifeboat was smashed against the rocks North of Doon Bay after their ship foundered in bad weather. The three DEMS gunners killed from Lochgarry all received War Grave status, two being buried ashore with the third being commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. None of her Merchant Seamen killed were granted this privilege and have no official commemoration. The Ashbury, which had foundered under similar conditions have all her crew rightly commemorated as war dead. The reason those from the Lochgarry were omitted is simply because theRegistrar General of Seaman and Shipping did not put the names forward to the CWGC for commemoration and I recently failed in a bid to have them officially commemorated, because of the strict rules the CWGC are governed by.

Captain MacLennan is just one amongst many, which I will not let go until at least common sense prevails.

Rgds Billy

 

Billy

I understand your frustration; Im about to put 4 men from the Civilian CWGC ROH forward as non commemorated Merchant seaman due to fact that they died of injuries recieved through enemy action at sea. One I have already submitted is http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/non-commemorated-war-dead/22642-abbas-bekin-merchant-navy.html

Im also looking at 4 more NZ merchant seamen

Chris

 

Have you contacted anyone at U Boat net

 

Billy

I understand your frustration; Im about to put 4 men from the Civilian CWGC ROH forward as non commemorated Merchant seaman due to fact that they died of injuries recieved through enemy action at sea. One I have already submitted is http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/non-commemorated-war-dead/22642-abbas-bekin-merchant-navy.html

Im also looking at 4 more NZ merchant seamen

Chris

I recently submitted these five to the Commission who are on the civilian register but should commemorated as Merchant Navy.

Hopper Barge "D". 262grt (William Cooper & Sons Ltd) On the River Mersey loaded with a cargo of sand at the Eastham Channel the barge left her anchorage at 23.30 hours on the 15th January 1945 and had been heading for the West Bank Dock, Widnes. The barge never arrived. An extensive search was made and wreckage was eventually discovered three days later just over a mile from the Eastham pumping chimney. The wreck damage was found to be consistent of that from an external explosion. The Head Dock Gateman at Eastham informed the inquiry about midnight on the 15th January he had been awakened by an explosion. The final conclusion was that the barge had been sunk by an external explosion, probably that of a relic of the blitz three years earlier. The explosion theory was later substantiated when the body of the Chief Mate was found the following month and the Coroner recorded a verdict of "Death from asphyxia, shock and multiple injuries following an external explosion" The body of the young boy rating was also discovered some considerable time later

BOOTH, Boy Rating, ERIC. Hopper Barge "D". (Merchant Navy) 16th January 1945. Age 16. Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Edgar Booth, of 105 Cholmondeley Street, Widnes, Lancashire.

BRENNAN, Fireman, MICHAEL. Hopper Barge "D". (Merchant Navy) 16th January 1945. Age 40. Husband of Mary I. Brennan, of 235 Upper Mann Street, Liverpool 8.

LEE, Master, RICHARD. Hopper Barge "D" (Merchant Navy). 16th February 1945. Age 48. Son of the late Capt. William Shaw Lee; husband of Alice Lee, of 118 Mersey Road, Widnes. on the River Mersey.


MURRAY, Chief Mate ROBERT. Hopper Barge "D" Merchant Navy. 16th January 1945. Age 54 of 28 White Street, Widnes. Body found at foreshore, Speke, opposite the airport 25th February 1945.

ROWE, Chief Engineer, ALBERT. Hopper Barge "D" Merchant Navy. 16th January 1945. Age 61. Husband of S. J. Rowe, of 56 Oakland Street, Widnes.

All five are recorded in the Deaths at Sea Register and I have copies of her last Crew Agreement from Kew. I also have the death certificates of Robert Murray & Eric Booth and their deaths are recorded as "owing to enemy action war operations". I hope to have their graves marked accordingly as other men lost from these Steam Hoppers were. Hopefully the other names will be placed on Tower Hill Memorial where they rightly belong.

 

Have you contacted anyone at U Boat net

It was Rainer from the U-boat.net who gave me the link details regarding the U-boats Bdu report, stating Capt. MacLennan was onboard the U-boat.

 

Billy

if they get accepted I will try to find the graves in Widnes; just for your info they are


Name:

DUMBILL, PETER WEBB
Initials:

P W
Nationality:

United Kingdom
Rank:

Civilian
Regiment/Service:

Civilian War Dead
Age:

47
Date of Death:

25/11/1940
Additional information:

Merchant Navy. Son of Peter Dumbill, of 113 North Hill Street; husband of Doris Dumbill, of 249 Hotwell Road, Bristol. Injured 17 November 1940, at sea; died at Walton Hospital.
Casualty Type:

Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority:

LIVERPOOL, COUNTY BOROUGH



Name:

MAYARACUS, EMMANUEL
Initials:

E
Nationality:

United Kingdom
Rank:

Civilian
Regiment/Service:

Civilian War Dead
Age:

43
Date of Death:

06/07/1940
Additional information:

Merchant Navy; of 17 Schippers, Antwerp, Belgium. Injured on board S.S. Kildare; died at Corporation Hospital.
Casualty Type:

Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority:

GRIMSBY, COUNTY BOROUGH



Name:

MIAH, KALA
Initials:

K
Nationality:

United Kingdom
Rank:

Civilian
Regiment/Service:

Civilian War Dead
Age:

18
Date of Death:

14/11/1939
Additional information:

Merchant Navy; of Koakali, India. Injured at sea; died at General Hospital, Margate.
Casualty Type:

Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority:

MARGATE, MUNICIPAL BOROUGH



Name:

MONIER
Nationality:

United Kingdom
Rank:

Civilian
Regiment/Service:

Civilian War Dead
Age:

42
Date of Death:

13/11/1939
Additional information:

Merchant Navy. Injured, at sea; died at General Hospital, Margate.
Casualty Type:

Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority:

MARGATE, MUNICIPAL BOROUGH



Name:

O'BRIEN, JEREMIAH
Initials:

J
Nationality:

United Kingdom
Rank:

Civilian
Regiment/Service:

Civilian War Dead
Age:

28
Date of Death:

07/05/1941
Additional information:

Merchant Navy. Son of John O'Brien, of 11 Barrington Street, Aberfan, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Injured 5 May 1941, on board S.S. Seminole; died at Royal Victoria Hospital.
Casualty Type:

Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority:

BELFAST, COUNTY BOROUGH, N. IRELAND


Also there are now 47 Great War names to be removed from Tower Hill as I have found their graves


Chris

 

Name:

MAYARACUS, EMMANUEL
Initials:

E
Nationality:

United Kingdom
Rank:

Civilian
Regiment/Service:

Civilian War Dead
Age:

43
Date of Death:

06/07/1940
Additional information:

Merchant Navy; of 17 Schippers, Antwerp, Belgium. Injured on board S.S. Kildare; died at Corporation Hospital.
Casualty Type:

Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority:

GRIMSBY, COUNTY BOROUGH



Chris
Hello Chris,

The man you name above is recorded in the Deaths at Sea Register in July 1940 as killed by enemy action denoted by E. A. on second attachment.He is recorded as dying from "Pulmonary TB aggravated by immersion caused by enemy action" Although the spelling of his name is different, I believe they are one and the same person. He is also listed below by the CWGC as war dead and is buried ashore at Grimsby.

MAZAROKIS, Fireman and Trimmer, MANUEL, S.S. Kildale (Whitby). Merchant Navy. 6th July 1940. Age 43. Buried Grimsby (Scartho Road) Cemetery. Sec. 114. Row B. Grave 2.

Hope this helps

Regarding the two graves at Widnes from Hopper Barge "D" I have the plot numbers thanks.

Rgds Billy

 

Billy

I will get that reported as duplicate record & have the civilian ROH entry removed

Chris

 

I have in the last week been contacted by another family member of Captain McLennan who has documents and letters/telegrams from some survivors of the Aloe describing the removal of the Captain from his lifeboat. The documents are very fragile, I have been informed, but they are going to photo copy them and post to me. Hopefully this will give a little more help in another application to have him commemorated.

Intrestingly enough I have been informed that a letter from the Chief Engineer states the Captain was then transferred to another ship the following day. This I am a bit sceptical about at the moment until I see the document due to the fact I can't imagine the U-boat remaining in the vicinity for to long after the initial sinking.