Im researching the sinking of ss ocean voyager sunk 19/3/43 by ju88 dropping motobomba fff torpedos. I also know a george cross was awarded and two lloyds medals were awarded. In particular im researching one of the sailors who was killed in the attack. Percy (Percival) Appleton chief steward aged 49 and commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial. Any info on ss ocean voyager or percy would be great. Im researching on Behalf of Percys grand daughter, who until last week didnt know anything other then he died in the war. So would be nice to give her as much info as possible. Thanks
Hi Roche, see the link The National Archives | Search results:"ss ocean voyager" Here's the search results using the ship's name in his forums search engine http://www.ww2talk.com/index.php?search/170011/&q=Ocean+voyager&o=relevance&c[node]=15
The Oceans Ocean Voyager Delivery date: April 1942 Shipbuilders: Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, California Nom. Managers for MOWT: H. Hogarth & Sons, Ardrossan (Baron Line) Fate: 19 March 1943: In an air attack on Tripoli harbour, Ocean Voyager was set on fire and blew up the following day. Notes Bombed during a raid by 12 Junker 88s, Ocean Voyager caught fire whilst discharging Petrol drums. The ship was also carrying live ammunition. With the master lying dead on the bridge, Chief Officer George Preston Stonach, who was still recovering after being knocked unconscious, assumed responsibility. He dragged survivors to safety and threw men overboard to rafts which he had released. As a result of his leadership, several officers and crew members survived. Stronach along with the 2nd engineer and boatswain were awarded Lloyds War Medals. TD
APPLETON, PERCY Rank: Chief Steward Date of Death: 19/03/1943 Age: 49 Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy S.S. Ocean Voyager (Liverpool) Panel Reference: Panel 76. Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL SMYTH, SAMUEL SYDNEY JAMES Rank: First Radio Officer Date of Death: 19/03/1943 Age: 20 Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy S.S. Ocean Voyager (Liverpool) Panel Reference: Panel 76. Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL MACKELLAR, DUNCAN Rank: Master Date of Death: 19/03/1943 Age: 40 Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy S.S. Ocean Voyager (Liverpool) Panel Reference: Panel 76. Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL Additional Information: Husband of Margaret N. A. Mackellar, of Paisley, Renfrewshire. WRIGHT, NORMAN COLIN Rank: Third Officer Date of Death: 19/03/1943 Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy S.S. Ocean Voyager (Liverpool) Panel Reference: Panel 76. Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL Additional Information: Son of Alexander Gordon Wright and Margaret Martin Wright, of Millport, Isle of Cumbrae. Tower Hill WW2 Memorial Ocean Might to Oilpioneer
Hi Hugh I dont know his date of birth only that he was born 1893. He was from Liverpool and bootle fits as its near the docks. Regards Richard
Medal Card of Appleton, Percy Place of Birth: Bootle Date of Birth: 1893 | The National Archives Reference: BT 351/1/3938 Description: Medal Card of Appleton, Percy Place of Birth: Bootle Date of Birth: 1893 Date: [1914-1925] Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Language: English Creator: Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992 Closure status: Open Document, Open Description Percy Appleton in the UK, Apprentices Indentured in Merchant Navy, 1824-1910 Name: Percy Appleton Age: 16 Birth Year: abt 1893 Registration or Indenture Date: 9 Dec 1909 Port of Registry: Boston
Percy Appleton in the UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 Name: Percy Appleton Birth Date: abt 1894 Age: 19 Port of Departure: Callao, Peru Arrival Date: 15 Apr 1913 Port of Arrival: Liverpool, England Ports of Voyage: Lisbon Ship Name: Orissa Search Ship Database: Search for the Orissa in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database Shipping line: Pacific Steam Navigation Co Official Number: 102192 Percy Appleton in the UK, Merchant Seamen Deaths, 1939 -1953 Name: Percy Appleton Age: 49 Birth Date: abt 1894 Birth Place: Liverpool, England Death Date: 19 Mar 1943 Death Place: Tripolitania Spouse: Margaret
Attached is an ID photo of him in1919. His WW1 medal file is held at Kew in piece BT 351/1/3938 and can be dowloaded for £3.45. His WW2 medal file is held at Kew in piece BT 395/1/2272 and can be downloaded for £3.45. I have a lot more on him which I can share later if that is ok. Regards Hugh
Percy Appleton in the 1901 England Census Name: Percy Appleton Age: 7 Estimated birth year: abt 1894 Relation to Head: Son Gender: Male Mother: Contasel Appleton Birth Place: Bootle Civil Parish: Bootle cum Linacre Search Photos: Search for 'Bootle cum Linacre' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection Ecclesiastical parish: Christchurch County/Island: Lancashire Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Education: Employment status: View image Registration district: West Derby Sub-registration district: Bootle ED, institution, or vessel: 02 Neighbors: View others on page Piece: 3458 Folio: 39 Page Number: 10 Household schedule number: 50 Household Members: Name Age Contasel Appleton 35 Percy Appleton 7 Harry Appleton 5 Sarah Bers 15 Dorothy Appleton 11/12 Percy Appleton in the 1911 England Census Name: Percy Appleton Age in 1911: 17 Estimated birth year: abt 1894 Relation to Head: Boarder Gender: Male Birth Place: Bootle, Lancashire, England Civil Parish: Bootle cum Linacre Search Photos: Search for 'Bootle cum Linacre' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection County/Island: Lancashire Country: England Street address: 35 Hertford Road Bootle Marital Status: Single Occupation: Schoolboy Registration district: West Derby Registration District Number: 455 Sub-registration district: Bootle ED, institution, or vessel: 7 Piece: 22413 Household Members: Name Age William Neale 73 Elizabeth Neale 68 Ada Webster 43 Vera Webster 17 Malcolm Webster 7 William J Neale 36 George S Neale 29 Amy Neale 27 Percy Appleton 17 Have tried to upload the 1911 census image 4 times now following resizing - have given up TD
Im forwarding on all the info to his grandaughter. All she knew growing up was he died in the war and was commemorated on a memorial in London until last week. I couldnt have found alot of this info myself, im from a Army family so naval history isnt my strong point. Thank you very much
About the Italian torpedoes, from Wiki The Motobomba, more properly the Motobomba FFF (Freri Fiore Filpa), was an Italian pattern-running torpedo used by Italian and German air forces during World War II. The designation FFF was derived from the last names the three men involved with its original design: Lieutenant-Colonel Prospero Freri, Captain-Disegnatore Filpa, and Colonel Amedeo Fiore. The FFF was a 500 millimetres diameter electric torpedo which was dropped on a parachute and was designed to steer concentric spirals of between 500 and 4,000 metres until it found a target. It weighed 350 kilograms, and contained a 120 kilograms warhead. Its speed was 40 knots and it had an endurance of 15–30 minutes. It was acknowledged by the Germans as superior to anything they had and US intelligence was eager to get its hands on it after the Armistice with Italy in September 1943 On the night of August 20, a Major Lucchini conducted a successful mission against Gibraltar and this was followed by attacks on targets in Albanian, Libyan, and Egyptian waters. Aircraft of 32 Stormo attacked Gibraltar once more in June 1941 and in that same month Lieutenant Torelli (based at Rhodes) attacked Alexandria harbour on the night of June 13. The largest use of the weapon was against the PEDESTAL convoy to Malta on August 12, 1942 when ten Savoia-Marchetti SM.84s of 38 Gruppe's 32 Stormo launched them against the convoy south of Cape Spartivento, Sardinia. This made the ships of the convoy alter course, which allowed conventional attacks to penetrate the convoy's defences. The Luftwaffe made their first mass attack using the weapon on March 19, 1943 when Junkers Ju 88 torpedo bomber's launched 72 of them against shipping at Tripoli, sinking two supply ships, including Ocean Voyager, and damaging the destroyer HMS Derwent. Derwent was subsequently beached with her engine room flooded and although salvaged and returned to England, was never repaired. The FFF was subsequently used in attacks against invasion shipping at Bône in Algeria on April 16, 1943 and at Syracuse during the Allied invasion of Sicily later that year. On December 2 a force of 105 German Ju 88s attacked Bari harbour with FFFs, destroying 16 Allied ships including the John Harvey, which had been carrying mustard gas. Intriguingly, this article seems to indicate that at least one Ju88 was lost SS Samuel Parker – MARAD SS Samuel Parker was a Liberty ship built by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation at Portland, Oregon. Delivered on November 17, 1942, the War Shipping Administration immediately placed the vessel under a general agency agreement with American Mail Line. For six months, beginning in February 1943, SS SAMUEL PARKER was in continuous service in the Mediterranean transporting troops and material which contributed immeasurably to the successes of the North African campaign and the invasion of Sicily. Throughout this period she was subjected to numerous enemy attacks and, though badly battered, in every case she emerged victorious. The stark courage of her gallant crew – in battle and in heroic rescues – caused her name to be perpetuated as a Gallant Ship. On March 19, 1943, while moored in Tripoli, a crashing bomber nearly struck Samuel Parker‘s mast before slamming into SS Ocean Voyager, a British cargo vessel berthed nearby and loaded with fuel and ammunition. As Ocean Voyager burned and other nearby vessels fled, five crew members from Samuel Parker used a motorboat to rescue six British merchant mariners who had jumped overboard. A short time later, the vessel exploded. At the end of its mission in the Mediterranean, the U.S. Maritime Commission reported that Samuel Parker‘s hull and superstructure bore more than 140 holes.
Hi roche, Here is a record of service from the Fourth Register of Seamen for Percy Appleton born Bootle 1893. It is not 100% complete. TERRENCE - 20.1.1915 (Previous ship same but no dates) HOLBEIN - 6.8.1915 STRABO - 25.9.1919 SHERIDAN - 3.7.1920 EMPRESS OF BRITAIN - 25.5.1921 BELIA - 13.9.1922 BALZAC - 16.10.1923 BALZAC - 1.7.1928 MEISSONIER - 18.3.1929 BALFE - 17.5.1930 STRABO - 4.10.1930 BELIA - 15.10.1931 NASMYTH - 24.2.1932 LASSELL - 15.4.1933 PHIDIAS - 21.10.1933 MARCONI - 3.5.1934 KATHLEEN - 2.1.1935 DELAMBRE - 8.5.1937 LAPLACE - 19.3.1938 (UNKNOWN) - 2.1.1941 LALANDE - 8.2.1941 DEFOE - 6.1.1942 Regards Hugh
Thank you. I was researching another merchant navy sailor some time ago called James Woodfine born from Runcorn who served during the war but was only able to see his seamans purse from 1941 onwards at Kew. where do you find ships prior to 1941. Are seamans purses available from before 1941 Thanks
Sorry to be pedantic but the correct term is a seaman's pouch not a purse. The pouch is not his service record, only a holding place for documents - some have a great deal of information others virtually nothing. If he served prior to 1941 then usually there is a CR2 card in with the pouch which will list his ships prior to this date, I say usually, but not always. Is the person you are researching J.A. Woodfine b.1924? Records prior to 1941, the originals are held at Southampton City Archives with copies at The National Archives, Kew and on the FMP paysite. What you really want is his record of service from Jan, 1941 which is his CRS 10 held at Kew in piece BT 382/1995. Regards Hugh
Hugh, Thank you for all your help. The forums in a matter of days have solved two mysteries regarding the merchant naval history of a friends family. Regards Richard
Going back to ss OCEAN VOYAGER, attached is one of the survivor's reports from the second engineer H. Hotham. You can read it properly if you download it rather than open from the site. Regards Hugh
Hugh, that's fascinating. What an amazing, horrible story, redeemed by courage. Are there any other survivor reports available, Chief Officer Stronach's perhaps? 3rd Officer Norman Wright was my mother's little brother. His family would be very interested to know more about his death. We understand that he was trapped and told the mate to leave him. My cousin Sandy Wright, also a nephew, was at Tower Hill today and posted a photo of the memorial plaque. I met George Stronach once but it wasn't a suitable occasion to ask him about this. Yours aye Norman
