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Regimental History - 20th Century

Second World War 1939-1945

1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment, Lancaster

Tragedy of SS Scillin


Accession Number: KO2329/01

14th November 1942 Tragedy of SS Scillin

On the night of 14th November 1942 the Italian transport ship SS Scillin was sunk by the British submarine P212, unaware of its passengers on board. The Scillin was sailing from North Africa to Italy with 810 British prisoners and 200 Italian soldiers on board. After protests from medical officer, Captain Gilbert, a further 200 prisoners had been removed before sailing. Men from the 1st Battalion King's Own - captured in the Western Desert - were amongst those on board. The conditions in the hold were terrible. It was so crowded no-one could lie down. About half the men had dysentery and a great many were seasick. The only air and light came in through a small hatch. It was kept open during the day and battened down at night. When sighted by P212 the ship was in darkness. It seemed to be heading towards Africa and carried no sign or flag. The submarine's orders were that only African-bound ships were to be torpedoed. P212 opened fire with its 3 inch gun as a signal to stop. The Scillin ignored the warning and sent a wireless transmission that it was under attack. At 19.50 a torpedo was fired and the Scillin sank immediately. Private McLean, a prisoner, managed to climb on to the deck and witnessed the Italian soldiers trying to keep the hatches closed until the last minute. Once the torpedo hit, the soldiers made for the rafts as quickly as possible. Some 24 Prisoners of War and 35 Italians, including the Captain of the Scillin, were rescued by the submarine. P212 then had to leave the area as an enemy vessel approached. "It is known that the torpedo blew the bottom out of the hold in which the British were herded and that they died instantly." Official Log of P212, November 1942. The Commander of the submarine was absolved of any blame. After the war the case was investigated as a war crime. The Scillin had no life-belts or life-boats and the hatch had been battened down. However, the charge of the murder of 783 prisoners was dropped in January 1947 due to lack of evidence.

Roll of Honour

The following soldiers of the 1st Battalion, King’s Own Royal Regiment, are believed to have been lost at sea on board the SS Scillin on 14th November 1942. They all have no known grave and are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial in Egypt. Such was the nature of the movement of prisoners of war, records were incomplete. Eye witness accounts were taken by British authorities to try and establish who was on board the SS Scillin when it sailed, and thus try to establish those who had been lost at sea. The very nature of the gathering of this information means that the list may not be complete and contain errors.

bulletPrivate William Bennett, number 3713272, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 31. Son of William Bennett and of Elizabeth Bennett of Stalybridge, Cheshire
bulletPrivate Frank Birtwistle, number 3713322, died between 26 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 28.
bulletLance Corporal Harold Blagborough number 3776970, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 37. Originally came from Oldham.
bulletPrivate John Bradley, number 3389074, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 26. Son of John and Elizabeth Ann of Preston.
bulletPrivate William Joseph Brennan, number 3712984, died between 26 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 24. Son of John and Margaret Josephine Brennan of Widnes.
bulletLance Corporal Bernard Brindley, number 3775565, died between 26 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 23. Son of Sydney and Sarah Brindley of Buxton, Derbyshire
bulletPrivate Albert Sydney Brooks, number 3777397, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 28. Son of Owen and Mary Brooks of St Helens.
bulletPrivate John Ankers Bruckshaw, number 3715298, died between 26 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 28. Son of George Howman and Emmie Bruckshaw of Salford.
A contemporary of Private Bruckshaw was Private Cliff Blood who later recalled “Private John ‘Jack’ Bruckshaw. He was lost on POW Transport shortly after leaving Tripoli. It was torpedoed by a British submarine. I well remember the day that he got the sad news that his fiancée had been killed during an air raid on Manchester. He never seemed to get over it.”
Private Blood had been on board the Scillin in Tripoli harbour, but was amongst a number of men removed from the ship after protests were made about the serious over-crowding.
bulletPrivate John Byrne, number 3773263, died between 26 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 27. Husband of C. Byrne of Liverpool.
bulletPrivate Walter James Byrne, number 866000, died between 31 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 24.
bulletPrivate Alfred Stanley Culpin, number 3713046, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 24. Son of Herbert and Grace Culpin of Oxton Birkenhead.
A note appears in the Regimental Journal, The Lion and The Rose, in Nov 1953, that his mother, Grace Culpin, was seeking information on the loss of her son on board the Italian Ship which was sunk by a British submarine on 14 Nov 1942.
bulletPrivate James Edgar, number 3717856, died between 31 Oct and 14 Nov 1942. Age 30.
bulletPrivate Walter Frederick Foster, number 3713368, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 22. From Fleetwood, Lancashire.
bulletPrivate Jospeh Gaskill, number 3392282, died between 26 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 29. Son of Samuel and Martha Ann Gaskill. Husband of Edith Gaskill of Sunshine, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
bulletPrivate Robert Edward Goudie, number 3781813, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 31. Son of Charles Henry and Mary Jane Goudie, husband of Helen Goudie, Kensington Liverpool.
bulletPrivate William Grierson, number 3393514, died between 31 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 21, Son of Francis and Agness Grierson of Kensington Liverpool.
bulletCorporal George Thomas Hallett, number 3712892, died 14 Nov 1942.
Son of Jesse William and Jessie Leonora Hallett of Moreton, Cheshire.
bulletPrivate Robert Allen Hollerhead, number 3712894, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 24.
bulletLance Corporal James Inglis, number 3713346, died between 26 Oct and 14 Nov, 1942.
Age 24. Son of James and Margaret Inglis.
bulletCorporal Robert Johnston, number 3710894, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 26. Son of Lily A Johnston of Durham
bulletPrivate William Ladley, number 2147099, died 14 Nov 1942.
bulletPrivate Albert Law, number 3389723, died 14 Nov 1942
bulletPrivate James Lawley, number 3713270, died 14 Nov 1942
Age 28 Son of George and Sophia Lawley of Stalybridge, Cheshire.
bullet*Signalman George Aubrey Lyttle, number 3712389, formerly King’s Own, died on 14 Nov 1942, age 22, whilst serving with 4 Lines of Communications Signals, Royal Corps of Signals.
Son of Alfred William and Mary Ann Lyttle of Portadown, Co Armagh, Northern Ireland.
bulletPrivate James Madden, number 3715556, died between 31 Oct and 14 Nov 1942. Age 22.
bulletLance Corporal John McManus, number 6977788, died between 26 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 26.
bulletPrivate Joseph Murray, number 3710879, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 26. Son of Joseph and Elizabeth Alice Murray, Moss Side, Manchester.
bulletPrivate Daniel Oates, number 3856476, died 14 Nov 1942.
Aged 23. Son of William Henry and Hannah Oates of Bolton
bulletLance Corporal Edward Parker, number 3712865, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 26.
bulletPrivate Kenneth Henry Parkes, number 3710912, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 30. Son of Henry and Martha Parkes.
bulletLance Corporal Frank Patterson, number 3769419, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 27. Son of Thomas and Mary Patterson of Liverpool.
bulletPrivate James Peters, number 3713373, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 23. Son of James and Janet Alice Philipson Peters of Leyland.
bulletPrivate Thomas Preston number 3711307 Died between 31 Oct and 14 Nov 1942. Age 24. Son of Thomas and Sarah Alice Preston.
Private Preston was born on 17 Nov 1917 and enlisted on 15 April 1936. He served with the 1st Battalion in India between Oct 1937 and Jul 1941 when he moved to Iraq just after the Battle of Habbaniya. In Jun 1942 he was on the Libyan/Egyptian border when he went missing, presumably in the retreat to Mersa Matruh and El Alamein. Later it was confirmed that he was taken a Prisoner of War, probably at Campo PG 154 in Benghazi and transferred to Tripoli and then on the SS Scillin which was torpedoed on 14 Nov 1942.
bulletLance Corporal Victor Richardson, number 3710849, died 14 Nov 1942. Age 26.
Son of Thomas and Martha Richardson
bulletPrivate James Shaw, number 3711226, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 27.
bulletPrivate Hubert Sly, number 3711518, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 23.
bulletPrivate George Smith, number 3711316, died between 27 Oct and 14 Nov 1942
Age 25. Son of George and Maggie Smith of Lancaster
bulletPrivate James Wallwork, number 3711007, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 24. Son of James and Margaret Wallwork of Haswell, County Durham.
bulletPrivate Walter Williams, number 3863158, died 14 Nov 1942.
Son of Walter and Eleanor Williams of Liverpool.
bulletCorporal Joseph Wilson, number 3710748, died 14 Nov 1942.
Age 28.
bulletPrivate William Richard Worby, number 3533080, died between 31 Oct and 14 Nov 1942.
Age 24. Son of William Richard Worby and of Ethel Worby of Higher Openshaw, Manchester.

 

 

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