# Sinking of Merchant ship Devis 5.7.1943



## sandrabarling (Jan 16, 2014)

My father was a DEMS gunner during WW11. He was on the Devis on their way to Sicily when she was torpedoed. My father survived. I have been to Kew and seen the WO records of the sinking. The records state there were 51 dead or missing when the rescue ship reached Bougie Tunisia. There were no records of dead or missing in the files. Can anyone advise me where I may obtain this information or could it be that they have been lost. 

There was a cap/beret in my fathers private belongings after he died that none of us knew about. He did not like to talk about the war. 

I do have the details from the cap/beret. I just wonder if the cap/beret may have belonged to one of those dead or missing.

Any thoughts or advice will be very much appreciated. This is my first post and I hope I am going about this query the correct way.
Sandra


----------



## IAN M (Jan 17, 2009)

Hello Sandra

Although the following information, extracted from my book SHIPPING COMPANY LOSSES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, is not what you're asking for, it may help you to get the whole picture. (The beret may have belonged to a Canadian soldier.)

CITY OF VENICE (Captain J. Wyper). Bound for Algiers, sailed from the Clyde on 24 June, 1943 carrying military cargo and 292 Canadian troops who were to take part in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. In Convoy KMS.18B, which passed Gibraltar on 3rd July, when torpedoed and sunk by U.375 (Kptlt. Jürgen Könenkamp) at 9.40 pm on the 4th, in position 36º44´N 01º31´E. Twenty-one died. Four hundred and sixty-one picked up by the corvettes HMS Honeysuckle (Lt. H.H.G. MacKillican) and HMS Rhododendron (Lt. O.B. Medley), the frigate HMS Teviot (Cdr. T. Taylor) and the tug HMS Restive (Lt. D.M. Richards), and landed at Algiers. 

Other ships sunk in Convoy KMS.18B

St. Essylt (Captain S. Diggins). By U.375. One crew member and 1 soldier died. (She had 320 troops on board.) Three hundred and ninety-seven picked up by the same naval vessels as the City of Venice. 
Devis (Captain W. Denson) (Commodore ship). By U.593 (Kptlt. Gerd Kelbling) at 3.43pm on the 5th. Fifty-one soldiers died and many were badly burned. (She had 264 Canadian and some British troops on board.) Two hundred and ninety-one, including Captain Denson, picked up by the destroyer HMS Cleveland (Lt. J.K. Hamilton) and landed at Bougie. (On 30 July, all 46 on board U.375 perished when she was depth-charged and sunk by the submarine chaser USS PC-624 in position 36°40´N 12°28´E.) 

Best wishes

Ian


----------



## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

sandrabarling said:


> My father was a DEMS gunner during WW11. He was on the Devis on their way to Sicily when she was torpedoed. My father survived. I have been to Kew and seen the WO records of the sinking. The records state there were 51 dead or missing when the rescue ship reached Bougie Tunisia. There were no records of dead or missing in the files. Can anyone advise me where I may obtain this information or could it be that they have been lost.
> There was a cap/beret in my fathers private belongings after he died that none of us knew about. He did not like to talk about the war.
> I do have the details from the cap/beret. I just wonder if the cap/beret may have belonged to one of those dead or missing.
> Any thoughts or advice will be very much appreciated. This is my first post and I hope I am going about this query the correct way.
> Sandra


Hello Sandra,
The Lampert & Holt passenger/cargo liner Devis was on passage from Clyde to Sicily carrying 289 Canadian troops and 4000 tons of government stores when she was torpedoed in posn 37 01' 04 10'E.
she had 25 crew and 21 gunners, also a convoy commodore and 6 staff. Sadly 52 soldiers were lost. Perhaps a good source of information is the "Canada at War" site - also if you google mv Devis you will get pictures.
http://www.canadaatwar.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=3489

Hope this helps.

My sources - LLoyd's War Losses, Britain's Sea War, Google.


----------



## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hello Sandra and welcome,
I presume you have looked in *WO 361/458* This is where I would expect details of the military dead and missing. However, you may wish to browse *ADM 358/3223* (Enquiries into missing personnel).

Regards
Hugh


----------



## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello,
There is also a survivors report in ADM199/2145 page 200.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4122505

regards
Roger


----------



## sandrabarling (Jan 16, 2014)

Hugh MacLean said:


> Hello Sandra and welcome,
> I presume you have looked in *WO 361/458* This is where I would expect details of the military dead and missing. However, you may wish to browse *ADM 358/3223* (Enquiries into missing personnel).
> 
> Regards
> ...


----------



## sandrabarling (Jan 16, 2014)

IAN M said:


> Hello Sandra
> 
> Although the following information, extracted from my book SHIPPING COMPANY LOSSES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, is not what you're asking for, it may help you to get the whole picture. (The beret may have belonged to a Canadian soldier.)
> 
> ...


Thank you Ian for sending the extract from your book which makes very interesting reading. It is useful to have the convoy number for further research
Regards 
Sandra


----------



## IAN M (Jan 17, 2009)

Sandra

This is the entry I should have given you.

DEVIS (Captain W. Denson). Sailed from the Clyde and in Convoy KMS.18B which passed Gibraltar on 3 July, 1943 to take part in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. On board were Commodore Rear Admiral H.T. England, and his staff of six, 264 Canadian and some British troops, army vehicles and ammunition. At approximately 3.45 pm on the 5th, torpedoed by U.593 (Kptlt. Gerd Kelbling) and sank in about 20 minutes in position 37°01´N 04°10´E. Many of the troops were burned or wounded and 51 died. All 47 of the crew, the Admiral and his staff and 237 troops, including their O.C., Major D.S. Harkness, R.C.A., survived. Many were picked up from rafts by a rescue tug and all taken to Bougie in Tunisia by the destroyer HMS Cleveland (Lt. J.K. Hamilton). 

Regards

Ian


----------



## sandrabarling (Jan 16, 2014)

IAN M said:


> Sandra
> 
> This is the entry I should have given you.
> 
> ...


Thank you Ian


----------



## sandrabarling (Jan 16, 2014)

Binnacle said:


> Hello Sandra,
> The Lampert & Holt passenger/cargo liner Devis was on passage from Clyde to Sicily carrying 289 Canadian troops and 4000 tons of government stores when she was torpedoed in posn 37 01' 04 10'E.
> she had 25 crew and 21 gunners, also a convoy commodore and 6 staff. Sadly 52 soldiers were lost. Perhaps a good source of information is the "Canada at War" site - also if you google mv Devis you will get pictures.
> http://www.canadaatwar.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=3489
> ...


Thank you for replying. I found the Canada at War site most interesting and have joined the forum.
Regards Sandra


----------



## sandrabarling (Jan 16, 2014)

Roger Griffiths said:


> Hello,
> There is also a survivors report in ADM199/2145 page 200.
> http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4122505
> 
> ...


Thank you for replying Roger. I will research this report on my next visit to Kew.
Regards Sandra


----------

