# Cardiff - Java



## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

My uncle was lost whilst going from Cardiff to Java on a mercant ship - the 'something' Park- so asks another correspondent. I am about to commence research, but - any ideas here? No dates sadly.


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## Peter4447 (Jan 26, 2006)

Could be a long road with such scant information Mike although Denholm's named their ships ending in the world 'Park'
Peter4447


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## shipmate17 (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi,
Any idea of the date, maybe a clue.
cheers.


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## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

still checking ................


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## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

Just spoke to Denholm Shipping on the phone, very helpful man gave me these ships and their fate in WW2: (subsequent info found in brackets)

*Holm Park 1942 Torpedo *- north atlantic (Cargo ship Holmpark, 5,780grt, (J&J Denholm Ltd) had been sailing independently from Lourenco Marques to Philadelphia via Cape Town & Trinidad in ballast. On the 24th October 1942 the ship was intercepted by U-516 and torpedoed 900 miles East of Barbados and sank in position 13' 11N 47' 00W. The Captain, 40 crew and 8 DEMS gunners landed at Port Dennery, St. Lucia. 1 crewmember was lost. Captain Alfred Cromarty was later awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.)

*Den Park 1942 Torpedo.* (13th May 1942 by the U-128 at 22.28N, 28.10W. Off the east coast of Africa in the South Atlantic. Northbound from Takoradi and Freetown to Workington. At 00.28 hours on 13 May 1942, U-128 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at the convoy SL-109 about 300 miles northwest of the Cape Verde Islands and observed one detonation after 3 minutes 25 seconds accompanied by a pillar of smoke and then another explosion. Heyse thought that he had sunk one ship and damaged another. In fact, only the *Denpark* (Master John McCreadie) was hit and sunk. The master, 15 crew members and five gunners were lost. 22 crew members and three gunners were picked up by the Danish merchant *Nordlys* and British merchant *City of Windsor* and landed at Clyde.) http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/1638.html

*Earls Park 1940* torpedo (Earls Park which was torpedoed on the 12 June 1940.) (http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?32076) latitude: 42°26'0'' Nlongitude: 011°33'0'' W (Earlspark SS was a British Cargo Steamer of 5,250 tons built in 1929 by Scott's , Greenock and powered by a steam triple expansion engine 3 cyclinder giving 534 nhp. On the 12th June 1940 she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-101 when NW of Cape Finisterre with the loss of Captain Evan James Williams and six of the crew. The vessel was on route from Sunderland to Bordeaux with a cargo of 7,500 tons of coal.)

*Lyle Park 1942* Armed Raider (SS Lylepark on June 11 1942. Although most of the crew were captured by the Armed Raider Michel, her Captain Lowe was rescued and eventually returned to the UK. the 5,200 ton Lylepark from Glasgow, ex New York for the Cape carrying 8,000 tons of useful warlike stores. She was immediately struck in the charthouse and on the boatdeck by the Raider's shells, and fires caused her abandonment. All the crew bailed out, except Captain Low, and his Chief Officer, both wished to avoid captivity. These two intrepid sailors used a boat's falls to lower themselves into a damaged lifeboat, still alongside. It promptly sank under them, the two officers swam away, the Chief Officer taking refuge on a raft, the Captain almost worn out, at last, found a raft. The Raider steamed past, watching Lylebank burn. By dawn the ship sank, and Michel had gone.)

*Grange Park 1942 Torpedo.* (20th Nov 1942. U-263. 35.55N, 10.14W - west of Gibraltar in convoy KMS-3. At 10.12 and 10.13 hours on 20 Nov, 1942,the u boat fired torpedoes at the convoy KMS-3 west of Gibraltar and observed hits after 13 seconds, 47 seconds, 1 minute 27 seconds and 1 minute 47 seconds. Nölke observed two ships sinking and one burning. In fact, the Prins Harald (Den) and *Grangepark* were sunk. 4 dead and 67 survivors. She was heading for Oran.)

*Mount Park 1941 Aircraft* (Cargo ship MOUNTPARK official number 166122 built in 1938 for J & J Denholm. The steamship Mountpark, Capt. John Edwards, was bombed and sunk by a German aircraft off Northern Ireland on April 26th, 1941. Six men were killed and five wounded.) see post below

*Well Park 1942 *Raider ( When_ (German raider) Thor_’s lookout spotted a ship early on March 30, Gumprich shadowed the vessel for nearly seven hours until just after two o’clock, when he sent in his seaplane with orders to remove the wireless aerials and machine gun the bridge. With the aerials torn away, and unable to raise the alarm, the vessel responded with anti-aircraft fire, driving the plane off, before the raider closed in and opened up with a couple of 150mm salvos, which appeared to bring the ship to a halt. But when she was then seen to be under way again, the Arado renewed its attack, and again coming under anti-aircraft fire. Within thirteen minutes of _Thor’_s 150mm guns being once more called into action, the freighter was stopped and her crew were seen to be abandoning ship. As the lifeboats approached _Thor_, the boarding party identified their ship as the 4,469-ton British _J & J Denholm_ freighter, _Wellpark_, carrying a cargo of aircraft parts and military vehicles and a crew of forty-eight. With seven members of her crew dead, the forty-one survivors were taken on board the raider, and the _Wellpark_ was scuttled with demolition charges.) http://www.bismarck-class.dk/hilfskreuzer/thor.html I get the impression that all this occured in the South Atlantic, which makes Wells Park favourite to date.


*Broome Park 1942 torpedo.* (Was sunk by the famous U Boat ace, Erich Topp, who went on to become a NATO Admiral, on 25th July 1942. 49.02N, 40.26W. Mid Atlantic (so not the ship we are looking for.) This was the second torpedo attack on her, the first being 1940 when damaged by U-48. The broompark actually sank whilst under tow (USS Cherokee) - survivors landed at St Johns Newfoundland.

Sadly no routes .............. and still waiting reply on dates

related links

http://www.falkirk.gov.uk/collectio...A994CCE884525?id=187334&db=object&view=detail

http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/m/html/mackinnon-john-angus.htm


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## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

The above is the total results for my searches after being given the names by Denholm Shipping of London. It may not be of help to my query but it may help someone else down the line. Maybe this should now go into Denholm Shipping folder?


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## Richard Maskiell (Apr 4, 2007)

Mike,

If it was indeed going to Java it would have to be before March 1942 when the Japanese invaded it.


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## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

Yes of course, thanks for reminding me. I thinks its one of two ships, if either: Mount Park or Well Park. Well Park was 'caught' in the South Atlantic, Mount Park still unknown.


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Cargo ship MOUNTPARK official number 166122 built in 1938 for J & J Denholm.
The steamship Mountpark, Capt. John Edwards, was bombed and sunk by a German aircraft off Northern Ireland on April 26th, 1941. Six men were killed and five wounded. 
Regards


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## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

Cheers, that rules that one out as well then ........... much appreciated. Looks like it could possibly be the Well Park.


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Mike,
If your enquirer's uncle was lost why dont you search the CWGC website it should give the name of the ship that he died on - just a thought. http://www.cwgc.org/
Regards (Thumb)


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## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

Just found this very informative article on Well Park

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/70/a2822870.shtml


Well Park survivors ended up in Yokohama!!

Thanks Hugh, for that link above, it loads but searches currently giving server error message


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## shipmate17 (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi,
Could well have been WELLPARK built 1938 she was attacked and scuttled 25S/10W in 1942.
Cheers.
http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/MaraudersWW2/6ThorSecondCruise.html


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Works OK for me, Mike.
Regards


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## eriskay (Mar 26, 2006)

The 'Wellpark' was on a passage from Canada to Alexandria, via the Cape, when she was attacked by the Raider 'Thor' on 30th March 1942, in a position West of St Helena. 7 of the 48 crew lost their lives in the shelling. Captain Alex Cant and the remaining survivors ended up as POWs in Japan (Kawasaki) as mentioned elsewhere, and it is recorded that the well-liked and highly-respected Captain Cant became the acknowledged leader of some 160 merchant seamen and DEMS imprisoned in the Kawasaki camp.


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## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

My query is cardiff - Java, which sort of throws a spanner in the engines does it not? I shall have to await further info I think?


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## capkelly (Feb 13, 2006)

Possibly it is a Canadian built "Park" ship lost near the end of the war or early on in peace after the war, may have been wrecked or foundered


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## eriskay (Mar 26, 2006)

For Mike Kemble :

The same thought occurred to me as Capkelly has raised today, i.e. could it have been one of the wartime 'Park' vessels?

Hugh MacLean's suggestion also good, checking the CWGC site. Do you have the person's name - it hasn't been mentioned until now as far as I can see.


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## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

I am waiting for a reply from the questor. Been two days now ....... tick tick ...


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Mike Kemble said:


> Just found this very informative article on Well Park



Mike, 

Good luck with your research.

Please note that that as far as Denholms are concerned the 'park' names are all single word names eg WELLPARK not WELL PARK or MOUNTPARK not MOUNT PARK.

Also, Denholm 'parks' have nothing to do with the Canadian built 'PARKS' of the Second war.

Stephen


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## Mike Kemble (Apr 5, 2007)

Stephen J. Card said:


> Mike,
> 
> Good luck with your research.
> 
> ...


 I noticed but later on ............


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