# "EMPIRE GUILLEMOT" - Memories of a WW2 Shipwreck



## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

I was recently involved helping my friend and SN member, Ian D. Cameron, (Hoots) R.I.P. researching his uncle Gilbert MacLellan who was lost on "EMPIRE GUILLEMOT" on 24th October 1941.

I came across this interesting piece of art depicting scenes from the lifeboat drawn by one of the ship's radio officers, John Kingsley Cook.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vaul...st_s_drawings_of_a_shipwreck_during_wwii.html

On the last do***ent of the link there is a list of seamen listed to divide the watches and I note Gilbert MacLellan is named 10th from the top. Also listed is William McCaffrey 6th from bottom as I know there was another request for information for him from his son at this link: http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=39227&highlight=GUILLEMOT

Both seamen sadly did not survive and are buried in Bone Cemetery, Algieria. Lest we Forget.

Sadly my friend Ian recently crossed the bar long before his time and did not see the link but I have passed same to his family. 

I hope others may find the link of interest.

Regards
Hugh


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## ben27 (Dec 27, 2012)

good day hugh maclean.sm.today.06:36.re:empire "guillemot"memories ww2 shipwreck.thank you for posting a most interesting event of ww2,the sketches are a grim reminder of the times these men went to sea,to those who did not return may they rest in peace.regards ben27


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Thank you Ben.
When I look at the wonderful art work by John Kingsley Cook I think not only of those on 'EMPIRE GUILLEMOT' but of all those poor seamen and passengers who found themselves in this unfortunate postion after being torpedoed and sunk. My own father spent 13 days in an open boat when his ship was sunk from under him in 1942.

Regards
Hugh


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## stan mayes (Jul 22, 2006)

Hello Hugh,
Thankyou for posting this tragic but interesting link.
Coincidentaly I had just listened to a Stan Hugill shanty
'A long time ago' and I then saw your reply to Ben which
you had posted at same time as Hugh Ferguson posted the shanty.
'A long time ago' - yes - but the sad memories remain...
Best regards,
Stan


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## ben27 (Dec 27, 2012)

good day hugh maclean,sm,today.06:42 #3."empire guillemot"thank you for your reply.glad your father made it home.regards ben27


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## Tish Cook (Apr 3, 2014)

Hugh - great to see the links on your thread. More of John Kingsley Cook's work will go online within a fortnight thanks to Melanie Vandenbrouck who has been curating John's work for the National Maritime Museum. John wrote very movingly of his experiences both during and after the war and we hope to publish his memoirs in due course. It would be great to hear from anyone else with connections to the ship. Cheers, Tish


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Thanks Stan and Ben.
The drawing showing those crammed into the lifeboat would, I am sure, resonate very much with you Stan having been in that tragic situation yourself.

Thanks Tish look forward to more from John Kingsley Cook.

Regards
Hugh


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## stan mayes (Jul 22, 2006)

Thankyou Hugh,
Yes,every time lifeboats are mentioned the memories return.
Following the Viking Star sinking I was in a lifeboat with 35 other survivors.
The boat was designed for 28 persons so was overloaded but we only had to
endure five days in it..Fortunately the ocean drift and a fair wind were in our favour so we made the coast of Sierra Leone in five days.
The worst part was to have sharks and barracudas constantly in the vicinity.
Far worse off were 17 other survivors on 3 rafts who drifted for 12 days before the rafts were capsized in heavy surf on the coast of Liberia.
They suffered terrible agonies of sunburn and salt water boils...unfortunately a 
DEMS gunner was killed when his raft capsized..
Captain Mills and 6 crew were lost during the sinking....RIP..
Regards,
Stan


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## CarolineD (Nov 12, 2011)

Thanks for the link Hugh.

Good to hear that there are plans to publish John Kingsley Cook's memoirs. It is important that we do not forget and that these men are remembered.


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## IAN M (Jan 17, 2009)

Hugh and Stan

Ships owned or managed by W.A. Souter & Co. Ltd. are not listed in my book SHIPPING COMPANY LOSSES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, but those of the Blue Star Line are. The following is what I've written about the Viking Star and I hope that you find it accurate Stan. 

VIKING STAR (Captain J.E. Mills). Sailed independently from Montevideo on 9 August, 1942, bound for Liverpool via Freetown. Torpedoed at about 7.45pm on 25 August by U.130 (KrvKpt. Ernst Kals) in position 06º00´N 14º00´W. The ship was abandoned and the survivors were in 2 lifeboats, 1 of which was damaged and had to be discarded, and on rafts when a second torpedo sank the ship. As they had communicated with a Sunderland flying boat some 5 hours earlier, Mr F MacQuiston, the 1st Mate and officer in charge, decided to remain where they were for 24 hours. There were 2 rafts beside the boat and, in the morning, these were lashed together to act as a sea anchor. Two other rafts had been seen some distance away during the evening, but these had disappeared and the one containing Captain Mills was never heard of again. 

As the African coast was 150 miles to the east, the boat left the rafts on the morning of the 27th in an attempt to reach it and summons help for those on the rafts. And at 3am on the 29th, the boat and its 36 occupants were hurtled on to a sandy beach in Sierra Leone. It was a desolate part of the coast, but, after many vicissitudes, they sailed home from Freetown on the Otranto, along with the survivors of the Tuscan Star. 

Mr J. Rigiani, the 3rd Mate, who had 11 men under his command on the rafts, set an eastern course and, as one of the rafts was waterlogged they took 6-hour spells on each raft. Food, including malted milk tablets, and drink were strictly rationed, and the occasional fish that they caught was eaten raw. On the morning of 1 September, another raft was in sight and, after 4 hours hard paddling, they took Able Seaman R. Boardman off it. The raft was then lashed to the other 2 and was a bonus as it contained food and water. At daylight on 4 September, when they were about half-a-mile from the shore, they broke up one of the rafts in order to use its floorboards as paddles. Then, when a breaker caught them and flung them towards the steeply shelving beach, they swam for it. Sadly, Mr Boardman did not reach it and perhaps he was struck by a raft being thrown among them. Natives who found them lying exhausted on the beach, told them they were in Liberia and took them to their village where they supplied them with food and drink. Next day, when walking towards the village of Latia, they caught up with Mr P. Sullivan, the 1st Radio Officer, who had been alone of a raft until it drifted ashore. From Latia, they were taken by a Pan-American Airways launch to the town of Cape Mount for repatriation. Eight died and 53 survived.

Regards

Ian


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## davism (Feb 4, 2014)

*empire guillemot*



Tish Cook said:


> Hugh - great to see the links on your thread. More of John Kingsley Cook's work will go online within a fortnight thanks to Melanie Vandenbrouck who has been curating John's work for the National Maritime Museum. John wrote very movingly of his experiences both during and after the war and we hope to publish his memoirs in due course. It would be great to hear from anyone else with connections to the ship. Cheers, Tish


HI Tish,

My name is Jennifer Davis and my connection to the ship is that my uncle was the bosun of the vessel when she carried out the visits to Malta. He was on the vessel when she was torpedoed and then in the prison camp for a year.He was also given the DSM for his involvement
the Malta Operation.The medal is held within the safe keeping of the family together with his discharge books and copies of the crew members at the ship in the ships log. I would be grateful if there is any further info or paintings etc.


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## steviemac (Jun 20, 2020)

Tish Cook said:


> Hugh - great to see the links on your thread. More of John Kingsley Cook's work will go online within a fortnight thanks to Melanie Vandenbrouck who has been curating John's work for the National Maritime Museum. John wrote very movingly of his experiences both during and after the war and we hope to publish his memoirs in due course. It would be great to hear from anyone else with connections to the ship. Cheers, Tish


Tish, I don't know if you still follow this forum but I would be really interested in read John's memoirs.

William McCaffrey was my great uncle and I would be keen to know if John every wrote anything about him or the events that took place after the EMPIRE GUILLEMOT was torpedoed.

I would be most grateful if any of this is available to the public.


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi stieviemac,
Tish has not been back since 2014 you may wish to try a pm or email to her.

Attached is a photo I had taken of William's last resting place - lest we forget.

Regards
Hugh


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## steviemac (Jun 20, 2020)

Hugh MacLean said:


> Hi stieviemac,
> Tish has not been back since 2014 you may wish to try a pm or email to her.
> 
> Attached is a photo I had taken of William's last resting place - lest we forget.
> ...


Thank you Hugh.

It's a shame I came to this forum so late on as I may have been able to source some further detail.

I was particularly intrigued by your mention that William McCaffrey was on that watch list. It didn't seem very clear that was his name listed but if it was then I have a curiosity as to when indeed he died.

I always assumed he died upon the ship being sunk but if he did indeed make it to the lifeboat then I wonder when and how he died.

Did he make it to shore alive or was he killed sometime after boarding the lifeboat? Perhaps we'll never know.

I realise that a number of men were imprisoned and wondered if he ever made it that far. I felt that if John Kingsley Cook's memoirs have ever been published it may shed some light on the last moments of William McCaffrey's life.

Thank you for providing the research into this. I will continue to carry out my own research.

Stevie


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi Stevie,
He must have made it to shore or his body recovered as his grave is in situ at the Bone Cemetery. If his body had not been recovered he would be named on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. 

The name on the card looks like Mc afferty or Mc afferry - two reasons why I think it is him.
1. A typo easily made given the situation the writer found himself in.
2. William McCaffrey has some records in the Fourth Register of Seamen including two photos one of which was issued to clear up ambiguity of incorrect spelling of his name.

Are you able to confirm to me that he was born 2.8.1901 in Camlachie, Glasgow. His last known address was 29 Carntyne Rd, Glasgow? If so I have some records you may or may not have of his sea service.

Regards
Hugh


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## steviemac (Jun 20, 2020)

Hugh MacLean said:


> Hi Stevie,
> He must have made it to shore or his body recovered as his grave is in situ at the Bone Cemetery. If his body had not been recovered he would be named on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
> 
> The name on the card looks like Mc afferty or Mc afferry - two reasons why I think it is him.
> ...


Hi Hugh,

He did indeed live on Carntyne Road. My mother has just confirmed so this would appear to be him.


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Sorry my last post was slightly misleading. Carntyne road relates to the person whom I am sure of. The date and place of birth refers to the W McCaffrey that I have records for. I suspect the recods I have are correct but the confirmation of date and place of birth would be good. 
Regards 
Hugh


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## steviemac (Jun 20, 2020)

Hugh MacLean said:


> Sorry my last post was slightly misleading. Carntyne road relates to the person whom I am sure of. The date and place of birth refers to the W McCaffrey that I have records for. I suspect the recods I have are correct but the confirmation of date and place of birth would be good.
> Regards
> Hugh


I'd have to delve into ancestry.com and see if I can find a date of birth. I'm going on my mother's confirmation. She lived on Glencorse Street in Carntyne with my grandparents. I don't have a place of birth other than Glasgow but he was 40 when he died going by CWGC so that would have his year of birth in 1901. His brother Peter was killedin WWI and is buried in Mailly Wood Cemetery in France. We've visited there but never been to Algeria to see William's grave.


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## steviemac (Jun 20, 2020)

steviemac said:


> I'd have to delve into ancestry.com and see if I can find a date of birth. I'm going on my mother's confirmation. She lived on Glencorse Street in Carntyne with my grandparents. I don't have a place of birth other than Glasgow but he was 40 when he died going by CWGC so that would have his year of birth in 1901. His brother Peter was killedin WWI and is buried in Mailly Wood Cemetery in France. We've visited there but never been to Algeria to see William's grave.


I can confirm that he was married to Susan Kelly on 01/04/1921 and at that time their address would be 60 Marlborough Street, Glasgow but obviously that's 20 years earlier.


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi Stevie,
There is only one William McCaffrey b.1901 and that is in Camlachie in Glasgow so looks like the same man. I have attached an early picture if that helps and if you wish to private message me your email address I will send on what I have.
Regards
Hugh


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## steviemac (Jun 20, 2020)

Hugh MacLean said:


> Hi Stevie,
> There is only one William McCaffrey b.1901 and that is in Camlachie in Glasgow so looks like the same man. I have attached an early picture if that helps and if you wish to private message me your email address I will send on what I have.
> Regards
> Hugh



Wow, he looks so much like my grandfather.

I will email PM you my email address.

Many Thanks for this Hugh


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Thanks Stevie,
I received your email address and will send on in the morning if that is ok.

He appears to have served as follows - there are mistakes and some omissions on those cards so this is not a complete listing of his service.

William McCaffrey b. 2.8.1901, Camlachie, Glasgow
140567 – MALANCHA – 10.1918
142332 - WAR ANGLER – 10.1918
124191 – CORSICAN – 1.9.1919
124130 – CASSANDRA – 2.1919
142754 – HARALD CASPER – 7.1919
136702 - SAN NAZARIO – 19.5.1920
143162 – BALLENA – 24.1.1927
143162 – BALLENA – 8.3.1927
***705? – UNKNOWN – 23.10.1939
167611? - EMPIRE SAMBAR? – 14.10.1940
143352 – SURREY – NOT STATED.
146632 - SAN ROBERTO – 17.12.1940
143352 – SURREY – 13.7.1941

Regards
Hugh


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## steviemac (Jun 20, 2020)

Hugh MacLean said:


> Thanks Stevie,
> I received your email address and will send on in the morning if that is ok.
> 
> He appears to have served as follows - there are mistakes and some omissions on those cards so this is not a complete listing of his service.
> ...


Amazing, Hugh.

Thank you so much.


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