# Chief Officer James Waddell



## Ken MacPherson (Jul 21, 2011)

Looking for information on Chief Officer James Waddell,MBE. He was a relative. He died suddenly aboard SS Lakonia in Vancouver 1949. Can
anyone help with background to his MBE award? His ship was torpedoed in 1942 and he and others managed to get her back to UK but we have no other information on his story. Can anyone help?


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello Ken,
He did die as Master of LAKONIA in 1949. His death was atributed to Coranary Occlusion. His age is given as 48 and his address was 12, John Street. Largs.
Regarding his MBE. I cannot find anything but if he earned it in WW2 then it would be recorded in "Seedies List"
I think one of our forum members has a copy and I feel sure he will reply if he spots your post.

Roger


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hello Ken,

Slightly complicated, I am afraid, as this ship transferred between the American and British registry.

Chief Officer James Waddell received his MBE in the 1942 Birthday Honours List gazetted 11 June 1942. So his award was prior to the sinking of the ship indicated. The award may also have been for a prior action on the ship or even another ship.

EMPIRE CONDOR official number 168167 built in 1940 as ALMERIA LYKES. Renamed EMPIRE CONDOR in 1941. Subsequently reverted to the name ALMERIA LYKES and sunk during Operation PEDESTAL on 14th August 1942.

When the award was gazetted the ship was called ALMERIA LYKES. 

ALMERIA LYKES built in 1940, Lykes Bros SS Co.
Torpedoed by an E-boat on the 13th August 1942 (Operation PEDESTAL) off the coast of Tunisia and sunk on the 14th August 1942.

Have a read here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Almeria_Lykes_(1940) about the name change - she came from the US Maritime Commision (USMC) and was transfered to the British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and then back to the USMC.

Regards
Hugh


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