Ships Torpedoed in Convoy ONS 154, Part 3
     Fifteen ships were torpedoed in the three-day running Battle for Convoy ONS 154, and fourteen of them were sunk. This list gives the names of ships torpedoed on December 29, 1942 (the third day of the attack), along with the convoy position, gross registered tons, number of crew and DEMS gunners, the ship(s) that picked up survivors, and the attacking U-boat(s) with the name(s) of the commanding officer(s). If more than one U-boat is mentioned, the one named last was credited with the sinking. (Reference: Revely, The Convoy That Nearly Died and Commonwealth War Graves Commission).

poppy-1.gif (11415 bytes)

The 15 torpedoed ships carried at least 1,077 men. There were 512 killed and 565 survived.
Of the survivors, 564 were rescued by allied ships and one (1) was picked up by a German U-boat. The captain of the President Franqui became a prisoner of war.

 

Merchant Ships Torpedoed in the Main Attack
on December 29, 1942

SS Zarian
President Franqui
MV Norse King

 

SS Zarian (Freetown)
GRT: 4871 - Convoy Position: #13
Built for Unilever in 1938. Torpedoed 1940/07/01 by U-26
M.O.W.T. (United Africa Company)
Crew of 42 with 7 DEMS and 4 passengers.
Voyage: Hull via Leith to North Africa & West Africa, via Freetown, with 6,000 tons general cargo
Torpedoed by U-406 (Lt. Cdr. Dieterichs) at 2123 hours on December 28, 1942.
Sunk by U-591 (Lt. Cdr. H. Zetzsche) at 0005 hours on December 29, 1942.
Position: 43.23N 27.14W.
Survivors: 49 rescued by HMS Milne. - Casualties: 4 crew killed.
Officers and Crew
Tower Hill Memorial, London, UK, Panel 120
James Dennis BLIGH, Steward (age 23)
Son of William Thorn Stone and Elizabeth Thorn Stone;
Husband of Margaret Reid Stone, of Bedford.		 James DAVIES, Fireman (age 41)
John STONE, Fourth Engineer (age 28)
Son of William Thorn Stone and Elizabeth Thorn Stone;
husband of Margaret Reid Stone, of Bedford.		 William TILLETT, Donkeyman (age 41)
Husband of D. A. Tillett, of West Ham, Essex

 

President Franqui (Belgian)
GRT: 5077 - Convoy Position: #62
Crew of 47 with 2 DEMS.
Voyage: to New York in ballast.
Torpedoed by U-225 (Lt. Leimkühler) at 2230 hours on December 28, 1942 and 0630 hours on December 29.
Sunk by U-336 (Lt. Cdr. Hunger) at 0930 hours on December 29, 1942.
Position: 43.20N 27.20W,  in mid-Atlantic.
Survivors: 17 rescued by HMCS Shediac and 26 by HMCS Prescott. Captain was taken aboard U-336 as P.O.W.
Casualties: 5 killed.
Officers and Crew
Memorial Site (UNKNOWN)
newmini14.gif (275 bytes)Léon BAYOT, Gunner
of Belgium		 newmini14.gif (275 bytes)Albert CLAESSENS, Gunner
of Belgium
newmini14.gif (275 bytes)Constant SENTEN, Steward
of Belgium.		 newmini14.gif (275 bytes)Leopold UYTTENDAELE, Deck Techniaian
of Belgium
newmini14.gif (275 bytes)Daniel VAN HOLDERBEKE, Able Seaman
of Belgium
From the book, De Belgische koopvaardij in de Tweede Wereldoorlog (Belgium 1990).
The Belgian Merchant fleet during the Second World War
Thanks to Roland Van Holderbeke for supplying this information.

 

MV Norse King * (Norway)
GRT: 5701 - Convoy Position: #112
1920: West Mahwah - Built by J. F. Duthie & Co., Seattle, WA.
1937, became Norske King. (1940?: Norse King, M.O.W.T.).

Crew of 36 (including 6 British and additional newmini14.gif (275 bytes)DEMS gunners.
There were probably another three DEMS gunners aboard
Voyage: to Boston, with  5,400 tons coal.
Torpedoed by U-591 (Lt. Cdr. H. Zetzsche) at 2000 hours on December 28.
Sunk by U-435 (Lt. Cdr. S. Strelow) at 1507 hours on December 29.
Position (when last seen): 43.27N 27.15W, in Atlantic.
No survivors. All of the crew were killed
and one DEMS gunner has now identified as being killed on this ship.
 

Officers and Crew
Tower Hill Memorial, London, UK, Panel 73
Douglas Frederick BARNES, Galley Boy (age 16)
Son of Archibald F. and Blanche B. Barnes, of London		 Russel BARRY, Saloon Boy (age 18).
Son of Norman Barry, of Plymouth, England
Terence FORDE, Ordinary Seaman (age 22)
Son of Michael and Catherine Forde, of Tredegar, Wales		 Walter S. MAY, Mess Room Boy (age 16).
Son of Frederick C. May, of Atsley, England.
Robert Hugh SQUIER, First Radio Officer (age 25)
Son of Charles M. Squier, of Essex		 Frederick Valentine SUTCLIFFE, Able Seaman (age 24)
Son of Frederick John and Elsie Alice Sutcliffe, of Lewisham, London

Memorial Site (Stavern, Norway)
Knut K. ABRAHAMSEN, Radio Operator (b: 29/01/1921).
Horten, Norway. Father: Henry Abrahamsen  		Harald K. BJØRNSTAD, Chief Engineer (b: 03/04/1898).
Skien, Norway. Wife: Gunhild Bjoernstad
Svein I. BOTTOLFSEN, 3rd Mate (b: 02/07/1914).
Tromsøysund, Norway. Wife: Ada Bottolfsen		 Karl Ivar DELINGSRUD, Oiler/Greaser (b: 06/06/1919).
Oslo, Norway. Father: Kristian Delingsrud
newmini14.gif (275 bytes) Ingar GULLSTEN, Stoker (b: 28/10/1903).
Tustna, Norway. Brother: Ingvald Gullsten 		Håvard HANSEN, 2nd Engineer (b: 10/04/1890).
Bergen, Norway. Wife: Anna Hansen
newmini14.gif (275 bytes) Hilmar E. HELLAND, Steward (b: 04/03/1909).
Bergen, Norway. Brother: Haakon Helland		 Johannes HEMMINGSTAD, Ord. Seaman (b: 27/05/1924).
Skjold, Norway. Mother: Bertine Hemmingstad
newmini14.gif (275 bytes) Alf  HOLNES, Ordinary Seaman (b: 08/05/1922?).
Måløy, Norway. Father: Sigvald Holnos		 Olav JACOBSEN, Stoker (b: 09/01/1912).
Kristiansand, Norway. Wife: Else Jacobsen
Kaare M. JENSEN, Cook (b: 16/10/1915).
Oslo, Norway. Mother: Hilda Gulliksen		 Olav O. KLEPP, 3rd Engineer (b: 02/11/1911).
Hareid, Norway. Mother: Jenny Klepp
Hans H. LANDE, Carpenter  (b: 30/07/1903).
Kvinnherad, Norway. Father: Hans Lande		 Gustav LARSEN, Able Seaman (b: 19/09/1913).
Fitjar, Norway. Father: Lars Larsen
Tønnes P. MELING, Donkeyman (b: 11/09/1904).
Bremnes, Norway. Father: Peder O. Meling		 Konrad NAESS, 1st Mate (b: 23/07/1909).
Skudeneshavn, Norway. Father: Peder Naess
Gustav L. G. NORENES, Oiler/Greaser (b: 12/12/1921).
Bremnes, Norway. Father: Gunnar Norenes		   Bjørn OLSEN, Oiler/Greaser (b: 25/03/1924).
Asker, Norway. Mother: Hilda Olsen
Henry J. OLSEN, Able Seaman (b: 01/09/1898).
Bergen, Norway. Mother: Amalie Olsen Svarholt		 Jonny R. PETTERSEN, Able Seaman (b: 01/08/1898).
Sandar, Norway. Father: Johan Pettersen
Svein J. RØVIK, Able Seaman (b: 24/01/1914).
Ålesund, Norway. Wife: Anny Roevik		 Kim SCHRØDER, 2nd Mate (b: 17/06/1916).
Oslo, Norway. Father: Karv Schroeder
Halvor SKAU, Stoker (b: 22/08/1891).
Tønsberg, Norway. Mother: Ellen Skau		 Tor M. P. SØRENG, Able Seaman (b: 24/09/1920).
Bjørnskinm, Norway. Father: Peter Soereng
Torleif STEEN, Able Seaman (b: 29/07/1913).
Oslo, Norway. Mother: Johanne Steen		 Leif J. STEINSUND, Oiler/Greaser (b: 13/12/1919).
Solund, Norway. Father: Ludvig Johannessen Steinsund
Bjarne SUNDFAER, Bosun (b: 09/02/1912).
Sør-Varanger, Norway. Father: Inge Sundfoer 		 Lars Petter THOMASSEN, Oiler,  (b: 30/01/1922).
Lista, Norway.
Lorentz TVEDT, Captain (b: 07/06/1889).
Bergen, Norway. Wife: Borghild Tvedt

Danish Memorial Site (location unknown)
Erik JOHANSEN, Able Seaman (b: 29/01/1922).
Marstal, Denmark. Father: H.A. Johansen

DEMS Gunner
Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent, UK
newmini14.gif (275 bytes) Kenneth Victor John DEACON, Gunner (age 22)
who died on Monday 28 December, 1942
T/61595, 6/3 Maritime Regiment, Royal Artillery
Thanks to Seri Lawson for information on the Norwegian Memorial, and
to Berit Pittman for names and information from the Norwegian State Archives.
newmini14.gif (275 bytes)Thanks to David Deacon who tracked down his father's records so that he could be honoured on this memorial

 

Photographs
*    available from National Maritime Museum Picture Library, London (UK).
** available from South African Maritime Museum (John H. Marsh Maritime Collection).

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This page was updated on May 16, 2008
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