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Illustrated London News 1940 - September 28th
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September 28th - Coverage of the sinking of evacuee ship"The City
of Benares" by a Nazi submarine
- One of the most dreadful stories of the war was revealed when survivors
from a liner (City of Benares) which was torpedoed some 600 miles out in the
Atlantic while carrying a party of children to Canada were landed at a western
port (by HMS Hurricane). Of the ninety children on board only seven were saved,
and seven of the nine escorting officials lost their lives. Mr Geoffery Shakespeare,
MP, Under Secretary for Dominions Affairs, the chairman of the Children's
Overseas Reception Board, hurried off to the west coast port on receipt of
the news, in order to meet the warship bringing in the survivors and personally
to supervise the arrangements made to secure their comfort. Later he issued
this statement: " I am full of horror and indignation that any German
submarine captain could be found to torpedo a ship over 600 miles from land
in a tempestuous sea. The conditions were such that there was little chance
for passengers, whether adult or children, to survive. This deed will shock
the world. It is another example of the barbarous methods of warfare associated
with Nazi Germany and it is only comparable with their present brutal and
indiscriminate bombing of women and children in London" Mr Shakespeare's
words were loudly echoed in America
- "A Most Dastardly Act" Survivors of the sunk evacuee ship -City
of Benares- The sinking of which 600 miles from land by the Nazis was described
by Mr Cordell Hull, Secretary of State of the U.S.A., as "A most dastardly
act"
-
- (right) John Baker (second from left) and Rex Thorne, who lost a brother
and a sister in the tragedy
-
- Four of the boys who survived: Rex Thorne (The eldest), Louis Walder (in
dark sweater), John Baker and Jack Keeley
-
- Mrs Lilian Towns, one of the two government escorts, who were saved, out
of nine who sailed in the ship
-
- Two survivors exhausted by their terrible ordeal, rest and take refreshment
on arrival at a west coast port
-
- Sonia Bech (left), Colin R. Richardson and Derek Bech after being landed.
- Out of ninety children on board, only seven were saved - the total death roll
being 294
-
- The tragic last letter of a little evacuee on board the ship