Mystery ship at St Nazair June 18th 1940

[john70]

I was talking to a gentleman (age about 90)  a year or so ago after the Lancastria memorial service in Edinburgh  who had been at St Nazaire on 17th June 1940.  He had been ordered to smash up  Motor bikes with a sledgehammer in a warehouse at St Nazaire to stop them being used by the enemy.

I can understand why that was done, dad said the engine on his bike was a deep red it was so hot but kept going.

[ScouseBoy]

My dad was in the RASC,  and was at St Nazaire on 17th June 1940.

I wish he was still alive for me to ask him more details of what happened.

He told me that he  got to Falmouth  and troops were asking to use the phone in the Post Office  to phone to their families to let them know they were back in England.         Apparently my dad got through to home and told them he was back in England,  and said  "Tell Joyce that we will get married as soon as possible"   At which  a big cheer went up from the big crowd in the Post Office.        He got married on the 23rd June.   

[Sapper59]

Have you asked to see the "Merchant Shipping Movement Card"  for that ship from The National Archive?

Have you searched for Ben my Chree at Plymouth, Falmouth, Portsmouth  Southampton in the week after 18th June?   Is there an Isle of Man  section on this Forum,  may be an idea to ask on there. someone who lives on IoM  may be able to look it up in the Archives of the IoM steam packet company.

Try searching for the FF series of convoys.   FF.2A  arrived at Plymouth on 19th June 1940.

Done all that and have cards/records but there are big gaps from June 2nd to 20th when she arrived for repairs. I still can't fathom out why Dad would say he boarded the "Ben McCree" (Ben-my-Chree) about midnight of the 17th June if he didn't, where would he have gotten the name from as he certainly didn't get away at Dunkirk, the only other place she was deffinetly at?

[ScouseBoy]

Have you asked to see the "Merchant Shipping Movement Card"  for that ship from The National Archive?

Have you searched for Ben my Chree at Plymouth, Falmouth, Portsmouth  Southampton in the week after 18th June?   Is there an Isle of Man  section on this Forum,  may be an idea to ask on there. someone who lives on IoM  may be able to look it up in the Archives of the IoM steam packet company.

Try searching for the FF series of convoys.   FF.2A  arrived at Plymouth on 19th June 1940.

Done all that and have cards/records but there are big gaps from June 2nd to 20th when she arrived for repairs. I still can't fathom out why Dad would say he boarded the "Ben McCree" (Ben-my-Chree) about midnight of the 17th June if he didn't, where would he have gotten the name from as he certainly didn't get away at Dunkirk, the only other place she was deffinetly at?

One explanation that I can offer is that he did not want to tell his mum or his wife how bad a time he had had.            I believe that my dad was on the Lancastria,  but he could not talk about it.      He may have been confused and traumatised. at the time, especially if hed been rescued from the water.   

[ScouseBoy]

I suggest that you buy or borrow the book  "HMT Lancastria"   which has a list of the known casualties and their army or service numbers.  You may find companies or units identical to what your relative was in.

[seaweed]

Just going back through documents that I have on Dunkirk, they differ slightly to your information. The BEN-MY-CHREE completed two trips to Dunkirk and was scheduled to complete four. The master refused to sail again to Dunkirk after the experience that the ship had undergone in the previous sailings. A Naval crew was put aboard apart from the Chief Officer who stayed as captain together with 3 greasers and the W/T Officer. On sailing at 1905/2nd June BEN-MY-CHREE was in collision and did not complete the trip.

The question is if she was in a collision on 2nd June how badly was she damaged? Was she still undergoing repairs on 20th June as suggested by the movement card?  The Official Log is where I would go next to rule her in or out of your search.
Regards
Hugh

According to my records BEN MY CHREE made three trips to Dunkirk. Sailing from there 31/5/40, 1/6/40, 3/6/40. She sailed  Dover 7/6/1940. Dry docked Birkenhead 11/6/40. released 28/6/40. Sailed Liverpool 30/6/40

[ScouseBoy]

Just in case it is mentioned on the film "Dunkirk"   which is on TV now.

ITV 4   on now Dunkirk the film.

[Sapper59]

"Never let the truth get in the way of a good story".

[edalmun]

Just wanted to say hello on here as well as WW2 Talk! My great-grandfather also told his family about it being an Isle of Man steamer. There seems to be so many differing reports of what the B-M-C was up to during that time, it's seems easy to imagine that maybe one trip just got lost. Do the I of M hold any other records about there ships, that might fill in the gaps?


John - My great-grandfather was in the RAOC as well at St Nazaire.