TNA CAB 103 191

Copy Original filed
35A 30
in PD99
Ministry of War Transport,
Empire Hotel,
Lansdowne Crescent,
Blackpool, N.S.
WR/1940
18th September 1941.
Dear Mr. Dawkins,
You wrote to me on the 9th September concerning the loss of the "Clan Macalister" during the evacuation of Dunkirk and I am now enclosing for your confidential information, a copy of a
Notarial Protest, which appears to contain all the information we were able to obtain at the time about this case.
If this is not sufficient for your purposes I
would suggest that you should communicate with Commander
Holbrook of the Shipping Casualties Section, Trade
Division, Admiralty, who will probably be able to supply you with further details of the circumstances attending the loss of the ship.
Yours sincerely, ty's
(SGD)
MARGARET
H.
CHURCHARD.
Sea the one oblock in
3.30
Authorities to so said left the
(the the
H.A.
Dawkins
Esq.
by of
Salu au пишег live natch. The DOMDS went through the weather deck abreast of No. 5 Hatch and set the whole of the after end of the said vessel on fire.
a
A number of the Appearers crew and some of the troops ts on board were killed and injured. About 4.30 p.m. one of His Majesty's Destroyers came alongside and the troops already aboard the Appearer's vessel and the wounded members of the vessel's crew were transferred to the said Destroyer.
an ry
The Destroyer put two lines of hose on board the Appearer's vessel which were operated from the Destroyer and the Appearer himself caused his vessel's own hose line to be used in an attempt to put out the fire. The latter hose could not however, be operated efficiently as the deck water service pipes were found to have been fractured as a result of the bombing but nevertheless so long as the Destroyer was alongside, the fire was kept under control. About half an hour later the Destroy not being able to wait longer owing to enemy air action the Appearer's vessel with the troops and wounded m the crew who had been transferred. The Appearer t.
to make a further attempt with the remmants of his his vessel under way.

A
A
The War Office,
Casualty Branch,
Blue Coat School,
Church Road,
Wavertree,
Liverpool. 15.
NO/28.
(Casualties)
9
September, 1941.
Dear Miss Churchard,
I on endeavouring to collect evidence regarding the bombing of the S.S. "Clan MacAlister" in order that we be in a position to doal with the question of the presumption may of death of the personnel who are still missing.
It is understood that this vessel was bombed and sunk during the evacuation from Dunicirk, and I shall be most in which the ship was sunk. The particulars required are grateful if you can supply further details of the circumstances the
1.
ones normally supplied in such cases, 1.0+2 the date, time and what ships, 18 any, took part in rescue work, whether all place of the occurence, how long the vessel took in sinking, lifeboats were accounted for and the possibility of survival of those not resoued.
I should greatly approciate your early assistance in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
( SqL) H.A DAWKINS
ring to
1.20581
8451.
Miss.M.Churchard,
Marine Division A.
Ministry of Shipping,
Empire Hotel,
Blackpool, Lancs.
BONNY
BOY BI.
BOY BOB
L. Admy. Service.
BOY BRUCE
C. Hayes
Did not go - for Dynamo.
Returned to owner.
BREAD WINNER
J.H.A. Bellhouse
Returned to owner.
BREAM
Golding Bros.
BRITANNIA IV
Sayers Bros.
Prepared - did not go.
BRITANNIC
H. & J. Budd
Returned to owners 5.6.40.
Reported lost.
BRYWYN
C. Priestley Mist
BULL PUP
Mr. Smith
T.98. Returned to owners 19/6.
Reported lost.
BURGONIA
G.W. Burgoine
Re-allocated to A.P.S.
BURTON
Leigh Building Co.
E. Dreyfus
Returned to owners.
BOU SAADA
BARBARA
A.E. Johnson
Re-allocated to A.P.S.
BHURANA
W.H. Grint
Re-allocated to A.P.S.
BOAT (16 ft.)
W. Robertson
Auxy. Patrol Service.
Reported lost by owner.

SHIPMINDER, BLACKPOOL."
41006
Blackpool 23829.
MINISTRY OF SHIPPING,
Empire Hotel Group,
GRAND HOTEL,
Lansdowne Crescent,
BLACKPOOL, S.S.-
7
28th March, 1941.
M.151359/41.
CONFIDENTIAL
Dear Mr. Walmsley,
7th March, I send With you the following information about remainder further reference to my letter of the the
W.1.
of the ships of your list.
"GRAFTON" "HYPERION" and "WAKEFUL" were sunk were and the "GREYHOUND" "CRESTED EAGLE" and "WAVERLEY", Admiralty which service.
H.M. at As not Messrs. Dunkirk such, investigated ships all last May/June, these their The ships S.S. casualties are were "SKIPJACK" the commissioned concern in Exchange this has of not Department. on the Buildings, been Admiralty lost. Quayside, and Her about we Owners, have ch
Witherington may & Everett be able of to give you some time. information any.
The
Newcastle-on-Tyne, Army personnel she may have carried at any
23
information about Division I the am "CHROBY". afraid and we if have I She can not was find yet a Polish out been anything able vessel to about requisitioned get any her
SEAL
by which Sea will Transport help you, I will send it along.
in
THE a pe
Yours sincerely,
Chanchard
F. Walmsley, Esq.,
S.
MACALISTER.
C.L.
30/5
G.R.T. 6787
Bombed at Dunkirk.
D.W. 10905
S.S.SCOTTA
SUNK.
Pass.
G.R.T. 3454
1/6
D.W. 540
Bombed at Dunkirk
S.S.PARTS
Pass.
G.R.T. 1790
2/6
D.W. 650
Attacked 510 11.5'N by 2.07E. aircraft approx.
-1-

1010
Telegrams: SHIPMINDER, BLACKPOOL."
Telephone: SOUTH SHORE-41006.
17A
6/2
Blackpool 23821.
MINISTRY OF SHIPPING,
Л
"Empire Hotel",
GRAND-HOTEL,
CONFIDENTIAL.
Lansdowne Crescent,
BLACKPOOL, S.S.
M/151359/41
Lancs.
7th March, 1941.
1941.
Dear Mr. Walmsley,
I am sorry not to have replied before to your letter of February 26th but you will appreciate that it has taken a little time to collect the information you to ask for and even now it is not complete. We can, of n
course, only give you such information as we have and this does not always cover all the points you raise.
It may be that in many cases the Admiralty could give h
you more to detailed here information, especially where casualties, are concerned, since they handle all the g
actual Casualty Lists. However, I append all the ed information I can for your help.
S.S. "Lancastria" on 17th June, 1940, was attacked and sunk by enemy aircraft about 3.50 p.m. while at of anchor at Carpenter Roads off St. Nazaire. The ship ad sank in about ten minutes. About twelve boats got
Luding away and a number of the crew and troops were picked it sea up by numerous craft in the vicinity.
nk at
S.S. "Arandora Star" was torpedoed at 6.15 a.m.
over on the 2nd July, 1940, in the North Atlantic -
position 55° 20'N. 10° 33' West. The survivors all got away in the ship's boats and on rafts which hip.
were sighted by aircraft about two hours later and at about 2 p.m. on the 7th a Destroyer arrived and picked up the survivors. It is not known how many voyage were drowned and how many were killed by the explosion. n
W,
S.S. "Mohamed Ali El Kebir" was torpedoed at saved,
8.15 p.m. on the 7th August, 1940, in the North chose
Atlantic 55° 0" N. 15° West. She sank about one
2 sank hour and fifty minutes later. A Destroyer arrived on the scene and picked up survivors.
F. Walmsley, Esq.
Church K call,
Wavertree,
Liverpool.

OF
Kikman
10A. 1020
is we House,
PD/28
T.N.
}
26th February, 1941
mough uantity a
Dear Miss Churchard, it at in decide concerning as to military I presumption spoke to personnel you of about death. missing the information at sea, to we enable require us to hips
British naval which vessels we are The concerned attached at list the gives moment. the names of ships with the to regard to any of grateful for any information but I should be with which, I imagine, you Some may not of them be concerned, are anxious "Arandora to Star" get information and the "Mohamed ships as in Ali the soon El list. as Kebir". possible We you are about particularly have the with
41.
the and vicinity place of The or the information loss of the we ship, require what is other the cause, date, time rescues, and what reached the neighbourhood in time ships were in of those not rescued possibility by other vessels. there was, if any, of to survival effect death in this in matter individual cases. are being constantly pressed to assistance presume
I should as we greatly appreciate your early
Yours sincerely,
M. Churchard, arine Division A,
(Sd) 7.Walmsley
Ministry of Shipping,
Empire Hotel,
Blackpool.
London, W.L.