Defence Equipped Merchant Ships

Arming a merchantman. From the outset of war, all Merchant ships were defensively armed as soon as possible
with an all purpose gun mounted in the stern. 150.000 civilian seamen were trained on the guns, Calum, below, was one of them.

Remains of a German Aircraft shot down by a DEMS Gunner, crashing on the deck of the coastal steamer Highlander.
Note the armed guard to the right hand side, presumably to stop souvenir hunters?

Friday 2nd August 1940. British pluck combined with readiness for instant action has never been better illustrated than by the stirring narrative of the coastal steamer Highlander, of 1,220 tons. Incidentally, it set up two records, one of which is likely to stand unchallenged, for her master, bringing his vessel safely into port, brought with him all that remained of a German aircraft (Heinkel He-115) which was still lying where it fell on the ship’s stern. Captain William Giflord was the particular hero of the exploit. The Highlander was passing along the East Coast, about three and a half miles from land, just before mid night, when the sound of a ‘plane flying low was heard. This might have been British, as at first was thought, but the master was taking no chances. The ship’s two light guns were manned and speed increased. In a few minutes the ‘plane disclosed its nationality. Machine-gun bullets swept the steamer’s superstructure, riddling the funnel and deck fittings and piercing the side. There were no casualties. The ‘plane passed astern, circled, and then returned for a second attack, at still closer range. The Highlander opened fire upon the attacker as he came on, and probably a shot reached the pilot, for the ‘plane collided with the ship’s port lifeboat, twisted round after the contact, and crashed over her stern. A couple of cranes were demolished, a light gun smashed flat on to the deck, and the two seamen who manned it knocked out—neither, it happened, were seriously hurt. Shedding its port wing, most of which remained on the ship’s deck, the rest of the ‘plane went on for one hundred yards or so, then at great speed hit the water and disappeared. It was a good night’s work, but unfinished. The Highlander had started zig-zagging. Within ten minutes there came a second plane, (another He-115) burning her side lights and flying low. Again the Highlander was the target for machine-gun fire, which he returned with interest with her remaining gun. Her bullets were seen to hit the plane. A few moments later it dived into the North Sea with a great splash, a little distance astern. The bag was two enemy planes in ten minutes, a great feat for a small, lightly-armed coasting vessel. The Highlander, battered and scarred, duly landed her trophy seen above. Taken from the book - The Battle of the Seas by Sir Archibald Hurd published in 1941.

http://www.bpears.org.uk/NE-Diary/Inc/ISeq_05.html Also referred to here.

My father was in the DEMS during WW2 he was in the RN and assigned to defensively equipped merchant ships (he could man a gun or read radar) to escort them safely through death infested Baltic and Arctic seas to maintain the support of Russia by ensuring food and supplies got through. Needless to say it was very scary to an 18yr old or 58 yr old and he lost many friends both RN and Merchant Navy. These men never get mentioned on the poppy day parades or in any speeches made by dignitaries and to be frank it gets up my and my dads noses! Of course he feels forgotten and when we heard that the campaign for a medal has only resulted in an emblem or badge it was doubly devastating. I emailed my MP Frank Cook only on Monday and it is Wednesday today and have received a 6 page reply. Frank feels aggrieved that the New Labour who I think he has fallen out with along with many of us Labour voters, is getting the blame. He has explained that the reason no medal has been sanctioned is because nobody wished to offend the Queen who idolised her father and it would seem to be a reversal of his wishes. I also idolise my dad and he is in his 82nd year it would be nice for her to acknowledge the part these men played in the war and reverse her own fathers decision or did he have something against the Arctic convoys not to have mentioned them in the first place? I have emailed The Royal Household asking for an explanation but feel that the country is not aware of this stalemate and they should.

December 2007: My father was the DEMS Gunner on the Scottish Prince. To see the log of U-68 was great. The details of the sinking of the SP are as I recall my fathers account. His name was Percy William (Bob) Foster, He was the gunner on the SP from the start of the War, including the Battle for Crete. Where they ran out of ammunition. I need to find out more information for this period. I have a picture of his first Gun Crew, that was taken before the Crete damage & refitting in India. Both Gun & Crew replaced afterward, then the sinking. Three in one day! If only they had been in Convoy. Regards. Arthur W Foster.

On 7 March 1943, Bibb got underway from Reykjavik to augment the escort of convoy SC-121. Next day she intercepted a message from SS Vojvoda Putnik stating that the vessel had been torpedoed and was sinking. The Bibb joined convoy SC-121 and maneuvered to a position near the cutter Spencer (WPG-36). An hour later Spencer sighted a submarine dead ahead on the surface at about 2,000 yards and she proceeded to attack. The next day at 0411 Bibb attacked a doubtful contact which was lost a few minutes later. Ten hours later word was received from a ship in the convoy that a torpedo had crossed her bow and five hours later Bibb, while sweeping 15 miles astern of the convoy, sighted a submarine fully surfaced about 14 miles away. The Bibb proceeded to the area and heard faint propeller beats but was unable to obtain a sound contact.

At 2152 word was received that a vessel in the convoy had been torpedoed. The Bibb proceeded to the area and screened SS Melrose Abbey, the convoy's appointed rescue ship, as she picked up survivors. Soon after midnight on the 10th two more vessels in the convoy were torpedoed. By 0305 the rescue ships had completed operations and were underway to rejoin the convoy. An hour and a half later Bibb sighted a raft close aboard with survivors, and three hours later dropped two charges on a doubtful sound contact, while HMS Dauphin screened the rescue ship. Twenty minutes later she sighted a life raft with three men on it end she directed the rescue ship to pick them up. The rescue ship failed to locate the raft and as the increasingly rough weather and impending snow squall made it imperative that the men not be lost sight of, Bibb rescued the three survivors from SS Coulmore. A few minutes later another raft was sighted dead ahead and two survivors of SS Bonneville were taken aboard. The Bibb now maneuvered near Coulmore and found her in good condition and floating on an even keel, even with the torpedo hole in her bow. There were no persons aboard.

6,644 Steam Freighter built: 1941 - Bartram & Sons, Sunderland Ministry of War Transport, managed by Joseph Robinson & Sons (Stag Line), North Shields

Voyage: Victoria Bay, Brazil to Loch Ewe for orders via Freetown Cargo: iron ore

Casualties: 57 killed, 1 man taken pow, from complement of 58
(The name was Frederick Wakeham, the ships Chief Steward. He was taken prisoner and eventually interned in the Merchant Navy PoW camp Milag Nord in August 1944)

Attacked by: U 129 Date of Attack: 11.05.1944 2300 hrs torpedoed German Grid Square: FR 4583 19.S/31.W (19 00S 31W) See also below

Technical: general cargo vessel – steam 6,643 GRT 417'x56' Built for the MoWT and given to Mark Whitwill & Son, 1942 transferred to Joseph Robinson.

The Master, 45 crew and nine gunners were lost, U-129 captured one survivor. Dates/Times are given in German time eg: CET

The Attacker: U-129 Type IXC Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG, (AG Weser) Bremen - Launched: 28th Feb 1941

On the 22nd Mar 1944, U-129 left Lorient under the command of Richard von Harpe and arrived back at Lorient on 19th Jul 1944 after seventeen weeks on patrol.

GRIFFIN, Martin J, Act/Able Seaman (DEMS), D/JX 334408, (President III, O/P), MPK

BURGESS, Frank, Act/Able Seaman (DEMS), D/JX 391736, (President III, O/P), MPK

The loss of these two Royal Naval personnel suggests to me a surface action in which the U Boat shelled the gun

Another snippet: She was torpedoed & sunk by the German submarine 'U-129' in the south Atlantic, in position 21.31S 29.50W, north west of the small volcanic island of Trinidade whilst sailing independently from Victoria, Brazil to Loch Ewe for orders, via Freetown, with a cargo of iron ore. The Master, William Thompson Brown DSC, 46 crew and 9 gunners and 1 passenger were lost. The chief steward was the only survivor.

Merchant Navy Day.com would like invite all families and relatives, friends and companions, to submit the names of their loved ones to the commemoration page for 3rd September in recognition of their contribution to the years 1939-1945.

www.merchantnavyday.com