GOLD SHELL (2) | Helderline.com

Submitted by Kees Helder on Sun, 04/26/2015 - 15:57

About

Completed 1931 as "GOLD SHELL" for Anglo-Saxon. Struck mine and sunk on 19-4-1945, about ten miles off Ostend. Voyage Thameshaven to Antwerp.

IMO number	1162635
Call sign	GRDP
Construction number	697
Tonnage	11.936 ton
Beam	19m
Length overall	142m
Year of construction	1931
Year of renaming/broken up	1945
Service for Shell	1931 to 1945
Cargo	Crude and white oil products
Class	Twin Screw 12.000 ton
Flag state	Great Britain
Home port	London
Manager	Anglo-Saxon / Shell Tankers U.K.
Shipyard	Bremer Vulkan Schiffbau Bremen Germany
Status	Sailing / Sailed for Anglo-Saxon / Shell Tankers UK / STUK

Photo(s)

Comments

Permalink Submitted by Duncan Mcgregor Gunn on Mon, 10/02/2017 - 21:16

Name	Job	Period	Details
Frances Medhurst	gunner		my dad john edward kirby was a gunner who was blown i to the sea when the ship hit a mine.he was rescued by dougie davidson but he never knew dougie got the obe for saving him. dad died on 01.01.2000.
Duncan Mcgregor Gunn	5th engineer, 4th engineer	1943 to 1944
Harry Moore 2	radio officer	1943 to 1944	3rd radio officer
John Joseph Hughes	engineer	1943 to 1944
Alan James Bennett	steward	1944
Ian Burns	chief engineer	1945

Date	Visitor	Anecdote
10/02/2017 - 21:16	Duncan Mcgregor Gunn	After a convoy to Canada (Halifax) and US (Baltimore and Galveston) we sailed back to Scotland and off-loaded a cargo of oil. We then went to James Watt docks in Greenock and the tanks were cleaned out and fresh water loaded. We then sat off Oban for 2 days before sailing to Falmouth. We all thought this very strange. We anchored off Falmouth just as evening fell. The next morning, 6th June 1944, we set sail for France. That was when the skipper told us about the invasion we were part of. Naval personnel came on board to man the 4.7 guns. Our task was to sail between the landing beaches dishing out fresh sweet water to the invasion fleet and landing craft. I was one of the trained merchant gunners and had to do my shift manning one of the Oerliken guns. Though we were susceptible to enemy fire we were quite lucky and when the tanks were empty we would return to Southampton to reload. Unfortunately on our last trip back to Southampton we hit a mine during the return. The ship listed to port. However, little damage was done (on this occasion) and we limped into port. At that point I went home for a spot of leave. (Incidentally, my son is typing this entry for me. At 94 my typing skills are (and never have been) good.)