In 1941, my father was a passenger on the SS Btitannia:

SS Britannia

which was sunk by the German surface raider Thor.

He was rescued from a lifeboat by the vessel Cabo de Hornos (painting of ship by my father):

Cabo de Hornos

On board my father collected signatures of the survivors, on a menu:

Menu from Cabo de Hornos

After being taken to Gibraltar via Cadiz, my father eventually boarded the Empress of Japan (later renamed Empress of Scotland)

Empress of Japan (later renamed Empress of Scotland)

and escorted home by a naval escort includin HMS Argus and HMS Repulse.

Visit to Gibraltar May 2007

In May 2007, Chris and I had a half-day stop at Gibraltar, as part of a tour of Andalusia.

Even though Gibraltar must have become considerably more built up, I found it very moving to retrace my father's steps that he took in 1941.

Chris and I went up on the Rock to see the famous caves and apes. We did not see the ceremony of the Keys that Dad talked about but we did see some soldiers marching to the main square.

Crossing from La Linea into Gibraltar as Dad did in 1941:

Typical of an ape that my Dad saw:

Soldiers marching through Gibraltar:

Looking back into Spain:

Colin Bower
31 March 2010

Fuller details are given in Dad's account of the Sinking of the SS Britannia:

Sinking of the Britannia

Link to:

Photo Album - Bower Family