Unfortunately, this part of the website includes texts and links to other texts where the authors have distinguised beween passengers and crew and included language that was often used at the time, e.g. reference to Indians and/or natives. Also some accounts of the sinking contain graphic detail of the ordeal that everyone onboard suffered in trying to survive.

I am sorry if any visitors to this part of the website find any of the content upsetting.

80 Years since the Sinking of the SS Britannia

It is 80 years since the SS Britannia was sunk by a German surface raider on 25 March 1941.

Goan Journalist Melvyn Misquita marked the anniversary by publishing a poignant summary of what happened and the aftermath:

Summary of the attack & the aftermath

Research Undertaken

My father's personal account of the Sinking of the SS Britannia in 1941 and some subsequent research undertaken has been summarised as follows:

Content about the Survivors picked up by the Cabo de Hornos

• Survivors Picked up by Cabo de Hornos

• Account of Sinking of SS Britannia - by My Father, Frederick Bower

• Dad's Memorabilia including the Contents of a tiny 1941 Diary & Pocket Book that Dad kept throughtout the ordeal& rescue

• Commander Stanley Spurgeon who commanded Dad's lifeboat

• Account of Sinking of SS Britannia - by Spencer Mynott

• Account of Sinking of SS Britannia - by Donald Brown

• Account of Sinking of SS Britannia - by Dr Das Gupta

• Account of Sinking of SS Britannia - by Tom Dunn

• Account of Sinking of SS Britannia given to the BBC - by Jack Arkinstall

• Account of Sinking of SS Britannia - by Bill Lansley

• Account of Sinking of SS Britannia - by Lt. Rowlandson, as part of the "Other Survivors" Chapter in the book, Lifeboat Number Seven

• Rescue from a raft per 2nd Lt. Cox*

*Article in The Illustrated London News dd 1 November 1941
2nd Lt. Cox, Sub Lt. Davidson and Lt. Rowlandson

- A horrendous story of survival, on one of the rafts, from notes provided by 2nd Lt. Cox

Other Content

• Information from Other Web Sites and Other Survivors' Accounts including:

- the main SS Britannia website

Main SS Britannia website including Personal Stories and Press Reports

- Memorials to those who died

• Memorials to 119 Crew

• Memorials to 54 Civilians

• Memorials to 69 Services Personnel

• Memorials to 2 Additional Members of the Merchant Navy

- research undertaken by Melvyn Misquita in Goa

Melvyn Misquita

- other websites/research

• Account by Frank West in book, Lifeboat Number 7

• Book, German Raiders of World War II

• Book, The Secret Raiders

• Book, A Voyage Around My Mother

• The Convoys from Liverpool and Gibraltar

• The Lifeboats on the Britannia

• The Number of Survivors

• Progress Report

• Photo Album

• Names Index

Colin Bower
25 March 2021

Link to:
Family History Index