thegorbals

In 1953 Liverpool F C were struggling as a club and Billy was in talks with a Columbian club but he
stayed put and as far as top players at that club I would say to date in the top 5.
How and where my father met this sports man I wish I knew.My father was in the Merchant Navy
and billy I believe was in the RAF and I think maybe they met in pub and shared stories about there
experiences .

You could only stare in disbelief at this dapper well dressed visitor to 2a Wellcroft Place and how humble that visit must have been for him.
Glasgow and Liverpool lost many many brave seamen during the war and in public they would get spat
at in public by people who did not know any better. In fact it was from a journey from Liverpool to
Glasgow that my father made and was to meet my mother outside the Grant Arms Pub .
Ironically my mother worked with 33000 yes thirty three thousand women in the munitions
factory at Bishopton and they had a few accidents while handling gelignite etc. etc.

My fathers ship SS Winimac was torpedoed and sunk of the Venezuelan Coast carrying fuel oil
and my father with 21 others managed to lower the lifeboats and were evenyually picked up by a Danish ship in the area. Ironically because the wireless officer who very bravely stayed at his post
in order to give co-ordinates probaby helped to save his men but sadly with the crude oil on the surface of sea he only lived on board the lifeboat for about 5 hours.The captain stayed and went down with his ship.

The reason for this post is try and share and compare our stories and give a bit of background on how some of us arrived at this cross-roads called "The Gorbals".

ps.

The U-Boat that sank my fathers ship and 12 other merchant ships was eventually rammed and sunk
by The USS-Buckley an American destroyer.

Best Regards REG

From the Merchant Navy site I found this: "At 14.17 hours on 31 Aug, 1942, the unescorted Winamac (Master Edgar Harrison), dispersed from convoy TRIN-3, was hit in the engine room by one of two torpedoes from U-66 about 390 miles east of Trinidad. The tanker burst into flames and sank quickly. The master, 26 crew members and three gunners were lost. 21 crew members were picked up by Empire Lugard and landed at Trinidad."

and "she was launched as SS PULPIT POINT In 1926, name changed to SS WINAMAC 1934, Sunk 31 august 1942 by U66, 51 dead 21 survivors"

accobra

You probably have seen this photo of the SS Winamac that your father sailed on, photo was taken before she had her name changed.

Apologies for omitting Liverpool legend s surname it was Billy Liddell


Reg

Hello Jimbo ,

What an amazing photo which I have never seen before..
All I have is the picture and the story of how the sinking evolved which I got from my father six weeks before he died in 1986.
Ironically I have a South African friend who works for an oil company using deep sea vehicles for
oil exploration and when I gave him the co-ordinates of the sinking of The SS Winimac he explained that they were not far away from the very spot . If they had come across it they would have to notify the authorities and it would be treated as a war grave. Curious to know where you got the amazing photo.

As a matter of interest it was torpedeod on 31 st August 1943.

Thanks again for the amazing photo


Regards Reg

Info passed on via PM.

Hi Jimbo,

After you sent me the link which helped immensely I thought I would on a new link which is
Norwegian Merchant Fleet which indicates that a ship called Vilja picked up 47 survivors from
The Empire Lugard roundabout 14/15 September and virtually the same area where the
sinking of the "Winimac took place. The survivors were dropped of at Port of Spain.
The funny was when my father launched the lifeboat he damaged his shoulder and although a
"Chinese Bone Setter" put it back in place he could never raise his arm above his head totally.

This site takes many twists and turns .

Best regards Reg

Hi again, Reg,

I suppose we should let the others know that the "Empire Lugard" was the ship that picked up your father and the other survivors from the "SS Winamac" and that 13 days later at almost the same spot where the Winamac went down she herself was torpedoed and sunk with some loss of life, as you say, the survivors were rescued by the Vijlna.

Hi Jimbo,

A final last connection to the area where ship was sunk .

My daughter Helen while on holiday on the Island of Margarita a bout 60 miles off the
Venezuelan coast met on the last day of that holiday her future husband to be Luis Jose Dangelo Cabrera.
Try saying that name when you have had a few drinks.My grandaughter Alena certainly has the latino. lookWe get back to fate being kind to my father and again if he did not survive the sinking I would not be here nor my daughter nor grandaughter. I feel sure our lives are mapped out for us as I will tell you on another Post when at the age of 5 I tried to cross Cumberland St . When I was hit by a car.

Best regards
Reg
'

Jimbo,

Could you let me have the Merchant Navy website where you got the photo of the "Winimac from.

Best regards Reg