Bradford City (3)

Comments from the forum - 2

Many of our members, and other readers, will already be aware of some of the events surrounding the loss of the Bradford City (3) on 1st November 1941. These events have previously been described in issues of the “RSL Newsletter”, “Shipmates” and the nautical magazine “Sea Breezes”. During the past few weeks, we have been extremely fortunate in being given access to a considerable amount of further information regarding the loss of the ship. You can read the full and conclusive story of this fascinating episode. Mike Jones.  Posted on Forum 01 August 2012.

If I remember correctly wasn't Willie Cross 3rd Mate on the Bradford City when she was sunk? I sailed with Willie on the Wilkawa in 1972/73 and I can remember him talking about being sunk off South West Africa and I am sure he said it was the Bradford City though 40 yrs have gone past and I may have the wrong ship. I suspect if he was third mate he would have been in a port lifeboat, because he talked about landing in the Namib Desert and eventually walking for help, which ever ship it was the story was rather harrowing. Wally Hutchings. Posted on Forum 04 August 2012.

Good to see you made a voyage with Captain Cross, and that he was willing to pass on his wartime experiences; in particular about his time aboard the Bradford City (3). There were some other older members still around in your day who also had had similar wartime experiences: Captains Lloyd, Lindsay, Johns, Lemon and Vaughan, Sol Wainright, to name a few. Those of my own generation, who went to sea in the decade after the end of WW2, came across many Officers and Crew who had gone through the horrors of being torpedoed, bombed or fired upon; often on more than one occasion. However, they were very reluctant to talk about their experiences. Some, of course, had even endured similar events in WW1.
If you have a re-read of Willie’s diary entries , which, like Capt. Paul’s Log, was written at the time the events took place, you will see that he mentions the Third Mate, on several occasions, though not by name. In the photographs, the apprentices are named as Flynn, Stott and Cross. And, you will see from one of the Postscripts, we now know that Capt. Danny Lloyd was Second Mate, alongside Capt. Paul in the starboard lifeboat.
Sadly, Captain Willie Cross died in late November 1979, after a long illness. There was a big turnout for his funeral that took place in Nelson and Skipton. Pallbearers included Captains Murray, Garlick, Boyer, and WD Jones. The weather shone on Willie that day, and Capt. Mark Higgins, who accompanied me to the funeral, still speaks of the sunshine and the amusing incidents that took place that would have pleased Willie no end. Bryan Boyer or I will post up about it sometime. Mike Jones.  Posted on Forum 04 August 2012.

I have downloaded to hard copy your article on the sinking of the Bradford City. The article is very well presented and a very interesting read. I have put the article in a folder for future reference.
You mention on the last page that the C/E was probably Frank Rowell. Frank was from a little sea port called Amble on the Northumbrian coast. My home was Amble before I came to sea and it was Frank Rowell who directed me to Reardon Smith when I decided to make a seagoing career. I kept in touch with him and visited him fairly regularly until his death. He used to tell me tales of some of the things he saw at sea, but he never mentioned the Bradford City. Trevor Graham-Russell. Posted on Forum 04 August 2012.

At the end of April 1942, when the Botlea arrived at Workington with her cargo of pig iron, the three sister ships, Fresno City, Houston City and Vancouver City, were nearing completion at Doxfords Paillion Yard. I am sure that Captain Paul and Frank Rowell, along with the other officers and crew, were extremely relieved to get down the gangway. The rest of her wartime service with Smiths appears like a true horror story, and is not recommended for late night reading; there may well have been a glass or two raised when she was scuttled by the authorities in December 1945, with her cargo of gas bombs.
Perhaps it was because of what they had been through, that Frank Rowell was appointed to the Vancouver City for her maiden voyage, sailing from Sunderland on 12th July 1942, with Captain Alfie Ward in command.
Captain Paul was also fortunate, as he took command of the Houston City, and had Dai Beynon and Harry Lloyd Evans as Mate and Second Mate respectively, and bustling about the alleyways was a certain 17 year old Apprentice by the name of Oliver Lindsay; he too, had only recently experienced the sinking of the Botavon, where there had been a considerable loss of life.
The Houston City sailed a couple of months after the Vancouver City.
And they were fortunate to be selected for those two sister ships, because the third sister, Fresno City, sailed from the Tyne in May 1942, and was to survive for less than a year. She was part of convoy HX84 that suffered at the hands of the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer. Captain Jake Vaughan almost lost an arm during the lowering of one of the lifeboats. Mike Jones.  Posted on Forum 05 August 2012.

Disclaimer: The statements on this page are the views of the person who posted them on the forum. The events took place many years ago and in most cases rely on those people's memories, and so we cannot guarantee the accuracy although every effort is made to check it.

Bradford City. Page [1] [2] [3]
Memories from RSL staff. Page No. [1] [2] [3]