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SS Samaria
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Those known to have sailed in SS Samaria during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
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Records of SS Samaria from other sources.
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Want to know more about SS Samaria? There are:-1 items tagged SS Samaria available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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AB. James Wafer S.S. Samaria (d.14th May 1943)  James Wafer started service as an Able Seaman during World War 1 and had survived active service as a teenage merchant man on a ship called Romney. He signed up in 1915 at the age of 18.
This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. In May 1943 S.S. Samaria was in West Huskisson dock at my grandfather's home port of Liverpool.
At 5.00 p.m. on Thursday 13th of May 1943, my grandfather Jim reported for duty on troop ship S.S. Samaria to J. Lowe 2nd officer.
At 5.10 p.m. he was assigned A.R.P. duty by S. Pentith 3rd officer.
From 10.00 a.m. 11.00 p.m. he was seen on his rounds attending to blackout by J. Lowe.
1.30 a.m. Friday 14th of May 1943 Jim Wafer was seen apparently asleep in Seaman Gunners Quarters by Able Seaman Stanley Poole. A little after 1.30 a.m. the last person to speak to Grandad was Able Seaman M. Towers.
When he talked to my Grandad he was told that he had a bad headache.
These were to be my grandfather's final words on earth.
At 8.00 a.m. Matty Towers looked in his bunk and then reported Grandad missing to the Bosun, J. Hynes. Shortly after, Samaria set sail for Algiers via the River Clyde, Glasgow. Samaria sailed out of Liverpool on Friday 14th of May 1943 and was on the Clyde Monday 17th of May.
Samaria sailed from Clyde 19th of May to Algiers and arrived 27th of May 1943.
At 6.25 p.m. Wednesday 26th of May 1943 P.C. William Gibb and Sgt Fox found my Grandad's body in the South West corner of the West Huskisson dock. Two days later the Coroner held an inquest into Grandad's death and the verdict was given as unascertainable. Thomas Coakley examined the body and states no violence was used in his death but his body was badly damaged, due to it being trapped for days under the lock gates of the dock. He listed drowning as the probable cause of death.
The funeral for 46 year old Jim Wafer was held on Tuesday 1st of June 1943 at St Dominic's Roman Catholic Church then burial at Ford Cemetery.
On the Samaria crew list and report of character, James Wafer and Matty Towers are consecutive number 59 & 60. For ability and general conduct both men are reported as very good.
By the 26th of June 1943 the crew of the Samaria had heard of the body of Jim Wafer being found in Liverpool. At 7.05 p.m. Matthew Towers A.B. (M.N. Gunner) fell from the gun platform on A deck to B deck, receiving head injuries. On being examined by the ship's surgeon life was found to be extinct.
At 7.45 p.m. the Samaria was about to sail. At this point the body of Matthew Towers A.B. was taken ashore by the military authorities for burial. On 28th of May 1943 he was buried in El Alia Cemetery Algiers.
The official record of these two mens' deaths falls so short of telling the whole story. Against J. Wafer it states "he failed to re-join ship" and for M. Towers it reads "died as result of accident". Strange that we have sworn coroners statements from my grandfather's inquest placing him on the ship and performing his duties, but the official entry in the log claims he failed to re-join the ship. The official records state the purser took possession of his discharge book, his I.D. card and his grey suit jacket.
For Matty Towers the three witness statements into his death are very contradictory. Those giving evidence included J. Cornwall M.N. Gunner, R. W. Orr D.E.M.S. Gunner and T. Moulton Sectionman. One statement indicates he fell forward unhindered over the gun deck another says he staggered, gripped a rail and fell backwards to his death. The third statement, quite surprising, from W. Orr, is missing from the official records although he is listed as giving evidence to the inquiry into Matty Towers death.
Matthew Towers was 48 years old when he lost his life.
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Reginald Arthur Frederick Bradley 2nd Bat. Kings Royal Rifle Corps Notes from my Grandad:
- Enlisted July 15th 1939 aged 20
- Discharged Aldershot March 1946
- Photo taken June 1941 at Hothfield Manor, Kent, C Coy 1st Batt Princess Louise Kensington Regiment
- C Coy Number 10 platoon Part of the British Expedition Force - France 1940 With the 51st Scottish Highland Infantry
- Served overseas in North Africa & Sicily
- Sailed from the Clyde Scotland 1942 on the SS Samaria bound for North Afice, no leave until March 1946
- Rear guard action Dunkirk 1940 under Colnl Parker Lost A & D Coy -
- prisoner Escaped 13th June 1940
- 8th Army General Montgomery / Desert Rats
Monte Cassino. The monastery 1944
- Crossed the River Po April 1945
I have lots of pictures of him in Austria, Spittal 1945/1946
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Gunner Anthony Albert Barwick 69th Medium Regiment, 242 Battery Royal Artillery I have researched much of Dad's war but parts frustratingly elude me. He was Tony Barwick and he enlisted from Liverpool in 1938
and after the war was a professional soldier all his working life. I guess many men had his sort of war,
taking part in big events but only realising it afterwards and doing their duty for their country through
injury and sickness. He was away for 3 years from 1943 to 1946. The following are some pointers.
I have read his service record and the available unit diaries at Kew as well as researched books and the
internet. For many years he led a battalion at the Dunkirk Veterans reunion each year. He died in 2007
aged 86 still carrying a shrapnel mark from the Dunkirk beaches under his heart and a German bayonet scar
on an upper thigh from Cassino. And he was in the Artillery! In 1940 he was part of 69 medium Regt, 242 battery
and was ambushed at Wormhoudt whilst retreating to Dunkirk, 27-28 May. The Earl of Aylesford commanding
his group was killed. The 2nd Warwicks (1& 2 24th of Isandlahwhana) were then defending it,
one of Gorts strongholds. One of his unit Gnr. Parry was caught and ended up in the S.S. massacre in
the barn, but Dad's group ran the lucky way and made it to Dunkirk.
I'd like to know What ship he boarded. He got off by carrying a stretcher onto a warship alongside the mole
following an officer with a loaded pistol. This dates it because Gort only agreed to stretcher wounded being
evacuated after MO's pressures late in the evacuation. One stretcher took the place of 10 standing men you see.
I have the Royal Navy official report on the Dunkirk evacuation and HMS Worcester is the best candidate.
Dad went to Egypt in SS Samaria 1943 in time for Alamein. That ship also brought 101 Airborne of DDay fame to
UK from America. Does anyone know Where the unit diary is for this North African period? (Kew National Archive hadnt got it when last I looked); Then across the western desert (I have pictures of him and his mates with some names from this
time) to Anzio, Cassino and via Marseille with the Americans and back up to Wormhoudt and then to the
Ruhr until 1946. I have various sources eg Walter Lord's "The Miracle of Dunkirk", Gunner Parry's
"Massacre on the road to Dunkirk" and the internet eg 58th Regiment RA has a superb site with a detailed diary
and Dads C.O. of 69th was in command of both Regiments for while during the Dunkirk retreat.
Hence some of Dad's movements can be traced via that wonderfully detailed site. Any relative of a member of 69th Medium Regt.R.A. is welcome to contact me and I will be happy to pass on the more extensive information I have on Word file.
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