Matthew

From Larn's "Shipwreck Index" -

"At 13.55 on 10 Dec. 1944 a single torpedo fired by the U-2102 struck the port side of the Liberty ship level with number 9 hold, causing her to break in two immediately. The survivors abandoned ship in two lifeboats and one liferaft, a third lifeboat capsizing whilst being launched, a fourth swamped. The last to leave the vessel were the master and the armed guard commander, both men jumped overboard and were picked up by no. 2 lifeboat. Distress flares sighted by Strumbles Head Coastguard saw the Fishguard lifeboat launched at 6 p.m. but on reaching the wreck found it surrounded by oil and abandoned. One of the lifeboat crew was taken ill and the boat turned back for Fishguard where the man was transferred to a police car, but on reaching home died. One of the ships lifeboats with 23 survivors reached the shore safely, whilst a liferaft with 13 men on board was picked up by Fishguard lifeboat, one of survivors who was seriously injured died before they reached the lifeboat station. The bow section drifted ashore 2.5 miles south of Strumble Head"


David