S.S. “Benmohr”

We left Bombay on the 31st January 1942 bound for Liverpool, or one U.K. port with a full cargo consisting mainly of Pig Iron, Silver, Cotton and oil seeds, having left sufficient freeboard and space to lift bunker coal at Durban for eight thousand five hundred miles steaming. We arrived at Durban on the 14th Feb. bunkered and sailed on the 19th Feb. Our voyage proceeded without event and we followed the route given by the N.C.O. at Durban until the 4th March when a flying circled the ship. We hoisted the ship’s signal letters and ensign. Later the same day we received a coded message from Freetown giving us instructions to proceed from a position “S” 4° 270° and from this position steer direct to destination. We had carried out these instructions and were steering N 6°E.T. and were zig-zagging until 7pm when it was very dark. The vessel was perfectly blacked out and there were not lights of any description being shown. I went on the bridge at six pm as was my usual practice to see that there were no lights being shown and to have a good look round to see if there was anything in sight. There was nothing to be seen and I remarked to the Chief Officer that the vessel was very black. I went from the port side of the bridge to the starboard side just as the Third Officer came on the bridge to take over from the Chief Officer this would be at about five minutes to eight. I was standing for about two minutes on the starboard wing of the bridge when there was a heavy explosion on the ship’s side just under where I was standing. The machine gun emplacement that was built over the cab collapsed and I was struck by some of the falling concrete. This knocked me down and I was stunned for a few seconds. Gathering myself together I went over to the port side of the bridge & the Chief Officer and Third Officer had gone to their lifeboat stations. I got down on to the lower bridge and as the vessel appeared still to have considerable speed I ordered the engines to be stopped and rung off and all confidential books and papers to be thrown overboard in the box. The starboard bridge lifeboat was smashed to pieces by the explosion. The other three lifeboats were lowered into the water and kept alongside till all hands, except the Bosun, Carpenter and myself got into them. As the vessel did not appear to be sinking fast I sent the Carpenter to sound No2 and he reported 27 ft. At this time the Bosun & I were on the bridge deck having a look round when there was another terrible explosion on the starboard side. This appeared to be a little aft of where the first explosion occurred and great quantities of water & debris came falling all round. The vessel heeled over, then righted herself and she appeared to be sinking fast. After the second explosion the life boats had to let go and after the Bosun, Carpenter and I had a look round to see if all the others had got clear of the ship & we could do nothing to save the ship we slid down the boat falls into the water and swam away from the ship. I was picked up by the Chief Officer’s boat & later we picked up the Carpenter and Bosun. There was still one man shouting for help so the Bosun dived into the water again & brought back one of the army guards. Shortly after this the ship went down by the head and plunged out of sight. The three lifeboats were brought together and the crews counted. Then we divided equally between the three boats and the third officer being hurt, I put the Chief Officer in his boat with him, several of the crew got injured by debris falling on them after the second explosion. The injured in my boat were attended to and I gave orders that the boats would all keep together so we made fast to each other until the moon was well up and we could see for some distance. Then we let go from each other and commenced rowing in a northerly direction to try & keep about the same position as the vessel was sunk in as the current was setting to the south. At about eleven am on the 6th March we sighted a Sunderland flying boat and they came towards us coming down on to the water quite close to us and shouting “how many are there and how many are hurt.” Then he taxied way on the surface for some distance and let go a depth charge then he came back and one boat after the other went alongside of him & he took us all onboard. We were landed at Freetown in about two hours and twenty minutes and everything was ready to take the injured to hospital & the others to the R.A.F. Mess.
During these two days there was a gentle NE breeze, smooth sea, moderate swell, cloudy and clear weather.
We got a wireless distress message sent out but got no reply.
D. Anderson
Master