The SS Empire Chaucer was a British cargo ship that played a significant role in the final months of World War II. It was built in 1934 by the William Gray & Company Ltd in West Hartlepool.
The Empire Chaucer was a 7,042-ton cargo ship that was launched on September 16, 1934. The ship was 465 feet 2 inches long and had a beam of 58 feet 1 inch.
Its service history began in the early 1940s, when it was requisitioned by the British Ministry of War Transport.
Check this out: British India Steam Navigation Company
History
Empire Chaucer was built for the MoWT and was placed under the management of W J Tatem Ltd, Cardiff. Her port of registry was Sunderland, and the Code Letters BDVX and United Kingdom Official Number 169018 were allocated.
In October 1942, Empire Chaucer departed Calcutta, India bound for the United Kingdom via Durban and Cape Town, South Africa and then via Trinidad. She was carrying a cargo of 2,000 tons of pig iron and 6,500 tons of general cargo, including mail and tea.
Empire Chaucer was torpedoed and sunk 450 nautical miles (830 km) south of Cape Town by U-504 on 17 October 1942. The remaining 46 crew and a passenger took to the lifeboats.
Twelve survivors, including the Captain, were rescued by Empire Squire and landed at Trinidad. Fifteen survivors spent 23 days in a lifeboat before being rescued by Nebraska and landed at Cape Town.
The remaining 20 survivors landed at Bredasdorp on 31 October. Those lost on Empire Chaucer are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
Here's a breakdown of the Empire Chaucer's crew and their fate:
Featured Images: pexels.com
