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All lettering shown in " BLUE " on this website are links |
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" Special Thanks go to " TWO " Remarkable Websites " :
~ AND ~
Please visit these great websites for more by |
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Thursday,
May 5, 2022
The " M.S. Empire Gem " ( British Motor Tanker ) was also sunk
along with the S.S. Venore with a loss of " 49 " !
Originally built as the steam tanker " G. Harrison Smith " by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Sparrow's Point, Maryland in 1921, it was renamed the " Charles G. Black " when it was purchased by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey & New York in 1926. In 1940 the Standard Oil Company converted the ship to an ore carrier and renamed the ship the " S.S. Venore " !
On January 24, 1942 the unescorted & unarmed " Venore " was enroute from Cruz Grande, Chile to Baltimore, Maryland with a cargo of 8,000 tons of iron ore. They were hit by one torpedo fired by " German U-66 " about 20 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The torpedo struck the " Venore " amidships forward of the boiler room and set her on fire.
The crew started to do their best to fight the fires as the Master/Captain Fritz Duurloo tried to escape by zigzagging at high speed. Then, about 45 minutes later, a second torpedo, also believed to be from U-66, hit the ship on the port side at the #9 hold and the remaining crew abandoned ship. The master, one officer and 15 crewmen were lost in this sinking. 24 members of the crew survived.
German U-Boat U-66 damaged " 2 " merchant ships and " 2 " warships, and also sank " 33 " ships during World War II. German U-Boat U-66 was finally also sank on May 6, 1944 in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Cape Verde Islands by the U.S.S. Block Island ( CVE-21 ) by depth charges, gunfire and also being rammed by a Grumman TBF Avenger and a Grumman Wildcat/Martlet who served on the U.S.S. Block Island with VC-55.The ship Master/Captain of the S.S. Venore was: who went down with his ship !
The following below list was created in the memory of those who "Gave Their All" on the " S.S. Venore ". There are personal "online memorials" for each of these honored men that were created for them by using the "Find A Grave" website. You will see a blue " Yes " behind their names and by clicking on the " Yes " you will see a personal memorial that has been created for them by myself or someone else.
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MM = Awarded the " Mariner's Medal "
( Awarded for being wounded, Missing or Killed In Action )
MM * = Awarded the " Combat Bar ( Ribbon ) "
( Awarded to those who served under combat conditions )
MM ** = Awarded the " Combat Star "
( Awarded to those who are forced to abandon ship when attacked or damaged )
PMM = Awarded the " Mariner's Prisoner of War Medal "
( Awarded to Mariner's held as prisoners of war during World War II )
PH = Awarded the " Purple Heart "
Other Medals = Such as Good Conduct Medals, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medals, American Defense Service Medals, etc. " Are Not " included in this listing.
An " n/a " in the " Photo, Awards, or Notes Area " means that they are not available for that Mariner, Soldier or Sailor .....
Cenotaph = A memorial stone only ~ " OR " ~ Remains not recovered ~ " OR " ~ Interred somewhere unknown.
( Awarded to soldiers & sailors for being Wounded and/or Killed in action )
= Picture of person shown on online memorial.
= Picture of tombstone shown on online memorial.
( Those letters shown below in " Maroon " had no crew members on this ship )
[ A ] -
[ B ] -
[ C ] -
[ D ] -
[ E ] -
[ F ] -
[ G ] -
[ H ] -
[ I ] -
[ J ] -
[ K ] -
[ L ]
[ M ] -
[ N ] -
[ O ] -
[ P ] -
[ Q ] -
[ R ] -
[ S ] -
[ T ] -
[ U ] -
[ V ] -
[ W ] -
[ X ] -
[ Y ] -
[ Z ]
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aikens, Cortland VerdelMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batulis, Stanley James MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a
" Family Link Included " |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph | ||
Brand, Cornelius JohannesMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph | ||
Brown, Frank SummerMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chisholm, Elmo BernardMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Davis, William Lee MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
WW II Memorial Annapolis, MD |
Cenotaph | |
Duurloo, Fritz MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ |
Captain | Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Figueras, Claudio MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ |
Engineer | Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
WW II Memorial Annapolis, MD |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gardiner, Lorenzo AlfonsoMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Johnson, WilliamMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Seaman | Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mahoney, John Edgar MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ |
Seaman | Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
WW II Memorial Annapolis, MD |
Cenotaph |
Minzey, Vernon William MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a
" Family Link Included " |
Officer | Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nevette, St. Julian EarlMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph | ||
Newton, Charles HarrisonMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Assistant Engineer | Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Roby, George ClintonMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Toom, AlexanderMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
Last Name, First Name, M.I. Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~ Photos Notes ~ ( Only If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Cause of Death Date Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial Click on " Yes " |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Williams, Edward CalderwoodMM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a |
Merchant Marine |
" Missing In Action " January 24, 1942 |
Cenotaph |
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( russpickde@comcast.net )