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:

Fritz Duurloo

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.

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 "
               ( Awarded to soldiers & sailors for being Wounded and/or Killed in action )

Other Medals  =  Such as Good Conduct Medals, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medals, American Defense Service Medals, etc. " Are Not " included in this listing.

  =  Picture of person shown on online memorial.

  =  Picture of tombstone shown on online memorial.

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.

Quick Link by first letter of Last Name for the S.S. Venore

( 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 )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Aikens,  Cortland Verdel           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Messman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Pennsylvania " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Batulis,  Stanley James           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a           " Family Link Included "	Bosun	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Pennsylvania " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
Brand,  Cornelius Johannes           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Oiler	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Holland " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
Brown,  Frank Summer           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Messman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Pennsylvania " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Chisholm,  Elmo Bernard           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Messman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Georgia " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Davis,  William Lee           MM **  ~  Off North Carolina  ~	Wiper	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maryland " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	Maryland National WW II Memorial Annapolis, MD	" Yes " Cenotaph
Duurloo,  Fritz           MM **  ~  Off North Carolina  ~	Master / Captain	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	New York " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Names starting with " E "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Figueras,  Claudio           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina  ~	Deck Engineer	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maryland " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	Maryland National WW II Memorial Annapolis, MD	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Gardiner,  Lorenzo Alfonso           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Steward	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Louisiana " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Names starting with " H "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Names starting with " I "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Johnson,  William           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Able-Bodied Seaman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Texas " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Names starting with " K "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Names starting with " L "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Mahoney,  John Edgar           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~	Ordinary Seaman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maryland " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	Maryland National WW II Memorial Annapolis, MD	" Yes " Cenotaph
Minzey,  Vernon William           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a           " Family Link Included "	Radio Officer	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Alabama " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Nevette,  St. Julian Earl           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Messman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	South Carolina " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
Newton,  Charles Harrison           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Third Assistant Engineer	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maine " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Names starting with " O "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Names starting with " P "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Names starting with " Q "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Roby,  George Clinton           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Wiper	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Illinois " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Names starting with " S "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Toom,  Alexander           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Oiler	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Estonia " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Names starting with " U "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Names starting with " V "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards  ~  Place Of Passing  ~  Photos             Notes ~ ( Only If Available )	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online  Memorial Click on " Yes "
Williams,  Edward Calderwood           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ n/a	Wiper	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maine " Missing In Action " January 24, 1942	" Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph

Last Names starting with " X "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Names starting with " Y "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Last Names starting with " Z "  ~  " There Were None Lost ! "

Email any questions or comments to:

Russ Pickett

( russpickde@comcast.net )