On Monday 12th January 1942 the Transit ship 'Yngaren' was sailing to Hull from Halifax in Canada. The ship was carrying 4696 tons of Copra, 300 tons of Manganese ore and 80 tons of trucks and eight aircraft. They were also carrying six recently qualified aircrew to the UK.

At 04:00 hrs the ship which was unescorted as due to the bad weather had become separated from the convoy was attacked and sunk by two torpedoes from U-43 in heavy seas. (German records list the time as 08:02 hrs)

The Swedish ship sunk in one minute at about 600 miles west of Ireland.

The captain along with 31 crew and the six aircrew were lost. Two others survived and were picked up on the 10th February by a British fishing trawler.

P/O. Maurice Melton Campbell NZ/405230 RNZAF Age 27. (Observer) Missing believed killed. Ottawa Memorial Panel 2. Column 1. Son of Arthur Campbell and of Alice Campbell (née Jones), of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. (Photo used under licence Auckland Library Heritage Collection 11 March 1942 : AWNS19420311-25-11)

P/O. William Upton Hewettt NZ/404363 RNZAF Age 29. (Observer) Missing believed killed. Ottawa Memorial Panel 2. Column 1. Born at Palmerston, the son of Charles Robert Hewett, and of Jane Elinor Hewett (née Slack), of Roto-O-Rangi, Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo used under licence Auckland Library Heritage Collection 11 March 1942 : AWNS19420311-25-10)

P/O. Michael Patrick Angland NZ/411357 RNZAF Age 23. (Observer) Missing believed killed. Ottawa Memorial Panel 2. Column 1. Born on the 15th March 1918, the son of Michael Joseph and Bridie Angland, of Greymouth, Westland, New Zealand. (Photo used under licence Auckland Library Heritage Collection 11 March 1942 AWNS19420311-25-17)

P/O. Francis Roy O'Neill AUS/403830 RAAF Age 25. Missing believed killed. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 111. Born on the 09th October 1916 at Scone, NSW, the son of Francis and Frances Jane O'Neill, of 19 Scott Street, Scone, New South Wales, Australia. A school teacher prior to service.

P/O. Maxwell Maclean Stewart C/8536 RCAF Age 35. Missing believed killed. Ottawa Memorial Panel 2. Column 1. Born on the 22nd January 1906 at Calgary, the son of Mr. A.M. Stewart, Grimsby, Ontario, Canada. A school teacher prior to service at Chilliwack Junior - Senior High School.

P/O. Sidney Henry Arthur Wright C/8592 RCAF Age 33. Missing believed killed. Ottawa Memorial Panel 2. Column 5. Son of Henry J. Wright and Louisa F. Wright and husband of Dorothy Wright, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (no image available)

U-43 was sunk on the 30th July 1943 in the North Atlantic with the loss of all 55 hands then under the command of Hans-Joachim Schwantke. Struck by a homing torpedo dropped from a Grumman Avenger aircraft from the USS Santee.

Researched by Jenifer Lemaire of New Zealand for Aircrew Remembered - April 2019. With thanks to the great website Uboat.net. In addition to Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2024 Last Modified: 20 March 2021, 10:46