26/06/2026
A Good Merchant Marine O.B.E. group, torpedoed and sunk three times.
Order of the British Empire (Civil) (on original wearing pin); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; 1939-45 War Medal; Original Certificate of Discharge book, Ch Eng John Urwin.
O.B.E. London Gazette 15th June 1945.
For his service on the S.S. Roxby.
John Urwin was born on the 26th December 1881 in Kyo, Durham, and lived in Gateshead.
His Discharge Book records service the following ships:-
Seapool, Empire Dryden, Roxby, , Fort Brule, Yearby, SS Pentire, SS Burnhope, Eyemouth, SS Kyloe, From March 1941 to November 1951.
He served as Chief Engineer for nine years with the firm of Sir R Roper and Coy of Stockton and was torpedoed three times during the war.
He was first torpedoed while serving on the Rushpool, 300 miles West of Ireland when all the crew were saved.
His second narrow escape was in April 1942 whilst with the Empire Dryden, they were about 100 miles from the coast of Bermuda when they were attacked by an enemy craft and torpedoed. The crew were ordered to take to two boats and when darkness fell were separated .
Urwin and 24 of the crew were picked up after being at sea for 17 days. The second boatload of men has never since been heard of.
He was torpedoed for a third time while with the Roxby, when 34 men were lost. After this he was sent to a shore job and has since been with the Admiralty in the Tyne area as a Fuel Burning Inspector.
Sinking of S.S. Rushpool:
On January 29, 1941, the SS Rushpool, a 5,125-ton British steam merchant ship, was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat in the North Atlantic. Owned by the Pool Shipping Company and managed by Sir R. Ropner & Co., the vessel was carrying a vital wartime cargo of 7,700 tons of grain from New Orleans, bound for London.
The Rushpool was crossing the ocean as part of Convoy SC-19, a slow-moving trade convoy that had departed Halifax, Nova Scotia, on January 12. Because it struggled to maintain speed in the treacherous winter conditions, the ship fell behind and became a "straggler."
The isolated freighter was spotted by U-94, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Herbert Kuppisch. At 01:13 hours, roughly 350 miles northwest of Rockall, the U-boat fired a spread of torpedoes. One struck the Rushpool, dealing a fatal blow. The ship began to founder rapidly in the icy, heavy seas.
Remarkably, despite the sudden night attack, the evacuation was largely successful. Of the 40 people on board—including crew and convoy gunners—39 survived. Only one crewman lost his life. The survivors were quickly rescued by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Antelope and brought safely to shore.
Sinking of S.S. Empire Dryden:
On April 20, 1942, the SS Empire Dryden, a 7,164-ton British cargo ship, was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat on her maiden voyage. Completed just two months prior and managed by Sir R. Ropner & Co., the vessel had departed New York laden with 7,000 tons of general cargo and vital military stores bound for Alexandria, Egypt.
Sailing unes**rted, the ship was intercepted approximately 240 nautical miles northwest of Bermuda by U-572, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinz Hirsacker. At 03:06 hours, the U-boat fired a spread of torpedoes. One hit the starboard side, blowing off the bow. Remarkably, all 51 men on board—including crew and DEMS gunners—initially managed to evacuate into lifeboats as the freighter foundered.
The aftermath, however, proved tragic. The survivors divided into two lifeboats, which quickly became separated. One boat, carrying Captain Robert Powley and 25 others, vanished into a fierce Atlantic gale and was never seen again. The remaining lifeboat, carrying 25 men, endured a grueling 16 days adrift, sailing 450 miles before being rescued by the American passenger liner City of Birmingham and safely landed in Bermuda.
Sinking of S.S. Roxby:
On November 7, 1942, the SS Roxby, a 4,252-ton British steam merchant ship, was sunk by a German U-boat in the North Atlantic. Built in 1923 and operated by the Ropner Shipping Company, the vessel had departed Gourock, Scotland, bound for Halifax, Canada, laden with 6,400 tons of coal.
The Roxby was traveling as part of Convoy ON-142. However, because it was an older, slower ship, it struggled to maintain the convoy’s speed and became a "straggler." Separated from the main group's protection, it became an easy target for the German wolfpacks prowling the shipping lanes.
At 15:40 hours, roughly 670 miles north of the Azores, the German submarine U-613 targeted the isolated vessel, firing two torpedoes. One struck the Roxby, triggering a massive explosion that tore through the crew's quarters. The ship slipped beneath the icy water within 30 minutes.
The attack took a heavy toll: 28 crew members and five gunners perished during the sinking, and the first radio officer later succumbed to exposure. Only Captain George Robison, ten crewmen, and two gunners survived. They endured two weeks adrift in a lifeboat before being rescued by the merchant ship Irish Beach.
Condition - NEF
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