Visit to Cadiz January 2025

Sinking of the SS Britannia

In 1941, the SS Britannia was sunk by the surface raider Thor.

My father was a passenger on the Britannia and was rescued from a lifeboat by the Spanish liner Cabo de Hornos.

The survivors were taken to Tenerife where forces personnel were interned. The civilians like my father went onto Cadiz and then Gibraltar where Dad waited for a troop ship home.

I had been to Tenerife a number of times but I had always wanted to see Cadiz, though Dad had the shortest of stays there.

When the German surface raider Thor launched a rescue boat, the commander of Dad's lifeboat told the survivors to throw their passports overboard. There would have been the need for some formalities in either Cadiz or Gibraltar. (Dad told me that he did not throw his money overboard!)

Tour of Cadiz

As part of a cruise of the Canaries, we went on a coach/walking tour of this important and historical port and city of Cadiz during which we saw:

- beautiful streets, buildings and gardens:

- examples of watchtowers, where ship owners watched anxiously for their ships returning with precious cargos from the Americas:

Having aleady been to Tenerife and Gibraltar, this final piece of the jigsaw was very special to me.

Colin Bower
31 January 2025

Sinking of the SS Britannia in 1941

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