SS Britannia.org

Personal Stories - Extraordinary Stories from those that survived the sinking.

In addition to the valuable Press Reports, it is extraordinary that so many personal accounts of the sinking have been collated - some of it very graphic-in the main Britannia website.

I have no wish to duplicate what is in the SS Britannia website but list below what is available :

"Personal Stories

Some of those who survived the sinking of the Britannia had their own stories recorded.

In some cases they wrote their own personal accounts, others were recorded in shorter articles or had their stories researched.

There are websites about some of them, and in the articles below there are links to these websites.

Jack Arkinstall

Jack Arkinstall was rescued from Lifeboat No 12 by the Cabo de Hornos; his story is told on the BBC website: Jack Arkinstall, WW2 People's War.

Frederick Bower (my father)

Frederick Bower spent five days on Lifeboat Number Three and was rescued by theCabo de Hornos. His story is on the Bower family website.

Donald Brown

Donald Brown was on his way to his overseas posting when the Britannia was sunk. He ended up on Lifeboat Number Ten which contained 50 people on a boat designed to hold 35. After five days without food or water only seven survived, and they were picked up by the Cabo de Hornos.

He wrote his own personal account and his grandson has provided some background information.

Thomas Wilfred Caldwell

Thomas Caldwell was on Lifeboat Number Five and was picked up by the ship Bachi as described in his diary.

Tom Dunn

Tom Dunn was rescued by the Cabo de Hornos, most likely from Lifeboat Number Three.

Dave Mathieson

Dave Mathieson was a Chief Engineer on the Bibby line, amongst others. He provided a handwritten account of the voyage of Lifeboat Number Seven, which is also in a typed version.

Adaline Nancy Miller

Adaline Miller was the ship's surgeon on the Britannia. She was awarded the MBE for attending the injured and dying aboard the Britannia, as described in this press article.

Constantino Misquita

Constantino Misquita was a member of Britannia's crew who survived the journey across the Atlantic on 'Lifeboat Number Seven', but died on the boat when they were in sight of the coast of Brazil.

Spencer Mynott

Spencer Mynott was one of the survivors of the '2nd Raft' with Alfred Warren, and was was picked up by the Cabo de Hornos after five days at sea.

His story was published in the "Sunday Pictorial" on 17 April 1960.

As a result, the Pictorial arranged a reunion for the two of them and a follow-up story appeared on 24 April.

A H Rowlandson

Lt A H Rowlandson RN was picked up by the Cabo de Hornos from the '1st Raft', and encouraged the captain to keep searching for survivors.

His story is recounted in Chapter 30 of "Lifeboat Number Seven".

Alfred Warren

Alfred Warren was travelling on the Britannia to his first posting as an Air Fitter in the Fleet Air Arm when the Britannia was attacked. After five days at sea he was picked up by the Cabo de Hornos from the '2nd Raft' with Spencer Mynott, after being bitten by a shark when the ship was in sight.

Unpublished until now,"Pain for Leaven" is the story of his experiences.

Frank West

Frank West reached the coast of Brazil after 23 days in Lifeboat Number Seven. He described his experience in his book: "Lifeboat Number Seven", which was published in 1960."

Colin Bower
24 September 2020

Link to SS Britannia.org

A main source of information including Personal Stories and Press Reports

Link to:

Sinking of the SS Britannia - Index