Westmoreland
British Steam merchant
Photo courtesy of Allan C. Green Collection
| Name | Westmoreland | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 8,967 tons | ||
| Completed | 1917 - D. & W. Henderson & Co Ltd, Glasgow | ||
| Owner | Federal Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 1 Jun 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-566 (Dietrich Borchert) | ||
| Position | 35° 55'N, 63° 35'W - Grid CB 8466 | ||
| Complement | 68 (3 dead and 65 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Wellington - Colon (25 May) - Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | 6480 tons of general cargo, refrigerated meat and foodstuffs, 9554 bales of wool and 406 bags of mail | ||
| History | Completed in April 1917 | ||
| Notes on event | At 08.36 hours on 1 June 1942 the unescorted Westmoreland (Master Ernst Arthur Burton) was torpedoed by U-566 about 240 miles north-northeast of Bermuda. At 09.32 hours, the U-boat hit the ship with a coup de grâce and at 10.20 hours began shelling the ship with the deck gun until the burning vessel capsized to starboard and sank at 13.08 hours. Two crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, 59 crew members and five gunners were rescued: 45 survivors by the Canadian steam merchant Cathcart and landed at Halifax and 20 survivors by Henry R. Mallory and landed at New York. | ||
| On board | We have details of 6 people who were on board. | ||
If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us.