Recently, Ive been looking into NZ casualties during World War II -- and came across two POW ships sunk by the Allies where over 160 Kiwis lost their lives. A drop in the bucket for that period, I know, and there were far greater maritime disasters during the war. There was the Sebastiano Venier, (not pictured),aka Jason, 9 December 1941. “… the ship had left Benghazi harbour with around 2,000 British prisoners of war including black South African troops, New Zealanders and Australians, all captured by the Germans in North Africa. Five miles south of Navarino on the Greek Peloponnese, the ship was attacked by the British submarine HMS Porpoise. She was not flying a P.O.W. flag … The Italian hospital ship Arno appeared on the scene but ploughed its way through the men struggling in the water and kept on sailing, its priority being the rescue of the crew of a German ship sunk nearby. A total of 320 lives were lost among them 309 British P.O.W.s, including 45 New Zealanders.” members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/maritime-1.html#maritime_disasters_1941 Then, there was the Nino Bixio, 16 August 1942. The Nino Bixio was hit while transporting Allied POWs from Libya to Italy. With another unmarked prison ship, the Sestriere, it had left Benghazi for Brindisi on 16 August 1942, escorted by two destroyers and two torpedo boats. Crammed aboard the Nino Bixio were almost 3000 POWs captured in North Africa, including more than 160 New Zealanders. Two days out of Benghazi the convoy was attacked by the British submarine HMS Turbulent. The Nino Bixio was hit by two torpedoes: one exploded in the tightly packed forward hold, killing an estimated 200 men and wounding another 60. In the ensuing panic and confusion many POWs jumped overboard. Some drowned immediately; others reached makeshift rafts and drifted around the Mediterranean for weeks without food or water. Those on board who survived the carnage were hauled up on deck by rope. 118 New Zealanders died. nzhistory.net.nz/page/attack-nino-bixio This latter ship survived the war, and visited this country as a cargo ship. First image is the ship at Napier, some time between 1947 and 1961. Ref: 1/4-026135-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. natlib.govt.nz/records/22680578 The second is of a remembrance ceremony on board in 1955, photographed by the Evening Post. Ref: EP/1955/0138-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. natlib.govt.nz/records/22680055
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 07:51:55 +0000
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