There are so many stories, of Canada's heroic participation in the Second World War, that are yet to be told. This is one of those stories. The S.S. Nerissa was the only ship transporting Canadian Army troops which was lost to enemy action during the entire war. The details were highly classified until almost 50 years after the sinking.
The tragic loss of this ship on 30 April 1941, resulted in the third largest loss of life for a ship sunk by U-boats in the approaches to the British Isles. The deaths of 81 Merchant Navy seamen; 83 Canadian, 12 British, and 3 Norwegian military personnel; 11 Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) American pilots; and 17 civilian passengers touched not only Canadian families at the time, but also many families in the allied nations and the neutral United States. Yet, the loss of the Nerissa is hardly mentioned in official war records or by historians ... and the tragic human losses are largely unknown to our current generation.
Nerissa usually sailed independently, not in escorted convoys. This book focuses on her final wartime crossing of the North Atlantic. Documented are: events that led up to the sinking by U-552 (Erich Topp) ... and the survivors' deadly 10 hour struggle in the open ocean awaiting rescue. (Of the ship's 8 lifeboats, only 1 was successfully launched, 1 was upright but flooded, 4 were capsized and 2 sank with the ship). The circumstances of the sinking of a troopship caused a public relations dilemma on the Canadian home-front.
The book includes eye-witness accounts from many of the 84 survivors and some stories of those that perished. After so many years, their stories still deserve to be told. Much of the material is based on analysis of: testimony, recollections and/or official reports taken from survivors; and Canadian, British and German source documents which have since been declassified.
Reviews
This outstanding book is a must read for anyone interested in Canada's military history. LCdr Dziadyk is a naval historian whose goal in writing this book was to provide an interesting read; provide a foundation for future research; and to advance recognition that the S.S. Nerissa, in which 207 persons perished, should not be forgotten. He accomplished much more by writing this book.
The first 3 chapters give the reader important details about convoys and troopships. I found this very interesting. The analysis of the events through official records, personal stories, newspaper articles, charts, and more, gives the reader a minute by minute account of the sinking. It reads like a movie.
My uncle, Sydney Thaiss Atkins, was a crew member and sadly one of the casualties. His death had a profound effect on the family he left behind. Luckily, his twin brother survived the war.
William Dziadyk has written an excellent book. It should become the official military account of S.S. Nerissa sinking. I highly recommend this book. -- Ann Hentschel, (founder ssnerissa.com)
This book provides a gripping account of the sinking of the SS Nerissa and the resulting ordeal personally faced by its passengers and crew. The author first portrays the "canvas" upon which this occurred - the pivotal struggle in the Atlantic to supply the remaining Allied bastion in Europe. A masterful job is done at drawing aside the veil of secrecy surrounding this little known event. Of particular interest are numerous stories of people aboard the S.S. Nerissa, one of whom was my father. - A. McKay
A compelling read. The story of the sinking of the SS Nerissa as seen by both the hunted and the hunter answers many questions long held secret and raises many more, including the exclusion of the Nerissa from official war documents. Nice humanizing touches such as including the long-standing bridge game interrupted by the arrival of the first torpedo ... - Lewis D. Johnson, RCAF ret'd
