Thank you for the link to Ken Smith's page on my site! I have embedded this video there. I was privileged to be put in touch with Ken in 2010 by his next-door neighbour, Joe, who wrote: "I have a friend (Ken G Smith) who served on CS Lady Denison Pender and he would like to send you some information about his experiences." Ken was 87 at the time, and not on line, but a couple of weeks later I received his memoir in the post, transcribed it, and set up the page for him. Joe printed the page out for Ken, then sent this: "I took Ken a copy of the page this morning and he was absolutely delighted - I think that he will be writing to all his friends and relations shortly about his new found fame. He really could not have been more pleased so a big well done to you." Over the next few months, Ken sent me more stories and photos, and I added them to his page. PK Porthcurno then very kindly provided Ken's employment records for me, and I sent them on to him via Joe. As well as being a good writer, with an excellent memory of events over sixty years in the past, Ken was also an amateur artist, and his watercolour of the Lady Denison-Pender can be seen at the bottom of his page. He also sent this sketch of CS Pacific: atlantic-cable.com/Cableships/Pacific/CS-Pacific-Ken-Smith.jpg Our correspondence continued with occasional letters from Ken and emails from his friend Joe until the end of 2011. In 2014 Joe told me Ken hadn't been well, and in 2015 he let me know that Ken was in hospital. Sadly I haven't heard any news of him since.
There is a first-hand account of the Lady Denison-Pender and her encounter with the U-boats from Mr Ken Smith, who was a cable jointer aboard the ship at the time. It can be found on www.Atlantic-Cable.com/CableStories/KSmith/index.htm.
Correction: U-67, not U-68 (my bad), although U-68 was in the area and was also sunk by depth charges dropped by the Americans. Avenger aircraft off USS Guadalcanal. Only one survivor. U-67 had three survivors.
I believe my great-grandfather William Samuel Johnson was a St Helenian crew member who served on the Lady Denison-Pender during WW2. I've tried searching for any records of his service but no luck so far. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for the link to Ken Smith's page on my site! I have embedded this video there.
I was privileged to be put in touch with Ken in 2010 by his next-door neighbour, Joe, who wrote: "I have a friend (Ken G Smith) who served on CS Lady Denison Pender and he would like to send you some information about his experiences."
Ken was 87 at the time, and not on line, but a couple of weeks later I received his memoir in the post, transcribed it, and set up the page for him. Joe printed the page out for Ken, then sent this:
"I took Ken a copy of the page this morning and he was absolutely delighted - I think that he will be writing to all his friends and relations shortly about his new found fame. He really could not have been more pleased so a big well done to you."
Over the next few months, Ken sent me more stories and photos, and I added them to his page. PK Porthcurno then very kindly provided Ken's employment records for me, and I sent them on to him via Joe.
As well as being a good writer, with an excellent memory of events over sixty years in the past, Ken was also an amateur artist, and his watercolour of the Lady Denison-Pender can be seen at the bottom of his page. He also sent this sketch of CS Pacific: atlantic-cable.com/Cableships/Pacific/CS-Pacific-Ken-Smith.jpg
Our correspondence continued with occasional letters from Ken and emails from his friend Joe until the end of 2011. In 2014 Joe told me Ken hadn't been well, and in 2015 he let me know that Ken was in hospital. Sadly I haven't heard any news of him since.
Sounds like they were very lucky to escape!
U-67's captain was Günther Müller-Stöckheim who held the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. Random fact.
Dangerous things, those wolfpacks.
There is a first-hand account of the Lady Denison-Pender and her encounter with the U-boats from Mr Ken Smith, who was a cable jointer aboard the ship at the time. It can be found on www.Atlantic-Cable.com/CableStories/KSmith/index.htm.
Correction: U-67, not U-68 (my bad), although U-68 was in the area and was also sunk by depth charges dropped by the Americans. Avenger aircraft off USS Guadalcanal. Only one survivor. U-67 had three survivors.
U-68 was depth charged and sunk in the Sargasso Sea later that year by the Americans.
I believe my great-grandfather William Samuel Johnson was a St Helenian crew member who served on the Lady Denison-Pender during WW2. I've tried searching for any records of his service but no luck so far. Any help would be greatly appreciated.