Cecil William Philp

In October 1942, Cecil was a Naval Auxiliary Personnel crew member aboard the rescue tug HMS Caroline Moller.

 

During that month, three channel flotillas of German Motor Torpedo Boats (known as E-boats by the British) were in operation, alternating between minelaying and torpedo duties. On 6th October, seventeen of them were put to sea against convoy FN32 sailing between the Thames and the Firth of Forth. The convoy was escorted by the destroyers HMS Westminster and Vanity, as well as coastal forces.

 

At 04:36 on the morning of the 7th October, the E-boats began their attack, opening fire on the convoy off the coast at Cromer, Norfolk. The SS Sheafwater was hit first and sank with all her crew abandoning ship before she went down.

 

The SS Ilse followed soon after, again all crew abandoned ship whilst she was still afloat.

 

The Danish coaster SS Jessie Maersk was also hit and sunk, but this time with great loss of life. Twenty of the thirty-man crew were killed.

 

The Royal Navy Motor Launch ML339 attempted a counterattack, but was badly hit, caught fire and sank. Her skipper and thirteen surviving crew members were rescued by ML207.

 

The last vessel of the convoy to fall victim to the E-boats was Cecil’s rescue tug. HMS Caroline Moller was struck by a torpedo, killing sixteen crew members, including Cecil.

 

The attack had been the most successful single action for the E-boats for three months. 

 

Cecil is remembered on the Liverpool Naval Memorial.