Post by Admin on Apr 28, 2022 0:46:38 GMT
79 years ago this month boys as young as 14 were fighting and dying for this country. Never forgotten Raymond Victor Steed buried Casablanca.
Raymond’s official service record (CRS10) shows he joined the Merchant Navy Reserve Pool (MNRP) 29th December 1942, just two months after his 14th birthday, joining his first ship as a Stewards Boy, at Newport the same day. The ship being the former Royal Mail Line 15,620grt S.S. Atlantis, which had been converted into a Hospital Ship in 1939. He left this ship 13th March 1943 after seeing service in the North Africa Campaign. After taking his leave Raymond joined the CAM ship Empire Morn at Newport on 4th April 1943.
Catapult Aircraft Merchant Ship Empire Morn, 7,092grt, (MOWT, Headlam & Son) loaded with a cargo of naval, military and RAF equipment for Casablanca and Gibraltar left Milford Haven, sailing to the Barry Roads anchorage while awaiting to join up with the combined 69 ship Convoy OS-46/KMS-13, which sailed from Liverpool on 15th April 1943. On 24th April the convoy split into two and continued to their individual ports of call. On the evening of the 26th April at 9.45pm an explosion rocked the Empire Morn followed by a secondary explosion in the ships magazine seriously damaging the stern section of the ship and blowing out a greater portion of the crew accommodation.
At 10.05pm the Master decided to temporarily abandon his ship until daybreak to assess the situation further. A thorough search and head count revealed twenty-one men were missing before the ships lifeboats were finally launched. The following morning at 5.30am the ship’s Master, all his Officers and three crewmembers re-boarded the ship and assisted in working the vessel into Casablanca with the assistance of the salvage tug USN Cherokee. On 28th April at 2.30pm during a further search through the wreckage of the crew accommodation the remains of two crewmembers were found including Raymond and extricated. Empire Morn had detonated a mine laid earlier on 10th April 1943 off Casablanca by U-117.
STEED, Galley Boy, RAYMOND VICTOR, S.S. Empire Morn (Barrow-in-Furness). Merchant Navy. 26th April 1943. Age 14. Son of Mr Wilfred & Mrs Alice Steed (Nee Bright) of 20 Christchurch Road, Newport, Monmouthshire. Buried Ben M’Sik Cemetery. Plot 59A. Row 1. Grave 1.
At one point it was believed Raymond Steed was the youngest serving service casualty of WWII, but research I have undertaken has proved several boys were younger. The youngest I have found so far was one of two Brothers killed from the S.S. Fiscus. Kenneth James Lewis was actually just 13 years old when had joined the Merchant Navy officially in 1940 after lying about his age. After celebrating his 14th Birthday in Canada in August 1940, he was killed alongside all but one of the entire crew, including his 15 year old Brother just two month later after being torpedoed in the North Atlantic.
Billy McGee
Raymond’s official service record (CRS10) shows he joined the Merchant Navy Reserve Pool (MNRP) 29th December 1942, just two months after his 14th birthday, joining his first ship as a Stewards Boy, at Newport the same day. The ship being the former Royal Mail Line 15,620grt S.S. Atlantis, which had been converted into a Hospital Ship in 1939. He left this ship 13th March 1943 after seeing service in the North Africa Campaign. After taking his leave Raymond joined the CAM ship Empire Morn at Newport on 4th April 1943.
Catapult Aircraft Merchant Ship Empire Morn, 7,092grt, (MOWT, Headlam & Son) loaded with a cargo of naval, military and RAF equipment for Casablanca and Gibraltar left Milford Haven, sailing to the Barry Roads anchorage while awaiting to join up with the combined 69 ship Convoy OS-46/KMS-13, which sailed from Liverpool on 15th April 1943. On 24th April the convoy split into two and continued to their individual ports of call. On the evening of the 26th April at 9.45pm an explosion rocked the Empire Morn followed by a secondary explosion in the ships magazine seriously damaging the stern section of the ship and blowing out a greater portion of the crew accommodation.
At 10.05pm the Master decided to temporarily abandon his ship until daybreak to assess the situation further. A thorough search and head count revealed twenty-one men were missing before the ships lifeboats were finally launched. The following morning at 5.30am the ship’s Master, all his Officers and three crewmembers re-boarded the ship and assisted in working the vessel into Casablanca with the assistance of the salvage tug USN Cherokee. On 28th April at 2.30pm during a further search through the wreckage of the crew accommodation the remains of two crewmembers were found including Raymond and extricated. Empire Morn had detonated a mine laid earlier on 10th April 1943 off Casablanca by U-117.
STEED, Galley Boy, RAYMOND VICTOR, S.S. Empire Morn (Barrow-in-Furness). Merchant Navy. 26th April 1943. Age 14. Son of Mr Wilfred & Mrs Alice Steed (Nee Bright) of 20 Christchurch Road, Newport, Monmouthshire. Buried Ben M’Sik Cemetery. Plot 59A. Row 1. Grave 1.
At one point it was believed Raymond Steed was the youngest serving service casualty of WWII, but research I have undertaken has proved several boys were younger. The youngest I have found so far was one of two Brothers killed from the S.S. Fiscus. Kenneth James Lewis was actually just 13 years old when had joined the Merchant Navy officially in 1940 after lying about his age. After celebrating his 14th Birthday in Canada in August 1940, he was killed alongside all but one of the entire crew, including his 15 year old Brother just two month later after being torpedoed in the North Atlantic.
Billy McGee