My mother-in-law was adopted by the Walker family from Stevenston. Her adoptive father Daniel Walker was killed on the "Melbourne Star" 13, August 1942. With assistance from the ever helpful people on the Mariners List the following story unfolds:

The "Melbourne Star" was part of 'Operation Pedestal', the famous convoy sent to relieve Malta in August 1942. The "Melbourne Star" had taken station astern of the Shaw Savill Line's "Waimarama" when, at 0810 on 13 August, dive bombers attacked the "Waimarama". She blew up and disappeared in a few seconds, the "Melbourne Star" being showered with debris. The sea was described by Captain McFarlane of the "Melbourne Star" as 'one sheet of fire, and as we were so close we had to steam through it'. The flames at times reached 2,000 feet. As the "Melbourne Star" also carried explosives Captain McFarlane ordered the crew forward where they would have the best chance of survival when the apparently inevitable explosion of their own ship occurred. Under the impression their own ship had been hit 36 of the crew jumped overboard. 22 were picked up by a destroyer but 14 lost their lives.

(Information from 'Blue Star Line at War 1939-45' by "Taffrail".)

Hugh McCallum

<added>
As with the MV "San Arcadia" in which at least four local seamen lost their lives when torpedoed off New York in 1942, there's a chance that others from the three towns may have been on the Melbourne Star.

From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2000

In April I posted the story of how my wife's relative from Stevenston Danny (Dublin Dan) Walker was killed on the "Melbourne Star" during 'Operation Pedestal', that famous convoy sent to relieve Malta in August 1942. I speculated on the probability there were others from the three towns on board as proved to be the case with the ill fated "San Arcadia". Unfortunately this is what happened to the Melbourne Star the following year.

The "Melbourne Star" was torpedoed on 2nd April 1943 S.E. of Bermuda in heavy
weather. The time was 0300 and her explosive cargo detonated destroying three-quarters of the vessel. Practically the entire complement perished and the ship sank in less than 2 minutes. Some life-rafts floated free and come dawn 11 survivors were aboard two rafts. At daylight the U-Boat approached and the survivors were questioned before being left to their own devices. The rafts drifted apart and one was never seen again. The other contained four men with supplies of 8 tins of biscuits, tins of chocolate, malted milk tablets, pemmican, 22 gallons of water and two gallons of massage oil for use against exposure. They also improvised fishing lines and caught around 50 fish, eaten raw. After 38 days, on 9th May, they were sighted by an American flying boat, which alighted and rescued them. They were flown to Bermuda and all four were awarded the British Empire Medal.

(Information from 'Blue Star Line at War 1939-45' by "Taffrail".)

Hugh McCallum