大象传媒

Six weeks after Eagle was lost, on October 2nd 1942, there occurred one of the most bizarre incidents during the whole naval war - and one of the best kept secrets. H.M.S. Curacoa, a four-thousand ton anti-aircraft cruiser, approached the Cunarder Queen Mary as the Mary entered the hazardous waters north east of Scotland. A fateful manoeuvre by the liner caused the great ship to overshadow the tiny cruiser and brought the Curacoa too close to the Mary. Capillary attraction dragged the Curacoa under the forefoot of the 80,000 ton Cunarder. The Curacoa was literally sliced into two pieces and sank immediately, taking most of her 400 man crew with her. On board were 50 men of the Humber R.N.V.R. Only seven survived. One seaman who lost his life was my own cousin. In civilian life he lived in Canada; earning his living as a salmon fisherman. There were 10,000 American troops aboard the Mary, coming to England completely unaware of the incident. The British government did not even acknowledge the incident until long after the war.
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Transcribed by A. Brigham - www.hullwebs.co.uk

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