´óÏó´«Ã½

This story relates to "A Fateful Voyage: Convoy under Attack in the Atlantic - Tale of Unexploded Bombs and Heroism".

For the British Merchant Navy, the war continued from the 3 Sep 1939 when ATHENIA was sunk until 7 May 1945 when AVONDALE PARK was sunk. Immediately after the war was concluded Armed Services personnel were brought home to the UK, the Commonwealth, and the USA in merchant ships; displaced persons and migrants ferried on their journeys home, or to new homes in potentially more peaceful areas, and greater economic opportunities; and food and other material supplies had to be continued apace in order to feed not only the British, but the peoples of war-torn Europe, and those peoples freed from their oppressors in the Far East, as well as the original aggressors, now reduced to virtual helplessness. The aggressors' assets were divided up amongst the Allies and shipped to their new owners also by the Merchant Navy. So for merchant navy personnel life continued at a hectic pace with no chance of returning home, and no chance of taking part in the victory parades and celebrations that marked the armed services contribution to the prosecution of the war. The Merchant Navy's crucial role was quickly consigned to obscurity, and their contribution minimised in the official histories.

Peter de Neumann gained his Master's Certificate (Foreign Going - Steamship) in 1945 before the end of WW2, despite the deleterious effects on his study of his sojourn as a prisoner. After a variety of sea-going commands he withdrew from the merchant navy in 1947 to became Commander of His Majesty's Revenue Cruiser (HMRC) VIGILANT. VIGILANT was used in a variety of clandestine missions in the war against smuggling. It was aboard VIGILANT that ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV made their first ever outside broadcast. VIGILANT was in Torquay for the very first GATT [(General Agreement on Taxes and Tariffs), now the World Trade Organanisation (WTO)] meeting in 1947. Peter's final voyage aboard VIGILANT was to the Coronation Review of the Fleet at Spithead. In 1953 he resigned his commission as Commander of VIGILANT as her base was moved from Gravesend Reach to Southampton Water, and he did not wish to move his young family. he then joined the Port of London Authority in 1953 as Assistant Harbourmaster. Whilst still serving on VIGILANT he realised that some form of centralised control was required for shipping on the long and meandering Thames with its muliple channel estuary, and conceived, and led into practice, the scheme that became the Thames Navigation Service (later Port Control, London, and now London VTS (Vessel Traffic Service). It was the first such civilian Command and Control system in the world, and for its time was highly novel. In 1960, because of his failing-health (due to his time imprisoned in Vichy French concentration camps, he transferred to the Docks department of the PLA and served as Dockmaster in most of London's Docks. His final post was as Dockmaster at Tilbury.

During his time with the Port of London Authority his quick and decisive actions were crucial on a number of occasions, and he was:

Commended by PLA for his handling of the situation following the sinking of the Tug SUNFISH under Tower Bridge, 12 March 1960. The SUNFISH was aft and the SUN VI forward of the Ellerman Lines’ PALERMO, dragging through Tower Bridge inward bound in the Upper Pool, when the SUNFISH was dragged on the Northern Buttress of the bridge. Her stern struck, rolling her over and she sank with the loss of her Chief Engineer. She was raised the next day, refurbished and returned to service.

Commended for his part in rescuing the crew of the Tug KENIA when she sank in the New Lock bellmouth, Tilbury Dock, 25th August 1964. The CRESTED COCK and the KENIA were undocking the MAASHAVEN from Tilbury Dock New Entrance. The ship started her swing to starboard in the Bellmouth and the KENIA was on the port bow when coming around, the MAASHAVEN went ahead and pinned her to the upper pier head before she cleared the ship’s bow. The KENIA was cut from the deck to the keel in the after end of the engine room starboard side. A line was passed to the pier head and secured and all crew rapidly taken ashore before she sank. KENIA was raised by the PLA Salvage Department and scrapped.

Commended for attempting to save the life of a crane driver injured when his crane toppled across the open hold of a ship in Tilbury Dock, 10th March 1966. The crane driver died before he could be released.

Thanked profusely by a car owner when a colony of bees swarmed inside a car parked in the dock during one afternoon. The unfortunate car owner contacted the PLA police in desperation and, luckily, the Inspector remembered that Peter kept bees and called for him assistance. Peter removed the swarm without turning a hair, and without a beekeeper's usual bee-proof clothes and visor!

A few days before his death he was involved in another incident with a toppled crane at Tilbury. This time the driver survived.

Peter de Neumann died aged 54 on 16 September 1972 when the Jacob's ladder aboard the STARMARK carried away and he fell from the ship to the lockside.

Memorials:

Seat and memorial formal garden near the Dockmaster's Office in Tilbury Dock.

Memorial Garden of lawn and trees extending 1000 feet in length along the lockside in Tilbury Docks.

Memorial garden outside Bramley Court, London Road, Hadleigh, Essex.

Peter de Neumann Memorial Trophy, Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, near Ipswich.

A tree and mention in the Book of Remembrance, Merchant Navy Convoy, National Arboretum, Leicestershire.

A seat in the ampitheatre at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Leicestershire.

The de Neumann Way — six-mile cycle way from Benfleet Station to Leigh Station along the north bank of the Thames, passing by Hadleigh Castle in Essex.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.