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This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Roger Marsh of the 鈥楢ction Desk 鈥� Sheffield鈥� Team on behalf of Florence Ludlam and has been added to the site with the author鈥檚 permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

The following story is based on correspondence and papers provided by Sydney Ludlam鈥檚 widow Florence Ludlam,

Sydney Ludlam鈥檚 family received the following bleak telegram stamped 鈥楴ovember 02, 1942 鈥� Sheffield鈥� it stated:

397 3.20 LONDON 7A OHMS 36
LUDLAM 90 WESTERN ST SHEFFIELD 鈥� 3
= AA ( LIGHT AA ) RECORDS MINORIES EC 3
LAA/CAS/G 7118 2 REGRET TO INFORM YOU 11423943
GNR LUDLAM S MISSING AT SEA 17/9/42 STOP ANY
FURTHER INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL BE SENT TO YOU
IMMEDIATELY STOP ++

Sydney Ludlam鈥檚 family received the following joyful telegram stamped 鈥楴ovember 10, 1942 鈥� Sheffield鈥� it stated:

279 11.1 LONDON 7A OHMS 26
LUDLAM 90 WESTERN STREET SHEFFIELD
PLEASED TO INFORM YOU 11423943 GNR LUDLAM S NOW
ARRIVED SAFELY BRITISH PORT OVERSEAS
=RA ( LIGHT AA ) RECORDS MINORIES
EC3 +

A letter dated November 11, 1942
From:
Major. R.A.
Commanding 5th Maritimr Battery R.A.
Shoeburyness

To:
Mrs. Ludlam
90, Weston Street
Sheffield 3.

The letter states:
Dear Mrs. Ludlam,

I expect you will by now have heard the good news that your son has already been picked up, and landed safely at a British Port together with his teammate. No doubt he will be returning to this country as soon as possible, and I hope it will not be long before you see him again.
In your letter you ask why your son was sent to sea after only four months in the Army. I am sure you will appreciate that during that time, he received a great deal of instruction, and was as fully trained as he could be without actual experience at sea.
He was teamed up with another gunner who has been at sea for the passed 18 months.
Yours sincerely

A letter dated November 11, 1942
Dear Ada & Arthur
Delighted at the good news. Bless Him! I do hope & pray that his good luck will follow him to the end. I鈥檝e let Annie & Fred know. Shall be pleased to hear anything about him, drop me a line when you can, or, I will come up. So keep your chin up & the best of luck in the world.
Nellie joins me with love to you all
Your loving sisters
Nellie & Edith

A letter dated December 04, 1942
From:
R. Chapmann & Son.
(C.I. WILLAN)
Shipowners & Shipbrokers
The Carlton s/s Co. Ltd.
The Cambay s/s Co. Ltd.
Maritime Buildings, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1
Also in London

To:
Mr. A. Ludlam
90, Weston Street
Sheffield 3.

The letter states:
Dear Sir,
We are in receipt of your letter and are glad to be able to advise you that we received cable advice last Tuesday that your son had left for home. We understand that some of the crew are due in this country early next week and it is possible that your son may be amongst this party.
Yours truly,

A letter dated December 08, 1942
From:
R. Chapmann & Son.
(C.I. WILLAN)
Shipowners & Shipbrokers
The Carlton s/s Co. Ltd.
The Cambay s/s Co. Ltd.
Maritime Buildings, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1
Also in London

To:
Mr. A. Ludlam
90, Weston Street
Sheffield 3.

The letter states:
Dear Sir,

With reference to our letter of the 4th inst., we now find that your son did not proceed home with those of the crew that we mentioned were due in this country this week.
As a matter of fact we have had a word with one of these arrivals who advises that he understands your son was taken over by the Army Authorities at the port where he landed. Under these circumstances probably it may not be long before you have a letter from him.
Yours truly

December 10, 1942 鈥� London
Veteran Bosun James Watts, who led 23 men adrift in a lifeboat for 49 days after their ship was torpedoed in the South Atlantic - was torpedoed three times in the last war, twice in the present war, also shipwrecked. He declared: 鈥淚 never gave up hope. I prayed to God for help. He sent help alright.鈥�
Watts鈥� diary records that their biggest disappointment was when, in the first seven days, flares & smoke floats failed to attract the attention of a vessel, which was sighted.

Letter dated February 9th, 1943

From:
The War Office
Cockspur Street, London, SW1.

To:
Mr. A. Ludlam
90, Weston Street
Sheffield 3.

Dear Sir,
Your letter of 2nd Feb. 1943 has been passed to me but you will have seen your son since you wrote. He will have told you of his experiences and I am sure you will appreciate why he has been unable to write.

We are very glad indeed to know that he is back, safe and well, and I know he will want to be back 鈥渙n the job鈥� when he has had some leave.
Yours faithfully,

The incident was reported in the press at the time:
Sailing alone, a British merchant ship sank within minuets of being torpedoed by a German submarine. Owing to the heavy list and rapid sinking of the ship, only one lifeboat was launched and many of the crew had to jump into the sea.
The lifeboat, however, floated clear when the ship sank and the surviving crew got into it.
When the Master was taken prisoner by the Germans ???
Who ??? the master鈥檚 boat took charge at???
Voyage ??? days before being rescued.
??? rationing was introduced from the beginning the ??? a day, and there was only a reduced w???
??? this ordeal the second officer ???
a high order, and was ably assisted by the Chief Engineer Officer and a A.B.

These two officers and the A.B. figure in the latest list of awards to members of the Merchant Navy.

The second officer, George Denis Howes of Belvoir Road, Hull is awarded the George Medal (G.M.)

Chief Engineer Officer Thomas Cuthbert Gorman, of Low Eshills, Hexham, gets the O.B.E.

A.B. Francis Nock, of St. Helens Terrace, Strickland Street, Hull, receives the B.E.M. for courage and devotion to duty.

Second-Officer Howes stated, 鈥淏efore being picked up they had lived solely on rainwater caught by spreading a sail out. We had to guess the time for rationing out the water by looking at the Sun,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e made our own entertainment by having spelling bees and singsongs. We also made a pack of cards from picture post cards of New York harbour. We had one or two games of solo with them. Then one or two of the cards blew away and the game had to finish. There were times when conversation got a bit slack, but I never gave up hope. I thought, if I have to die, I will die, but I don鈥檛 want to go crazy and cause the others any trouble. I never mentioned it; but perhaps others were thinking the same.鈥�

A young Sheffield gunner recently arrived home on well-earned leave after spending 49 days in an open lifeboat in the South Atlantic. The first man he spoke to on the rescuing corvette was a Sheffield sailor, who took full charge of him. He fathered him by bathing and feeding him, because he was so weak, until he regained his strength. The rescued man is Gunner Sydney Ludlam, of 90, Weston Street, Sheffield, and the sailor, Sidney Hobson, whose parents lived at 5, Powley Road, Foxhill Estate, Sheffield.

When rescued the 22 men in the boat had had no food for six days and only a few ounces of rainwater, collected during storms.

Sydney Ludlam was doing A.A. duties in a merchant ship when his ship was attacked by an Italian submarine and torpedoed, nine members of the crew being killed. The rest of the crew took to one of the lifeboats, but as they were pulling away, a small dinghy was blown off the ship and landed near them. The crew split up into the two boats, which kept together for five days. On the sixth day a ship was seen in the distance, and smoke and light flares were sent up from the lifeboat. The next morning the dinghy was missing.
It was seen again two days later and found to be empty. All the provisions were transferred to the lifeboat, the stock of which had just about petered out.

Sydney Ludlam had passed the time by playing cards with a pack made out of snapshots of New York and with dominoes made from bits of wood. As he was lying on the deck of the corvette, Sydney Ludlam asked if there were any Yorkshire-men on the ship. A sailor replied, 鈥淵es, I come from Sheffield.鈥�

After being landed at a West African Port the rescued men spent a couple of weeks in hospital, where one of them, an apprentice, died.

This report was subjected to wartime censorship and as such, it is restricted in what it could say. It also contains inaccuracies with regard to the Italian submarine; please see research notes at the end of this story.

Following these reports appearing in the press Sydney Ludlam received a number of letters from mothers, sisters and wives seeking information regarding their loved ones who had been reported missing at sea. The following are examples of the correspondence received:

From:
15, Viola St.
Clayton
M/C 11

Dear Mr. Ludlam
I hope you will forgive me taking the liberty to write to you, but, reading of your experiences in the S.C. I wondered if it was possible that you were on my dear brother鈥檚 ship 鈥� he is missing presumed killed on the S.S. Queen Victoria. She left Cape Town on the 21st of June 1942 and has not been heard of since.

My brother whose name is James Joseph Nugent was also a Gunner in the Maritime Service & was in the Southport Pool.
It may seem rather 鈥楥heek鈥� to ask you if you have come across him in your wanderings. I wouldn鈥檛 do such a thing but for the fact his mother is ill with worry, you see we don鈥檛 know a soul who was with him & he himself did know anyone on the ship when he joined it.

May I congratulate you & your companions on your miraculous survival? May the good God watch over you always & bring you always safely home.

Hoping this letter doesn鈥檛 read like so much 鈥榗areless talk鈥� & that you will answer me if possible.
I remain
Yours sincerely
Ann Banatt (Miss)

P.S. My brother鈥檚 name & address are
3532948 L/Sgt. J. J. Nugent
3 First Ave.
Clayton,
M/C. 11

From:
Mrs. M. Richarson
102 Boundary Street
Liverpool 5

February 21, 1943

Dear Sir,
Will you excuse me for taking the liberty of writing to you I saw the Sunday Chronicle with your experience for 49 days in an open boat and I thought it might be the ship that my son as it was reported sunk the 6th of December he was a trimmer and we got word that the ship was sunk with all hands will you be kind enough to let me know has I almost feel that he is picked up and is prisoner.
I lost a boy last February on a Belgian ship the SS Gandia he died of exposure after 14 days in a boat this son that is missing now was on SS Cermaic could you please let me know by return of post has I am most anxious
I will close now wishing
you Good Bye & God Bless

From a Broken Hearted Mother

Please Answer
He was trimmer on the ship.

From:
15 Weymouth Road,
Ipswich,
Suffolk

22nd February 1943

Dear Mr. Ludlam

Please forgive me for troubling you after your recent gruelling experience, but I read in the paper yesterday how you were in an open boat for 49 days after your ship was torpedoed and I am wondering if you could possibly help me.

My husband was reported as 鈥楳issing at Sea鈥� on October 29th off M/V. 鈥楢BOSSO鈥� and since then I have had no news of him, so naturally I am trying to make what enquiries I can.

I realise that it would probably be to much of a coincidence if he should have been on the same ship as yourself, but if you could give me any information I should be most grateful.

I shall not expect any reply if you know nothing of him as I am sure your time will be fully occupied during your well earned leave.

My husband鈥檚 rank and number are as follows:-

S.5828726 Staff Sergeant Pat Booth (Age 23)
Royal Army Service Corps.
Yours sincerely
K. M. Booth

On May 01, 1943 Sydney Ludlam, Mariner with Furness, Withy & Co. was issued an identification card (Not a pass) by Captain of Port New York and validated by the United States Coast Guard.
He is identified as having British Citizenship with the place of birth given as Sheffield, England. His age is given as 21 years, Height 5鈥�-5鈥�, and weight of 130 lbs. with green eyes and brown hair. Serial No. 001 890348 34098 the I.D. card carries his photograph and the imprint of his index finger right hand.

Letter dated December 30, 1946
From:
38 Larkhill Terrace
Blackburn
Lancs

To: Sydney Ludlam

Dear Sid
Just a few lines in answer to your most welcome letter. I am sorry not to have written before, but I have been very busy getting settled down. You鈥檇 be surprised Sid, the amount of running about you have to do when you get in Civvy Street. What with getting ones Ration Books and Identity Card and a hundred and one different jobs.

Well Sid it won鈥檛 be long before you are just plain mister, you can鈥檛 beat it. We had some good times in the army but Civvy Street beats it hollow. I am starting work next Monday, it is surprising how browned off you get when you have nothing to do and all day to do it in.
I hadn鈥檛 forgotten about the ten shillings Sid I wouldn鈥檛 run away for that, you know that. I have a letter from Lofty Vines and I answered it but I haven鈥檛 had any word since, just ask him what is the matter.

By the way did you have a good time in London; you must have done it you spent up. Has Bert Taylor been demobbed yet, I keep looking in the paper to see if he has broken his neck on the speedway.

Remember me to the M. T. Staff and the girls. Tell Cliff Byron if he can鈥檛 be good be careful now that his girl is back, and that Lancashire looks better than ever.
I will now close Sid.
Cheerio your old pal
Dick

Research Notes:
Following receipt of the documents from Sydney Ludlam鈥檚 widow research as shown the following, which was not reported during World War II.

The British merchant ship that mariner Sydney Ludlam was sailing on when it was torpedod and sank was the S.S. Peterton.

Details of the S.S. Peterton are as follows:
R. Chapman & Son: 1919: Richardson, Duck & Co.: 5,221 tons; 400-1X 52 鈥� 4x28; 397 n.h.p.; triple-expansion engines.

British steamship Peterton, on a voyage from London to Buenos Aires, was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine on September 17th 1942, about 300 miles N.W. of St. Vincent, C.V. Eight of her crew were killed on board and one died in hospital. The Master was taken prisoner.

The Master of the SS Peterton was Tom Marrie who was aged 92 in 1999. He was taken prisoner of the U-boat and was held prisoner in a French jail at Lorient then to Wilhelmshaven in Germany where he was taken to Dulag Nord, a Gestapo jail, then on to a prison camp on the Lunenburg plain. From Westertimpke railway station through the village of Westertimpke then on to Marlag und Milag Nord in 1943. He was held as prisoner of war in this camp until V E Day.

The SS Peterton was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-109. The U-109 was laid down on March 9, 1940 and commissioned December 05, 1940.

The commander at the time of the sinking was Kptlt. Heinrich Bleeichrodt.
The U-109 went out on 9 patrols; it sank 12 ships of a total of 79,969 GRT and damaged one ship of a total of 6,548 GRT.

The U-109 was sunk on May 04, 1943 south of Ireland, in position 47.22N, 22.40 W by 4 depth charges from a British Liberator aircraft (Sqdn. 86/P) 52 dead - all hands lost.

The liberator was on an outbound patrol to link up with convoy HX.236 north east of the Azores when she got a contact with her 10cm radar, Shortly afterwards the crew saw a surfaced U-boat and dropped 4 depth charges onto the boat.

The boat was seen on the surface after the depth charges had straddled her, then she slowly sank, seemingly leaving enough time for at least some survivors but possibly the hatches were all damaged from the blast and no one seemed to get out of the boat.

Kptlt. Heinrich Bleeichrodt was born on October 21, 1909 Berga, Kyffh盲user and died January 09, 1977 in M眉nchen, Germany. He was considered a top U-boat ace and was awarded the Knights Crooss with Oak Leaves. He commanded the U-109 from June 05, 1941 until January 31, 1943 carrying out 6 patrols.

Pr-BR

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