大象传媒

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Captain Morden was apprenticed as a trainee merchant seaman in 1915 when he was 14陆 years old. He completed his apprenticeship shortly after the end of W.W.I and obtained his Certificate of Competency as the 鈥淢aster鈥� of a steam ship in 1927. He travelled the world as he rose through the ranks as an officer in the Merchant Navy. He was promoted to 鈥淢aster鈥� in 1940.

At about this time he considered that it would be preferable if his wife and young daughter moved away from London; consequently they came to Dunstable where they initially stayed with relatives.

In the spring of 1942 he was in command of the S.S. Pontypridd sailing from the Mediterranean Sea to the U.K. in a convoy. A German U-boat, U 94, commanded by Ober-Leutnant Otto Ites spotted the convoy and proceeded to attack with torpedoes. S.S. Pontypridd was hit and began to sink. The crew abandoned ship and Captain Morden was taken aboard the U-boat as a prisoner of war.

As U 94 returned to its base on the west coast of France, it was detected by a British frigate and was attacked with depth charges but fortunately for Captain Morden, it was not seriously damaged.

When the U 94 arrived at its base, the commander and crew were given the usual welcome for U-boats returning from a successful mission.
Captain Morden was allowed to go up onto the conning tower of the U-boat and, unbeknown to him, was photographed among the officers of the crew.

A German newspaper reported the story:

A hat among the caps on the U-boat tower.
The captain of a sunken English freighter who was taken on board by the U-boat, experiences the welcome given to the commander, Knights Cross holder, Ober-Leutnant zur See Ites and his crew on their return from a successful mission against the enemy.

Captain Morden was moved to a prisoner of war camp in Germany where he was interviewed. On the 11th July 1942 this interview was broadcast by the Germans and his wife received letters from total strangers to let her know he was safe and well.

Mrs. Morden was advised that the S.S. Pontypridd had been sunk and that her husband was not among the survivors.

These letters were the first intimations she had to the effect that her husband was safe and well.In due course they were able to correspond as were his mother, who also lived in Dunstable as well as other members of the family.

In one letter he states that he had received twelve parcels during the first two years of his captivity and although such things as socks etc, got through, tobacco did not. He states, 鈥� The tobacco isn鈥檛 turning up. I think a lot is stolen at home, probably doesn鈥檛 even start off from what we can gather.鈥�

Captain Morden was released from captivity soon after the war and returned to Dunstable. He moved to Ilford in 1948. Otto Ites also survived the war and he and Captain Morden exchanged correspondence.

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