div>
Christopher was declared unfit for further service on 19th December 1942. The reason was : he was the on SS Nicoya that was torpedoed by a U-Boat. see details below and log book entries and details of U553. The log book entry is the fourth attached thumbnail
the SS Nicoya was later lost on 05-11-42, sunk by U-553 with the loss of six of her crew. She was the first ship to be torpedoed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to open that area of attack by the U-boats. At the time she was sailing alone.
* a 3-island vessel with no derrick posts and masts atop winch houses
* listed at 5,400 gross tons, 3,300 net tons, 6,300 deadweight tons
* 400 feet long, 51 foot beam, 26.9-foot draft
* coal-fired reciprocating steam engine driving a single shaft
* built 1929; rated at 13.5 knots; she had accomodations for 12 passengers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
During his service as a Merchant seaman he led an interesting life and experienced many happy and sad episodes over the years.
After leaving the Merchant Navy he worked on a dredger at Garston docks Liverpool. In 1953 he applied for a job at ICI in Northwich Cheshire. At that time ICI had an agreement with the local council to allocate council houses to new ICI employees. He was allocated a house in Barnton. (a small village on the outskirts of Northwich) Consequently the family moved to Northwich. He first worked in the boiler rooms which generated the power for the ICI factories at Winnington and Wallerscote. At a later date a vacancy occured for deck hand and cook on the MV Polythene, a coaster belonging to ICI. The Polythene travelled up the River Weaver to Runcorn then through the River Mersey to Glasgow and then returned to Northwich. This journey was undertaken on a weekly basis. Christopher continued in this occupation for a few years until he had a bad heart attack. When he was fully recovered ICI gave him a job in the mail room of their Northwich office.
Christopher retired from ICI and then went to work at the Westminster Bank in Northwich as a customer usher.
This is the story of the life of a man who sailed the world from 1922 until 1942 when he was no longer considered fit enough to be sailing the seven seas. He served his country during World War 11 by sailing in the Atlantic convoys. He was awarded the following medals The 1939 - 1945 Star, The Atlantic Star and the World War 11 Medal. He worked hard all his life and cared for his family. All his children are very proud of him.
Christopher Medland passed away on the 17th January 1982.
Details of the U-Boat 553 that sank the SS Nicoya
U-553
Type VIIC
Ordered 25 Sep 1939
Laid down 21 Nov 1939 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 529)
Launched 7 Nov 1940
Commissioned 23 Dec 1940 Kptlt. Karl Thurmann (Knights Cross)
Commanders
23 Dec 1940 - 20 Jan 1943 KrvKpt. Karl Thurmann (Knights Cross)
Career
10 patrols
23 Dec 1940 - 1 Apr 1941 7. Flottille (training)
1 Apr 1941 - 30 Nov 1942 7. Flottille (front boat)
1 Dec 1942 - 20 Jan 1943 3. Flottille (front boat)
Successes 12 ships sunk for a total of 61,390 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 925 tons
2 ships damaged for a total of 15,273 GRT
Fate
Missing, presumed sunk, in the mid North Atlantic after going missing in January 1943. 47 dead (all hands lost).
Bookmarks