July 28th 1942
SAVED BY AN OAR
LIVERPOOL OFFICER ON AVILA STAR
MERSEYSIDE SURVIVORS
Among the survivors of the Blue Star Line AVILA STAR, torpedoed off the Azores was the 1st officer Michael B. M. TALLACK, aged 32 of Greenbank Rd, Liverpool. Mr TALLACK was on the bridge with the master when the liner was torpedoed, as the closing minutes came the captain turned to the 1st officer and calmly remarked, “I’ll see you in the water”.
The moment had come when it was the case of every man for himself, 1st officer TALLACK was the last to jump, he is a non-swimmer and considers himself fortunate to have floundered alongside a drifting oar, the captain kept his promise and they shared the same oar. The captain, an elderly man, however, became exhausted through shock and exposure and soon collapsed and disappeared. Mr TALLACK clung to the oar for 2hrs before being picked up.
He has arrived home to a reunion with his younger brother Mr Bernard T. TALLACK, a ship’s officer, bombed out of his ship at Singapore. Both brothers are old boys of Liverpool College and began their career at sea with the Blue Star Line. They are from an old seafaring family hailing from Kent, their father being the late Commander B. E. TALLACK, RD, RNR, who spent much of his service in the last war stationed at Liverpool.
Mr Bernard TALLACK made his way home from Singapore on the day the city fell, acting as quartermaster on a Chinese coasting steamer, which evacuated survivors of the REPULSE and PRINCE OF WALES. In his first ship to sea in 1932 he was aboard the PHEMIUS when it was disabled in a hurricane and given up as lost after 5 days silence. The PHEMIUS was later picked up and saved.
Among those reported missing is Harold Edward Price WESTON, 190 Tollemache Rd, Birkenhead. He was one of the youngest chief pursers sailing out of Liverpool, appointed a few months ago at the age of 25. He has been going to sea for about 6yrs, before joining the Blue Star Line he was with the Elder Dempster Co. Mr WESTON is a native of Birkenhead, educated at Claughton, Higher Grade School and afterwards Conway St, Central School. He is a member of St James Church close to his home.
Survivors of the crew of the AVILA STAR, all from Liverpool unless stated.:-
Mr TALLACK, 1st officer, 37 Greenbank Rd.
W. STEVENS, Quartermaster, 27 Denbigh St
W. JONES, 19 Beech St
W. PETTITT, 52 Winstall Rd.
C. DAVIES, 65 Midghall St
R. ALBIN, 16 Dorset Rd
W. GINN, 5 Annerley Rd
T. ADAMSON, 18 Baythorne Rd
G. TRAVIS, 4 Lams Terrace
J. MCGUIRE, 68 Claughton Rd, Birkenhead
M. CLARENDON, 1 Calvin St
A. DALAHUNTY, 63 Alexander Pope St
R. MOWAT, 7 Chesterton St
G. BARLOW, 22 St Georges Rd
F. MCGRATH, 19 Orwell Rd
A. CARROLL, 38 Lorne St
T. CHRISTOPHER, 3 Dairymple St
M. COLTON, 23 Garfield St
T. BURGUIS, 185 Beaufort St
A. BROWN, 20 Hinderton Rd, Birkenhead
U. OWLUS, 48 Brewster St
J. WHITE, 43 Windsor Rd
R. KELLY, 36 Nasburn St
R. O’LEARY, 2 Doric St
C. SHERINGTON, 7 Ampthill Rd
T. MILLER, 41 Rhodesia Rd
L. JOHNSTON, 20 Rueben St
E. HALL, Stewardess, 10 Waterloo Rd
M. CONNELLY, 6 Roscomb St
F. PEMBERTON, 21 Mill Lane, Wallasey
A. WARING, 13 Crown Way
W. JONES, 12 Lycett Rd
L. SMITH, 32 Bertree Rd
J. DORRITY, 47 Queens Dr, Birkenhead
J. HOWARD, 59 Stockbridge Lane
W. O’NEILL, 19 Solar Rd
F. SHORT, 49 Sweden St
W. ASHLEY, 4 Millerdale Rd
A. GAIN, 40 Fairfield St
J. JONES, 11 Clement Rd
S. ATHERTON, 35 Claudia St
E. BREMMAN, 47 Everton Terrace
A. SIMS, 56 Ancaster Rd
F. MURPHY, 182 Upper Mann St
D. PRYOR, 10 Sirgrim Rd
R.SHIPLEY, 52 Beatty Rd
P. COSTELLO, 2 Dineson Rd
All the above are suffering exhaustion and exposure, details of any injuries have not yet reached the Blue Star Line.
Reported missing:-
H. WESTON, 190 Tollemache Rd, Birkenhead
E. SHARKEY, 22 Prestwood Rd
P. ROACHE, 87 Tillyard St
H. CULLINGHAM, 21 Conway St
J. ARMSTRONG, 14 Heswall Rd
S. CONNOR, 6 Belgrave Rd
M. ROWAN, Stewardess, 5. Worcester Ave
J. EATON, 48 Robertson St
R.GALLOWAY, 71 Hartnup St
R. INGHAM, 30 Sedgemoor Rd
A Blue Star official stated that J. CAMPBELL, Quartermaster, 65 Monk St, Liverpool 5, has been drowned at sea, the following are known to have been killed by the explosion.
H. DOWDELL, 18C Wakefield St
F. WATSON, 81 Wheatland Lane, Wallasey
F. STANLEY, 45 Drakefield Rd
D. BLACK, 1 Shepston Ave
D. MCINDOE, 40 Palmerston Dr
W. CLARKE, 14 Ellersley Rd
J. CARTWRIGHT, 49 Oglet Lane
R. BROWN, 53 Everton Terrace.
There was no Liverpool passengers on the AVILA STAR.
copyright 2002 - to date