I'm writing a book on the invasion of North Africa, specifically Operation Torch and the role played by the S.S. Contessa. The Contessa was a "banana boat" called to service in the invasion convoy by Gen. Patton. Its shallow draft allowed it to haul a load of munitions and airplane fuel up the River Sebou to Port Lyautey (now Kenitra). I'm looking for any information on the merchant mariners and armed guard that sailed with her. Thank you. Very interesting and helpful site.
Dear Pauline, I mention your great uncle John Langdon in my book, "Twelve Desperate Miles" (Crown 2012). You can find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and a lot of other bookstores. Thanks for writing. Did he leave any memories of the trip? Tim Brady
I find that Operation Torch began on November 8, 1942.
A search of the ConvoyWeb website (https://www.convoyweb.org.uk/) shows that CONTESSA, under the Honduran flag, sailed from Hampton Roads (i.e., Norfolk), Virginia, on October 27, 1942, in convoy UGF-1, arriving at Casablanca on November 8, Casablanca being one of the major landing points of the invasion. ConvoyWeb also indicates that CONTESSA sailed from Casablanca on December 12, 1942, to Hampton Roads in convoy GUF-2A, arriving there on December 25.
A separate search of the Ancestry.com website (http://www.ancestry.com), more commonly used for genealogical research, shows CONTESSA arriving in New York City, not Hampton Roads, on December 25, 1942, from Casablanca, from which she had sailed on December 12. While there is a discrepancy between the two websites on where CONTESSA arrived on December 25, the Ancestry.com website includes images of original documents showing her arrival in New York on that date, so I assume that is the true arrival point.
In any case, the Ancestry.com website included the names of the crew of CONTESSA upon her arrival. I list the merchant marine crew below, all of whom had joined the ship between October 24 and October 26 in Newport News, Virginia, prior to her departure in convoy UGF-1. The crew represented many nationalities, including British, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Arabic, Portuguese, Brazilian, Honduran, Spanish, Peruvian, Belgian, Filipino and a few U.S. citizens, and ranged in age from 17 to 59. Their names and shipboard positions were as follows:
John, William H Master Vallarino, Alexander Chief officer Norberg, Jon 2nd officer Pratt, Nathaniel P 3rd officer Haylock, Harry Carpenter Ahmet, Santiago Bosun Janson, Ture Quartermaster Peterson, Kay Quartermaster Hanson, Hans Quartermaster Kaup, Laas Able seaman Ley, John Able seaman Jensen, Bruno P Able seaman Unthank, Vicent Able seaman Lopes, Diamentino M Able seaman Batista, Firmino A Able seaman Romao, Alvaro Able seaman Carpenter, Robert Able seaman Kehoe, Michael J Able seaman DeCastro, Joao Alves Able seaman Shaw, Albert Deck cadet Dochelli, Harry Deck cadet Sigsworth, William J Purser Turner, Alfred Chief radio operator Macusic, Abraham 2nd radio operator Langdon, John Chief engineer Baumgart, Arthur 2nd engineer McNab, Harvey 3rd engineer Sheppard, George H 4th engineer Pastor, Luis Donkeyman Fonseca, Antonio Oiler Saldarriaga, Edward Oiler Cartelle, Jose Oiler Sanches, Fernando V Oiler Yusuf, Gaileh Oiler Pace, Emanuel Fireman Saralegue, Miguel L Fireman Everaert, Pierre Fireman Mohamed, Admed Fireman Salik, Ali Fireman Ali, Ahmid Fireman Muhamed, Said Fireman Watson, William G Chief ref. engineer [ref. = refrigeration?] Artiago, Charles 2nd ref. engineer Gilmour, John 3rd ref. engineer Violini, Mario Chief steward Adelson, Nathan 2nd steward Sorenson, Hans Butcher Larson, Ernst Chief cook Stoveland, Wilhelm 2nd cook Drummond, Harry 3rd cook Dixon, Chester Chief pantryman Follan, Robert Utility O’Donnell, James Utility Spence, William Utility Lewicki, Leo Leonard Utility Riccio, John Utility Sutinen, John Arne Utility Navarro, Daniel Utility Blanco, Julian Utility Jenicek, Leo Utility Miller, Edward Utility Wade, Phillip Esekiel Utility
Curiously, the record does not show an Armed Guard crew, although certainly one must have been aboard.
Also see this article from Sea Classics magazine (July 2006), "TWELVE DESPERATE MILES: The Remarkable Voyage of SS CONTESSA," which indicates that CONTESSA actually sailed alone from Hampton Roads to Casablanca, having missed the departure of the convoy to which she was assigned. See http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200607/ai_n17183466/?tag=content;col1
I expect you may already be aware of this, but please see this page from the Armed Guard website for information on searching for additional information on a specific ship, through the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration: http://www.armed-guard.com/searchmil.html#ships. You would most likely be interested in Armed Guard logbooks and reports, deck logs, movement report cards, and records of individual convoys.
I hope this is helpful.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster Armed Guard website www.armed-guard.com
My Grandfather was a Czech national an intelligence officer in the Czech army, and a Jew... who was somehow in Morocco in 1942. He told me once he was in the French Foreign legion, but that sounds crazy... I'm thinking he might have been a spy, or trying to smuggle Jews out of N Africa. He said he ended up in a prison in N. Africa, contracted malaria and then treated in England. Any research seem to make any of this reasonable? I do know for sure he was in Casablanca in 1942. His name does not appear on the list of the crew. Thanks.
Your information is bountifull and much appreciated by one who is attempting to put the Contessa into a greater historical spotlight. Might I suggest however, that the date of November 8/43 as a starting date for Operation Torch might be misleading. To that I add the following. On November 7, 1943, a consignment of 556 US Paratroops left Cornwall,UK to begin their airborne assault on two inland airports for the purposes of eliminating any air threat from those bases to the landings at Tunis the following day.This was code named "Villain". Furthermore, the convoy that left the dear old Contessa all alone had sailed on the morning of Oct.24/43. First ship out of the harbour was the transport Joseph T. Dickman, followed by the Thomas Jefferson. It is with the reasoning that Operation "Huskey" and "Overlord" has it's dates enscribed from whence shipping was launched, therefore "Torch" should officially be calibrated as beginning on the launch date in the US at October 24, 1943. Not that it makes any difference and I defer to the general acceptance of the date but as stated above.The acceptance of October 24th as launch date of Torch would put it on similar turf as Overlord and Huskey. With respect Max de Bruyn Chatham, Ontario Canada
Was there more than one Operation Torch conducted during World War II? U.S. Navy war records reveal an Operation Torch, a British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, having started on November 8, 1942. I've been unable to locate records regarding an Operation Torch in 1943. The U.S. Coast Guard is commissioning a new cutter later this year, which will bear the name PAUL CLACK. Paul Leaman Clark took part in Operation Torch during November 1942, as a Coast Guard Fireman First Class. The cutter is being named after Paul Clark due to his heroic actions during Operation Torch.
All the references I have found to Operation Torch indicate that it took place in November 1942. Like you, I have found nothing to confirm Mr. de Bruyn's contention that the operation took place in 1943.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster Armed Guard / Merchant Marine website www.armed-guard.com
Hi Ron, Thanks so much for your quick and very helpful response. I had already discovered the Contessa's Merchant crew list at Ancestry.com---a very pleasant surprise after a long search. I was also able to get ahold of the Armed Guard Action Report and a list of members through the National Archives. I haven't been able to locate a ship's log for the Contessa for its voyage to Morocco and back to N.Y., October thru December, 1942. I've also got my fingers crossed that I can find someone out there who sailed on the Contessa during WW II. The merchant crew, according to the port documents at Ancestry.com, was almost to a man older than the armed guard and came from many different nations. I'm assuming they will be very, very hard to find. The captain of the Contessa, which sailed for the Standard Fruit Co. out of New Orleans, was originally from Wales, Cpt. William H. John. The armed guard was officered by Lt. William Cato and, for the trip to Morocco, Lt. Commander Albert Leslie. Leslie was subsequently named as Port Commander at Port Lyautey (now Kenitra) in Morocco. I'd love to talk with anyone who has knowledge of the Contessa, Cpt. John, Lt. Cato, Lt. Co. Leslie, or the action surrounding Port Lyautey in Nov. 1942. Thanks again. Tim Brady
This is the only place that I have found to post a message that Tim Brady might end up reading. My mother, sister and I booked on the S.S. Contessa out of New Orleans bound for the Panama Canal Zone in 1835. I was 3 years old and my sister was 9. My sister, Ada Fretland, now 87 remembers the trip better than I do. She has been wanting to get in touch with Mr. Brady to tell him what she remembers of our trip.The purser had to take care of me during the trip because my mother got violently seasick. I was told that I age lots of bananas. My sister wants to send a letter to Mr. Brady about our trip. Mr. Brady's book is a great read, by the way. Dick Sullivan
The topic and adventures of the Contessa will be the subject of my next book. If I decide to finish the work as a historical narative similar to the concept of same by Micael Shaara, I will need to provide a bibliography. Therefore i ask your permission to use any relative info posted here and all such use to be credited accordingly. Might I have that permission? Max de Bruyn Chatham, Ontario Canada
Hi Max, I believe that my great uncle John Henry Langdon was the chief engineer on the Contessa. I have a copy of an acclamation awarded to him by Harry Truman. I would be really interested to hear more about this voyage .
Tim: Have you seen this? It's lifted from a Wikipedia account of the Battle of Port Lyautey, which can be Googled under that apellation.
During the military preparations, another question arose from Naval commanders, how would supplies be carried up the Sebou River to the Port Lyautey airfield? Where was a ship big enough to carry these supplies, and go through a river that might be at most 17 feet deep? The S.S. Contessa was the Navy's pick as such a ship. A message was sent to the boat's commander, Capt William H. John, to go to Newport News to undertake a secret war mission.[5]
The Contessa was a Standard Fruit Company vessel designed for the hauling of bananas and coconuts from Caribbean ports to the United States and to be hostess to cruising vacationists. She was drafted for war service in light of the critical ship shortage due to the war. The ships steward as a colorful man who spent his off hours trying to save the souls of the crew and the other half praying for the Contessa's welfare.[5] The boat was nearing the end of her rope, she was salt cracked, rust stained, and her degaussing equipment was gone.[5]
Upon arriving at Newport News, the Contessa went immediately into dry dock for 24 hours for repairs and preparation for her voyage to support the landing at Port Lyautey. By Sunday night, the 18th of October, she was completely loaded with gasoline, ammunition and bombs.[5] The naval convoy had set sail already, the Contessa would have to catch up. She was short many crewmen, so the Norfolk city jail was opened up and a crew was made of those seamen who were serving time.[5]
Eventually, the Contessa set sail, and met up with here convoy in the middle of the Atlantic. Her next stop would be at Port Lyautey airfield.