In 1940 San Demetrio was shelled by the Battleship Admiral Scheer and set on fire.
The crew abandoned her and set off in, I think 3 lifeboats.
After 2 days and nights in the boats one of them had rowed around in a circle and there she was
the San Demetrio,still burning.
They reboarded her, put out the fires and with great difficulty started the main engines.
She was on the South Atlantic run Curacao to Liverpool.
They managed to get back home and discharged about 70%of her oil cargo.
The Chief Engineer was given the MBE and the Lloyds Medal.
The other 8 crew members were also given some sort of an award, richly deserved too.

My thanks to Jim Telfer-Smith and Susan Boyle.


MV San Demetrio

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