Information.
The Empire Yukon was launched as the Passenger ship. Duchessa D'Aosta, in 1921 in Trieste. On the
23rd January 1942 she was captured by R.N Commandos during Operation Postmaster.while escaping from Fernando Po, Spanish Guinea. She was taken to Greenock, where a fire broke out and she sank. In 1943 having been refloated ad refitted she was renamed the Empire Yukpn and managed by Canadian Pacific SS Co.
After the war she was renamed Petconnie and returned to Italy where she was scapped in 1952 at Spezia.
|
|
My father, Able Seaman Leonard Tobin (Len), was part of the Royal Navy crew that sailed the Duchessa from Freetown to Greenock in July(?) 1942.
Previously he had served on HMS Vindictive, a repair ship based at Freetown and volunteered to go to Lagos and prepare the ship for the voyage home.
They left Freetown as part of a convoy and on the first day out, she broke down. The rest of the convoy carried on leaving the Duchessa alone in waters known to be patrolled by U-boats. Eventually she was repaired and the journey resumed without incident, except the Bay of Biscay was particularly rough and food started to run out and corn beef sandwiches became their mainstay, until docking at Greenock. During unloading the Duchessa caught fire and sank at her moorings. She was eventually re-floated and with modifications became Empire Yukon, and did sterling service on convoy duty. Then post-war she was re-named Petconnie.
Is there anyone out there who can add to the story of the Duchessa? If so, please get in touch.
|
Home
Add Your Story
