A Second World War Casualty Group of Three to Ordinary Seaman C/JX 351452 T. E. Bingham, HMS Curacoa, Sunk by The R.M.S. Queen Mary, 2nd October 1942. 1939-1945 Star, Atlantic Star, War Medal, very fine, with portrait photograph of the recipient; Ordinary Seaman Thomas Edward Bingham was one of 338 hands who went down with the HMS Curacoa on Friday 2nd October 1942, he was 18 years old and has no known grave, he is remembered with honour at the Chatham Naval Memorial. H.M.S. Curacoa was a 4,200 ton British Cruiser that on the 2nd October 1942, was detailed to escort the 83,673 ton R.M.S. Queen Mary carrying 15,000 American G.I's into Liverpool. The Queen Mary had a speed in excess of 30 knots and if she zig-zagged during the course of her passage across the Atlantic, the chances of her being sighted by a U boat captain were unlikely, and even if she was, her superior speed would soon get her out of trouble. However the greatest danger facing the Q.M. would be when she had to reduce speed in coastal waters where she would be considered a easy target for the enemy, to safeguard her, as much as possible, a rendezvous was arranged, where she would be met by HMS Curacoa and other destroyers, but as this escort was sighted, disaster struck, a junior officer on the bridge of the Q.M. failed to inform his Captain, and they did not reduce their speed, as the Curacoa was slowly turning, the Queen Mary struck her stern pushing her broadside on. As a result the Curacoa was cut her in two, the rear section sank almost immediately, the forward half managed to stay afloat just long enough for some of her crew to get out from below decks. The damage to the Queen Mary was not so serious, although having a 40 foot gash to her bow, she was in no danger of foundering, it was then decided at high level that the normal rules of the sea would be ignored, and instead of the liner stopping to pick up any survivors, the safety of the American soldiers aboard was deemed more imperitive, and fearing a U boat may have slipped the escort, perhaps sinking the liner, she would carry on and complete her voyage so leaving 338 crewmen of the Curacoa to perish in the Irish sea. The enquiry which would normally follow such an incident was delayed and a news blackout introduced. However, the Queen Mary's owners the Cunard Shipping Company made an interim payment to the dependants of all those lost through the collison of ú40, and shortly after the war, an official enquiry held that the liner's Captain was entirely to blame for this great loss of life, and a further payment of ú300 was made to each dependant. Five: Gunner Arthur Bingham, 1569126 Royal Artillery, 8th Army 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star (8th Army), Italy Star, Defence and War medal Recipient's Army pay book Portrait photograph of the recipient.
A Second World War Casualty Group of Three to Ordinary Seaman C/JX 351452 T. E. Bingham, HMS Curacoa, Sunk by The R.M.S. Queen Mary, 2nd October 1942. 1939-1945 Star, Atlantic Star, War Medal, very fine, with portrait photograph of the recipient; Ordinary Seaman Thomas Edward Bingham was one of 338 hands who went down with the HMS Curacoa on Friday 2nd October 1942, he was 18 years old and has no known grave, he is remembered with honour at the Chatham Naval Memorial. H.M.S. Curacoa was a 4,200 ton British Cruiser that on the 2nd October 1942, was detailed to escort the 83,673 ton R.M.S. Queen Mary carrying 15,000 American G.I's into Liverpool. The Queen Mary had a speed in excess of 30 knots and if she zig-zagged during the course of her passage across the Atlantic, the chances of her being sighted by a U boat captain were unlikely, and even if she was, her superior speed would soon get her out of trouble. However the greatest danger facing the Q.M. would be when she had to reduce speed in coastal waters where she would be considered a easy target for the enemy, to safeguard her, as much as possible, a rendezvous was arranged, where she would be met by HMS Curacoa and other destroyers, but as this escort was sighted, disaster struck, a junior officer on the bridge of the Q.M. failed to inform his Captain, and they did not reduce their speed, as the Curacoa was slowly turning, the Queen Mary struck her stern pushing her broadside on. As a result the Curacoa was cut her in two, the rear section sank almost immediately, the forward half managed to stay afloat just long enough for some of her crew to get out from below decks. The damage to the Queen Mary was not so serious, although having a 40 foot gash to her bow, she was in no danger of foundering, it was then decided at high level that the normal rules of the sea would be ignored, and instead of the liner stopping to pick up any survivors, the safety of the American soldiers aboard was deemed more imperitive, and fearing a U boat may have slipped the escort, perhaps sinking the liner, she would carry on and complete her voyage so leaving 338 crewmen of the Curacoa to perish in the Irish sea. The enquiry which would normally follow such an incident was delayed and a news blackout introduced. However, the Queen Mary's owners the Cunard Shipping Company made an interim payment to the dependants of all those lost through the collison of ú40, and shortly after the war, an official enquiry held that the liner's Captain was entirely to blame for this great loss of life, and a further payment of ú300 was made to each dependant. Five: Gunner Arthur Bingham, 1569126 Royal Artillery, 8th Army 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star (8th Army), Italy Star, Defence and War medal Recipient's Army pay book Portrait photograph of the recipient.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
