1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star clasp North Africa 1942-43; War Medal 1939-45 - all unnamed as awarded comes with original condolence slip and box of issue addressed to Mrs C Hinds 450 Cumbernauld Road, Glasgow, E1
John Alexander Hinds Third Radio Officer MN born Glasgow 1925 KIA 25.2.1943 SS Manchester sunk by Submarine
Hinds was aboard the armed merchant ship SS Manchester, completed in 1940 at Blythswood Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Glasgow and owned by Manchester Liners Ltd (Furness, Withy & Co Ltd), Manchester when she was attacked and sunk on 25 Feb 1943 by U-628 (Heinrich Hasenschar) at position 45° 10'N, 43° 23'W - Grid BC 8230
Out of her crew complement of 67 (36 dead and 31 survivors). She was on Convoy ON-166 en route from Manchester - Halifax - St. John, New Brunswick - New York with a cargo of Ballast.
Notes on event - At 08.17 hours on 25 February 1943 U-628 fired a spread of four FAT torpedoes and one stern torpedo at convoy ON-166 about 400 miles east-southeast of Cape Race and reported one ship sunk. The Manchester Merchant (Master Frederick Struss, DSC) sank within 90 seconds. 29 crew members and six gunners were lost. The master, 27 crew members and four gunners were picked up by HMS Montgomery (G 95) (Lt K.I. Hamilton, DSC and Bar, RN) and HMCS Rosthern (K 169) (T/Lt R.J.G. Johnson, RCNVR) and landed at St. John’s, Newfoundland. One crew member died aboard the corvette and was buried at sea.
Hinds is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial
