Leonard Thomas Parfitt

H.M.S. President 111: was the nominal base for those men who were allocated to serve on the Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (DEMS). These ships were often converted cargo ships deployed on convoys or mine laying.
S.S.Sembilangan. Originally a German ship, "Wasgenwald" she was captured by the Dutch Navy on 10th May 1940 and renamed Sembilangan (a place in the Dutch East Indies).
She was torpedoed by U-107 whilst apart of Convoy OS-44 off Cape Finisterre, Spain. The convoy, made up of 42 ships left Liverpool on the 6th March 1943.
The torpedo hit the cargo of ammunition and the ship exploded. There was only one survivor, he had been thrown clear of the ship when it exploded and was picked up later. 86 men died in the incident. The crew was manly Asian, apart from one officer and 10 British naval personnel. Leonard was a DEMS Gunner. U-107 also sunk 3 more ships (Clan Alpine, Marcella and Oporto) in the same incident.

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