Gerald Barber

France PORNIC WAR CEMETERY 2. F. 11.

HMS Cape Howe

HMS Cape Howe was completed in July 1930 as the steam merchant Knight Almoner for Ottoman Line Ltd (Pardoe-Thomas & Co), Newport. In 1934, she was renamed Cape Howe for Lyle Shipping Co Ltd, Glasgow. On 15 September 1939, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and converted to a Q-ship in Portsmouth, fitted with Asdic and a concealed armament of seven 4in guns, four machine guns, four 21in torpedo tubes and 100 depth charges. She was commissioned in March 1940 as special service vessel (SSV) HMS Cape Howe (X 02) with the cover name Prunella in service as Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).

At 08.46 hours on 21 June 1940 HMS Cape Howe (X 02) (A/Cdr E.L. Woodhall, DSO, MVO, RN), disguised as Prunella, was hit on the starboard side near the bridge by one of two torpedoes fired by U-28 about 100 miles west of the Isles of Scilly. The explosion blew open the hatches of #1 hold, put the Asdic and steering gear out of order and mortally injured two crewmen including Able Seaman Gerald Barber from Chilwell, Nottinghamshire. The panic party abandoned the now slowly circling ship in two lifeboats but the U-boat did not surface and fired a coup de grâce after about one hour that hit on port side amidships, causing her to slowly settle by the bow until sinking with a list to port at 12.30 hours. (uboat.net)

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