Arthur John Parr

Completed in March 1939 as steam trawler Esquimaux (H 29) for Hull Northern Fishing Co Ltd (Hellyer Bros Ltd), Hull. In August 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to the A/S trawler HMS Alouette (FY 101).

At 03.01 hours on 19 September 1942 HMS Alouette (FY 101) (T/Lt Richard Adams, RNR) was hit on port side forward by one G7e torpedo from U-552 about 7 miles west of Sesimbra, Portugal. The bow ahead of the bridge broke off and sank, while the aft part remained afloat on an even keel. So the U-boat fired another G7e torpedo from the stern torpedo tube as coup de grâce at 03.30 hours, that struck the armed trawler on the starboard side and caused her to sink immediately after a big explosion.

One officer and twelve ratings were lost. The master and 26 others (six of them hospital cases) were picked up by Portuguese fishing boats about nine hours later and landed at Setubal. Another injured officer and two ratings were picked up from a Carley float by the Portuguese fishing trawler Ilha Graciosa at 21.30 hours and taken to Lisbon, but another rating had died while on the float. All survivors were eventually transported to Lisbon from where they were allowed to leave by ship to Gibraltar. (U-boat.net)

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