An actual photo of the Jervis Bay somewhere in the North Atlantic during escort duty with Convoy HX72.

If you click on the picture to enlarge, you will see the faint shape of another convoy vessel just to the right of the Jervis Bay.

The accompanying story of the photo itself is a compelling one! It dates from September 1940 (sometime just before the 21st) and was taken from the steamer S.S. Canonesa by Peter Tingey, an apprentice on the ship. The Canonesa was torpedoed and sunk on the evening of September 21st, the day after the Jervis Bay left the convoy for other duties.

All crew members of the Canonesa got away in lifeboats except 4th Engineer Tom Purnell, whose grandson Tom has published an excellent historical Website with a personal touch on «Canonesa, Convoy HX72 & U-100». Tom, who lives in Derby England, received the photo from Peter Tingey who now resides in Australia. Upon encountering this Website, Tom gratiously forwarded a copy of the photo to this site in Canada. A fascinating example of the communicative power of the Internet!

In November 1940 the Jervis Bay was the sole escort for Convoy HX84 of thirty-seven freighters moving from Halifax to Britain. See the Order of Battle here.

Earlier, the German "pocket battleship" Admiral Scheer had slipped quietly into the Atlantic. She located the Jervis Bay's convoy and decided to attack immediately, as it was late afternoon and it would be difficult to find targets in the dark. Captain Fegen of the Jervis Bay decided to advance to meet the raider, in the hope of delaying the Germans long enough to enable most of the convoy to escape. The convoy was ordered to scatter and the Jervis Bay, dropping smoke floats as she went, endeavoured to bring the Admiral Scheer within the range of her guns.

In this latter aim she never succeeded. Although her guns fired often, every shot fell short of the enemy. A seaman who watched the outmatched merchantman throw everything but its boiler plates at the Admiral Scheer said it was like a bulldog attacking a bear. Meanwhile 11-inch shells from the raider began to hit. The crew had little protection from blast or from splinters, and casualties were heavy.

The bridge was soon hit, and with it the Jervis Bay's gunnery control centre. Captain Fegen lost an arm and soon afterwards was killed by another shell. Most of the officers were killed. Nevertheless, this one-sided battle lasted for twenty-four minutes. At the end of that period the Jervis Bay was ablaze and her guns out of action, and the order was given to abandon ship.

Only sixty-five men were picked up by the Swedish freighter Stureholm under the command of Capt. Sven Olander. But the sacrifice (see Casualty List) had not been in vain, for the Admiral Scheer only succeeded in destroying five of the freighters in the short time before nightfall.

The armed freighter Beaverford, originally a Canadian Pacific Railways cargo ship, and the full complement of Captain Hugh Pettigrew and crew took up the struggle and held the German battleship for a further five hours but at 10:45 sank with all hands. «The Role of the CPR Ships in World War II» further covers the story of the Beaverford and her sister ships. Again, this site is worth a visit as it is done with a personal touch by the daughter of a Merchant Sailor who served on a CPR ship both before and during hostilities.

• The C.G.M. group for Petty Officer J.H. "Slinger" Wood, CGM, Royal Navy
  
  
• These letters ( A.B. Alfred W. Bealand , A.B. Thomas Frederick Rainsbury, A.B. Jeffrey Allan Morgan , JHG Chappell ) were posted by members of the Jervis Bay crew before sailing into history. Very touching artifacts!
  
  
• A simple telegram from survivor Tom Davison brings good news.
  
  
• Personal photos taken by Len Baker, casualty. Also included here is an account of the battle, plus other misc. facts.
  
  
• Personal photos taken by William Oag, survivor.
  
  
• Personal photos taken by John Innes, casualty.
  
  
• Chatham Dockyard Museum, 16th October 2001: Unveiling of the painting "The Convoy Got Through".
  
  
• Personal artifacts donated during a special visit by Mike Chappell, son of Engineer Commdr. J.H.G. Chappell.
  
  
• Battle sells batteries! This 1941 Eveready advertisement gives us a look at a different era of marketing.
  
  
• HMS Jervis Bay Bunting.
  
  
• The HMS Jervis Bay Merchant Marine Memorial.
  
  
• A cup & saucer from the Jervis Bay (given as gift while she was in Saint John for refit).
  
  
• A serviette ring bearing the ships name and company badge from Ian Todd, Scotland. His story... "My father was a fifth engineer on the Jervis Bay before the war, about 1936/7 when she was on a regular run between Britain and Australia. My mother who was Australian took voyage on the ship to come over to Britain to visit the "Old Country". She met my father obviously during the voyage. They married as a result of a ship board romance although not until the war was over in 1946. He came ashore in 38 but was called back up in 42. He passed away a number of years ago but I'm sure he would have appreciated the site. "
  
  
• A First Day Cover occasionally found for sale on eBay.
  
  
• «Downhills Central School adopted the Beaverford in 1936 through the workings of the Ship Adoption Society.»
  
  
• «Another site dedicated to the Beaverford is at the Merchant Navy Officers' Site.»
  
  

• Repeat visitor? Check out What's New!
  
  
• If the Gods Are Good, ISBN: 0 859791 07 6. Gerald L.Duskin spent twelve years researching the Jervis Bay story in Europe and North America before his death in 2002. Ralph Segman, a long-time journalist, was news editor of Science News and managing editor of Technology Review before his retirement. Fully researched and written to enthral, the reader is taken directly to the heart of the action. Graphic battle scenes and tales of heroism will appeal to military historians and avid readers of adventure stories alike.
  
  Available at Crécy Publishing, UK Distributor
  
  Available at Naval Institute Press, North American Distributor
  
  
• Casualty List.
  
  
• Survivor List.
  
  
• Did the defenders of Convoy HX84 inflict damage on the German High Seas Fleet in a way they could never imagine? Read this perspective at the «Highland Archives, County of Caithness, Scotland».
  
  
• Forced by Germans to Help Aim Guns! Briton Tells of Role Played In Sinking Of Jervis Bay.
  
  
• Read about "best mates" James Anderson and William Oag here...
  
  
• Read about the civilian careers of the Jervis Bay and her sister ships here...
  
  
• While in Saint John during the summer of 1940, refitting as an AMC, there appears to have been a death in the crew. See pics of the funeral here...
  
  
• During WWI, as a midshipman, Capt. Fegen served under the Commodore of HX84, Rear Admiral HB Maltby. Admiral Maltby lost his life on the SS Jumma in convoy WS5A in Dec. 1940.
  
  
• The Admiral Scheer's cruise lasted from Oct.27,1940 to Apr.1,1941 ranging from the North to South Atlantic, and into the Indian Ocean during which time she sank 14 ships, 1 British auxiliary cruiser (the Jervis Bay), and captured 2 other ships. After that, the Scheer had a fairly uneventful career in the Baltic and Arctic, and was finally bombed and sunk at her base in Kiel on Apr.9,10 1945. Read more about the Admiral Scheer's career here...
  
  
• This story of heroism and self sacrifice during the dark early days of the war inspired many to commit to verse. Visit our Poetry Detour for some of this literature...
  
  
• When the Second World War ended, the Canadian Hydrographic Service survey ship Cartier was declared unsuitable for surveying purposes, and was taken over by Crown Assets Disposal Corporation for disposal. She was sold out of the Government Service in 1947. Although she had seen service with the Canadian Navy on two occasions her greatest contribution to the war effort was probably her 'Gyro-Compass' - a nautical instrument that added much to Atlantic Coast charting. In November 1940, it was removed from this vessel and re-installed in the armed merchantman Jervis Bay.
  
  

The name of Jervis Bay has graced the bow of 3 container ships, currently being carried by a container ship of the P&O Nedlloyd shipping line...

HMAS Jervis Bay was a training ship acquired after civil service as the MV Australian Trader, where it operated as a Bass Strait ferry. Acquired in 1977, it was used for navigation and seamanship training for junior officers, and as a transport for Army troops and cargo as required. Following an active career Jervis Bay was decommissioned in 1994.

HMAS Jervis Bay was a «high-speed catamaran evaluated by the Australian Navy. » It has subsequently been decommissioned from service, and its builders are continuing to attempt sales to other navies.