Remembering World War II

Remembering Samuel Davis Galley Boy on the SS Justitia (London, England) Lost at Sea: November 23, 1940; Age 19 Canadian Virtual War Memorial Listed on the Halifax Memorial Commemorated on Page 123 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance.

SS Justitia Samuel Davis

Samuel Davis, was born on December 13, 1920, the son of Michael Patrick Davis (1877-1952) and Maud (Evans) Davis (1880-1968), of North Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Samuel was the brother of five sisters and two brothers. The family lived on Commercial St., North Sydney. The SS Justitia steamed from Savannah, Georgia, in the United States, on November 9, 1940, and joined Convoy SC-11 at Sydney, Nova Scotia, on November 16, 1940, en-route to London, England. Justitia carried a cargo of timber, steel and general cargo. The crew numbered 39. The ship, was owned by Chellew Navigation Co Ltd, Cardiff, and the home port was London. On November 23, 1940, about 160 miles west of Ireland, the ship was hit by one torpedo from U-boat-100 and sank. The master and 12 crew members, including Galley Boy Samuel Davis, were lost. 25 crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS Enchantress and landed at Liverpool. U-boat-100 sank seven (7) ships from Convoy Sc-11. From the 206 Merchant Seaman serving on these ships, 148 were lost. 58 men survived. U-100 was sunk at March 19, 1941, of Iceland after being rammed and depth charged by the British destroyers HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc. Six (6) men of U-100 survived and 38 were lost.