Guestbook

Fantastic site. Your father would have been proud.

Admin reply: Thank you for your kind comments, Frank, they are very much appreciated.

Dear Hugh,

Dr Marjorie Miller (not Margaret as in the book nor Millar as in this website) and Donald Miller
(Alfred Donald Miller, K-I-H, M.B.E. 1893–1986) were my great aunt and great uncle. Both were dedicated missionaries who worked for the Leper Mission, where they were acquainted with Mahatma Gandhi.

Invited to become the Leper Mission's General Secretary, Donald and his wife were returning to the UK in 1942 with all their worldly possessions when the City of Cairo was sunk. Apart from being a missionary and a devout Christian, Donald was a fine landscape artist. Sadly, many of his wonderful paintings were lost with the ship.

As a fluent speaker of Hindi and Bengali, Donald had a pivotal mediating role in boat 8. A monograph entitled 'A Ship, A Ship' relates the experience of thirteen days in an open boat with typical modesty intertwined with a deeply religious perspective....

Best wishes
Martin Bennett

My uncle Capt Thomas D McCall was a passenger on board the City of Cairo at the time she was torpedoed. He died during WW 11 after a gruelling lengthy time in No 1 lifeboat. I was born on the 4th April 1942 my father George Miller McCall was a younger brother of Thomas. My father served as Chief Steward on board P&O and British India passenger and Troopships. He survived two u-boat torpedo sinkings. He died at the age of 63 in Nov 1970 whilst attending to a BI ship Nevasa

Dear Hugh,

My Mother was with us last weekend and we both spent some time exploring your website. We both were very impressed and pleased with what you have achieved, lets hope that others like us will be able to add to your wonderful record of those tragic times in the South Atlantic.

Many congratulations.

With best wishes

Dulcie & Colin Kendall

Thank you for the hard work that you have done researching for this site. My Granfather, Wilfred Tingle (Master) was one of the 6 passengers killed when SS City of Cairo sank. He was travelling home to Middlesbrough. His daughter, my mother, is still alive age 82, and will appreciate the information that I have found on this site. Until now all that the family knew was that he had been killed in WW2, but no other details. I presume that my grandmother was in some way trying to protect my mother from the whole story.
Thank you once again. If anyone reading this has any more information about my grandfather I would love to hear from them

Chris Swift

One of the best memorial websites I've seen, thankyou. Found out about the SS City of Cairo through the marvellous Ralph Barker book. This is a truly inspiring story, now back to your website to carry on reading.

Admin reply: Margaret,
Thank you for your kind comments I am glad you enjoyed the site. It is very much a labour of love for me and your comments are very much appreciated.

Regards and thanks
Hugh

Hi Hugh
Fantastic website, I had the privilege of meeting one of the survivors of the ship SS City of Cario, he visited the island in march 2007, Mr Colin Kendall.

Dear Mr Maclean,
We are students at a school in Stockholm.
We have read the story about the City of Cairo and we have some questions about it, please?
There were 295 people on board,but six people died during the sinking yet in the six lifeboats there were only 189 people. What happened to the rest? Did they leave the ship at Cape Town?
Captain Rogerson´s Rolex watch was used for navigation. What was so special about his watch? didn´t any of the passengers have a waterproof watches?
Did the Captain have to jump in the sea to escape the ship when it sank? Did he leave the ship last? With best wishes from Britta and Eric

Dear Hugh,
Many thanks for your condolences about Francis and your very kind words. May I read your message out at his memorial service on Friday?
Best wishes
David

Website is even better than before, Hugh. But I sadly have to report the death of my brother Francis who was a survivor of the torpedoing. He died last week while on holiday in Mauritius. He had had a very full life, and died aged 77 while snorkelling. A good way to go, but he is sadly missed by his four children and eleven grandchildren, as well as by his sister Susan and myself
Best wishes
David