Peter Hoy has supplied the following:
Son of Thomas and the late Rachel Halliday of Jarrow.
Resided in Jarrow.
Brother of David, died 1915 and George, died 1917.
Brother and Sister-in-Law: Tom and Mollie.
Completed in November 1927 as steam passenger ship Laurentic for White Star Ltd (Oceanic Steam Navigation Co), Liverpool. On the 3rd October 1932, she and the British steam merchant Lurigethan were damaged in a collision in the Belle Isle Strait. 1934 transferred to Cunard White Star Ltd, Liverpool. On the 18th August 1935, the Laurentic was rammed in fog by the Napier Star in the Irish Sea. Six crew members were killed. In December 1935 laid up at Birkenhead, but used in September 1936 for one voyage as troop transport to Palestine. In April 1938 again laid up at Southampton and later transferred to Falmouth. On the 26th August 1939, requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to the armed merchant cruiser HMS Laurentic (F 51) until the 15th October.
At 21.40 hours on the 3rd November 1940, U-99, commanded by Fregattenkapitän Otto Kretschmer, torpedoed the unescorted Casanare west of Bloody Foreland. Her distress messages brought the armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic (F 51) (Capt E.P. Vivian (Retired), RN) and HMS Patroclus (Capt G.C. Wynter (Retired), RN) to the scene and the U-boat began a dramatic battle at 22.50 hours when the first torpedo struck the engine room of HMS Laurentic (F 51) from a distance of 1500 metres. At 23.28 hours, a second torpedo hit the vessel, but did not explode. A third torpedo was fired at 23.37 hours from a distance of 250 metres into the hole opened by the first torpedo, at this time the lookouts spotted the U-boat on the surface and Kretschmer had a hard time in evading the gunfire.
Rees Halliday is remembered on our List of Ships’ crews.
U Boat Net
H.M.S. Laurentic
The CWGC entry for Shipwright Halliday