S.S. Euphorbia

Angus Dixon Clouston was born in South Shields in March 1916.

He was a steward on board the S.S. Euphorbia [a steam Merchant, 3,380 tons], completed by the Sunderland Shipbuilding Co Ltd in August 1924, owner was Joseph Robinson & Sons, North Shields. Home port North Shields.

She was in convoy OB-256 on route from Swansea-Milford Haven-Lynn, Massachusetts with 3837 tons of coal.

S.S. Euphorbia was torpedoed by a U Boat U-100, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke, at 19.55 hours on Saturday 14th December, after dispersing on the 12th December from convoy OB-256, she was hit on the starboard side in the foreship by one G7e torpedo about 310 miles west of Rockall.

The U-boat had spotted the freighter about four hours earlier in bad visibility and missed with one G7a torpedo at 19.48 hours. Schepke observed how the ship caught fire and stopped, so he waited nearby but the flames went out and the Euphorbia remained afloat despite a high sea and heavy swell. The ship sank quickly after being hit on port side aft of amidships by a coup de grâce at 20.28 hours. The Germans then questioned the survivors in the lifeboats before leaving the area. However, the boats were never found: the master, 32 crew members and one gunner were lost.

Source: U Boat net with Thanks.

He was older brother to Douglas Weldon Clouston

He is remembered in Westoe on W101.08 page 18, and on our List of Ships’ crews

Naval events on the 14th December 1940
U-Boat Net
List of Crew members on S. S. Euphorbia who died
The CWGC entry for Steward Clouston