Cyril Hancock – Merchant Navy, M.V. San Emiliano
Assistant Steward Cyril Hancock – Merchant Navy, M.V. San Emiliano Early Life Cyril Hancock was born in 1922 , though no surviving records identify his parents, and no census entries have been located for him. Service in the Merchant Navy Cyril served with the Merchant Navy as an Assistant Steward aboard the M.V. San Emiliano , a tanker operated by Eagle Oil and Shipping Co. Ltd., London . As a steward, he formed part of the essential civilian workforce that kept Britain’s wartime supply routes functioning—often under extreme danger from German U‑boats patrolling the Atlantic. The Final Voyage of M.V. San Emiliano M.V. San Emiliano The San Emiliano began her final voyage from Swansea on 29 th April 1942 , joining Convoy OS 27 , which consisted of 48 ships and 11 escorts bound for Freetown. Before reaching West Africa, the tanker detached from the convoy and proceeded alone to the oil refinery at Curaçao , arriving on 27 th May 1942 . After loading petro...
