Jack Bastow – Merchant Navy, M.V. San Emiliano

Storekeeper Jack Bastow – Merchant Navy, M.V. San Emiliano

Early Life

1921 Census

Jack Bastow was born in 1915 in Yorkshire. By the time of the 1921 Census, he was living as a 5‑year‑old boarder at 20 Raynes Street, Ryson, Yorkshire, in the home of Mary Jane Hall, a 70‑year‑old retired nurse.

Marriage

In 1935, Jack married Hilda Stainthorpe in North Bierley, Yorkshire, establishing his family life shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Service in the Merchant Navy

Jack later joined the Merchant Navy, serving as a Storekeeper aboard the M.V. San Emiliano, a tanker owned by Eagle Oil and Shipping Co. Ltd., London. His role placed him among the essential civilian sailors who kept wartime supply routes functioning under constant threat from German U‑boats.

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, heading south toward Freetown. Before reaching West Africa, the vessel detached from the convoy and proceeded alone to the oil refinery on Curaçao, arriving on 27^th May 1942. After loading petrol, she sailed in convoy to Trinidad on 29^th May, then continued independently to Takoradi, arriving on 16^th June. Once unloaded, she returned alone to Curaçao, arriving on 17^th July, where she loaded high‑octane fuel. She departed for Trinidad on 29^th July, arrived on 31^st July, and on 6^th August 1942 set sail independently for Cape Town.

The Attack and Sinking – 9^th August 1942

On 9^th August 1942, the San Emiliano was struck by two torpedoes fired by the German submarine U‑155, triggering a massive explosion that destroyed the ship. The attack is featured in the documentary series The World at War (“Wolf Pack: U‑Boats in the Atlantic 1939–1944”), which includes footage of survivors being rescued. Of the 48 crew members, only 8 survived the sinking.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

Jack Bastow
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - findagrave

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths records, Jack Bastow was not among the survivors. His recorded home address was 72 Pentre Treharne Road, Landore, Swansea. As he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, alongside his shipmates and thousands of other Merchant Navy personnel who lost their lives at sea