13 August, 1942 – News of the Sinking - and a Telegram

 This cutting from the Birmingham Post shows that news of the sinking of HMS Eagle was confirmed on 13 August, 1942, the sinking having been announced by Germany.  The article states: “In order to avoid anxiety, the Admiralty policy is to endeavour to inform the next of kin of a ship’s company before announcing the loss of one of His Majesty’s ships.  At the time of the German announcement about H.M.S. Eagle the Admiralty had no information about survivors.  The Press was therefore asked not to publish the German claim, in order to avoid causing unnecessary concern…..”

 

At lunchtime on 13 August, Grace received the following telegram from her mother:


Comments

  1. Roger14 August 2024 at 08:01

    I wonder when Grace's mother received her telegram? It could have been late on the 12th. If so she would not have known what it was all about until reading or hearing the news next day.

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  2. Liz Whitehouse14 August 2024 at 09:41

    I suspect it would have been on the morning of the 13th, Roger. The telegram to Grace was sent at 11.50 a.m. and I am sure her parents would have rushed to the Post Office to let Grace know as soon as possible. If you are able to read the full text in the press cutting, apparently one newspaper ignored the Ministry's request and published the news of Germany's claim to have sunk the 'Eagle', thus forcing the Navy's hand. The Eagle was escorting a convoy, so survivors would have been picked up by many ships and with over 1,000 crew it would have been extremely difficult to gather together the information about survivors and those who were lost - and then transfer it all over to London. I am surprised that they knew so soon.

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