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Letters
Leonard Robert Sykes, Walda Katrina Sykes, Shirley Margaret Sykes, survived sinking of Athenia April 14, 2010 All my life I heard about the sinking of this ship. My mother and maternal grandparents were among the survivors. They are all now deceased, but here are their names:
My mother, Shirley, would describe the events and chaos and the hours in the lifeboat. They were from Fort Wayne, Indiana, returning from a stay in England due to the rumblings about the war. Oddly, they were all reported lost by the local Ft Wayne newspapers and a memorial service was held, as my grandfather was a prominent local businessman. When they turned up very much alive, I understand it was quite a shock to the community. Sincerely,
Thank you for your mail, at this distance in time from the Athenia sinking, I must say that I am suprised at the amount of interest still shown. Hardly a week goes by without my being contacted by a survivor or some relatives who had their loved ones involved. I have your mother Shirley on a list published in the NewYork Times on September 7 1939, she was rescued by the Leonard and Walda are listed in this paper on September 6. They were also landed at Galway. Best regards, |
