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Letters
Uncle Rowland George Sims, lost on the Bristol City sunk by U-358 on 5th may 1943 (see this letter "Friend served aboard AO-11 the USS Sapelo, a fleet oiler. He was in Convoy ONS5") Hi Mac, What a great story, I have been searching for some time, trying to find out something of the last days of my late fathers brother ROWLAND GEORGE SIMS born 12th September 1923, who was on the BRISTOL CITY when it was sunk by U-358 on 5th may 1943. As you can see he was only 19 and I don't think that he even qualified for any war medals. Could there be anyone else out there who was either a survivor or who knows of a relative who was on the Bristol City Best wishes,
Thank you for your message and kind words about my article on Convoy ONS 5, indeed it was a famous voyage, and a defining fight in the Battle of the Atlantic. Bristol City was a quite small ship, and of her crew of 44, some 29 survived. It is certainly possible that some of that group are still alive, the problem is to unearth any one of the former crew who sailed with your father's brother. Rowland may well have qualified for some war medals, it would depend upon his length of time at sea. To qualify for the 1939-1945 Star, he needed 6 months service, and if he served on the Atlantic run for a further six months, he would have been eligible for an award of the Atlantic Star. His family should check on his service record, which could no doubt be found through the shipping company records that owned his ship Bristol City . If he was eligible they should claim his medals, and perhaps the Merchant Navy Association might be of assistance in that regard. Nice to hear from you, and my web master Terry Kearns, in Atlanta, Georgia, and myself send our regards. Mac. Gregory.
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