M.V. Fishpool was apparently an unlucky ship. She was bombed in the North Atlantic in November 1940 on her maiden voyage. Captain Hill, 10 officers and 16 men were killed. She was abandoned and eventually towed back to the Clyde.
On 9th May 1941 she was bombed whilst in Barrow.
The Fishpool was bombed again, set alight and sank by German aircraft in July 1943. She was carrying 1,000 tons of aviation spirit and 4,000 tons of munitions.
The following is courtesy of Tony Wilding:
SS FISHPOOL (2), 4,950grt, built 1940, (ON. 160785) Sunk in an air raid at Syracuse on the 26th July 1943 while discharging ammunition and aviation spirit brought from Alexandria killing 23 crew and 5 DEMS gunners. 18 survived. Earlier in the war on the 14th November 1940 the Fishpool had been sailing from the Tyne to Vancouver in ballast when she was hit by seven incendiary bombs South-West of Rockall killing several crew. The ship was abandoned and one lifeboat with 15 crew was never seen again. The ship was taken in tow and repaired. Also on the 9th May 1941 while loading stores at Barrow-in-Furness the ship was again damaged by a parachute mine, which detonated next to the ship killing 2 crew.
Joseph Cummings - World War II hero 
My Father Paul Antoine Pfisterer (Swiss father) was one of those unlucky crew who perished on 23rd July 1943, he missed his own ship and was put on the Fishpool only days before it sunk. he was 34 years old. Through the internet in the last few years I have finally been able to know what actually happen to him on that fateful day, I was only four years old when he was killed.
Thanks for getting in touch Joan. If you have any information about Fishpool or any further details about what happened that I haven’t included, please let me know and I will update the site.
My Grandfather John Victor Webster was one of the Survivors, he later came to Canada with his wife and my Mother(4 years old).
Adrienne
Thanks for the comment. I wonder if your grandfather was Canadian at the time he was on the ship or gained Canadian citizenship later? The reason I ask is I have read somewhere that some MV gunners were Canadian. My own great uncle on my mother’s side emigrated to Canada and joined a Canadian regiment. He then fought in the First World War and was killed in France. His descendants moved to Buffalo.
The photograph is not of the 1940 Fishpool. It is of the Fishpool built in 1912 by Ropner & Sons Ltd, sold in 1938 and renamed Atlantic Scout. She ran aground at Cap Gris Nez 8 January 1940, refloated on 9 January 1940 and beached at Boulogne where she remained throughout the war. The wreck was finally destroyed by explosives in 1949.
Bob
Thanks for this – I would never have known it otherwise! If you have an image of the ship that my uncle was on, I would be extremely grateful. I am going to Sicily in May to visit his grave, the first relative to do so I believe.
Bob Cummings
I have found out my great uncle was lost aboard in 1943 David Scot he had already survived the First World War in the Durham light infantry
David
Was he another gunner I wonder. You could try looking for his grave through the war graves site. Best of luck – Robert Cummings
My wife lost two Gt. uncle’s in the enemy air action 19 November 1940. They were Brothers Stanley ATKINSON age 19 and George William ATKINSON age 17 both of Hendon, Sunderland. Five other sons were serving at sea. Does anyone have a photo of this ship?
my dad leonard pragnell DSM gunner cjx289953 was on the fishpool in 1943 when sunk, he shot down enemy plane, not sure if it was on this ship or the AWATEA operation torch 1942
peter pragnell
Today is 11 November 2020 and as it is memorial day I remember my two uncles that I never was to meet as they both died on the Fishpool in 1940. Those uncles are :
ATKINSON, GEORGE WILLIAM (17), Galley Boy, MV Fishpool, Merchant Navy, †14/11/1940, Son of Christopher Byers Atkinson and Agnes Atkinson, of Hendon, Sunderland, Co. Durham. His brother Stanley also died on service, Memorial: Rothesay Cemetery
ATKINSON, STANLEY (18), Cabin Boy, MV Fishpool, Merchant Navy, †14/11/1940, Son of Christopher Byers Atkinson, and of Agnes Atkinson, of Hendon, Sunderland, Co. Durham. His brother George William also died on service, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial
Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?123428
There were two other brothers Robert (Bob) and Richard (Dick) Atkinson that I can remember with Bob serving in the Merchant Navy and .Dick in the Royal Navy.
Agnes Atkinson was my Grand Mother and also I lived at 18 Page Street, Hendon, Sunderland for some of my very early years. My Mother, Dorothy Byers Atkinson, married William Oliver.
I’d be very pleased to here from you about our mutual connection.
Best Wishes
Bill Oliver
oliverrelleu@yahoo.co.uk
There may be a photograph of the MV Fishpool in the Tyne and Weir Archive in Newcastle. They have the builder’s records. I have a photo of her sister ship, MV Wandby, taken just after launch. The Wandby was torpedoed and sunk by U47 on the return leg of her maiden voyage to Vancouver.
The Captain Hill was my great-grandfather – Thomas Morgan Hillhttp://www.hhtandn.org/crew/memorial/586/hill,-thomas-morgan
Thanks Roger, any information you have would be very welcome.
Bob