The Sinking of a British Prisoner of War Ship by HMS Sahib

William Stansfield.;- Martha,s son William Stansfield,aged 31, prvt 3660345. (fromher first marriage) had jioned the 2nd light Infintary a Glasgow regiment. He wastaken prisoner and was being shipped by the Italian ship 'SS SICLLIAN' from Tripoli to Sisily when they where sunk by the Brittish Submarine HMS SAHIBon the 14 November 1942 (Lt John Bromage). They where 815 comonwealth prisoner of war aboard.only 26 Brittish P.O.W.and one South African was resucud + 35 members of the Italian crew, by HMS SAHIB, The Sahib was attatacked by German planesand the Italian corvette Gabbiano damiging the Sahib which later had to be scuttled. At a susequent enquiry the Captain of HMS, SAHIB,(Lt Bromage) was cleared. The sad fact of this tradgy was that the Brittish High Command new of the prisoner of warship but still gave the go ahead to sink the SS SILLIAN because of the Inigma code and Bletchley Park. Stockport Express.5/11/42;-Infomation has been received thet William Stansfield had been taken prisoner of war by the Itallians.Mrs Phillips whish,ers to thank sincerley relatives and kind Friends, 9 Hatton st Stockport. .Stockport Express,27 /01/1944,- Martha Phillips of 9 Hatton st,has received information that William Stansfield, aged 32, has presumed killed whist a Prisoner of war.Educated at St Marys RC.he had workd at Fairy Engineering.His father was killed in the last war. Mrs Stansfield wishes to thank all relaives and friends for their kind support and prayers.Also from a brokenhearted mother and father Brothers and sisters, Agnes and niece Beryal. Stockport Express, 16 11/1944.;- In loving memory of my dear son William who died Nov, 14th 1942..."God is good , he gives me strength to bear my heavy cross,"Tis he and he alone knows my lonliness and loss"R.I.P...also From your broken hearted mother and father brothers and sisters, also sorrowing sister Agnes and niece Beryal. Its the very sickning case off being killed by your own side (friendly fire) when you think the war is over for you son. William Stansfield was unmarried but the Phillips and Stansfield where regard by Martha and Fredrick, as one and the same, all called brothers and sister,s, William Stansfield, is also rememberd on the Stockport war memorial and the Alamain Memorial.Martha never forgave the Brttish government and when they offered Williams medales to her she refused to accept them. It was never revealed till meny years later that this tragdy ever took place but now its remembered at the National Aubertum Momorial at Alwars nr Burton on Trent. Martha, Story.;-Martha,s Story. 1891-1972 The War Years. To write about a person with no background, before or after WW2,iit s helpful to put them there ..as they where. I think this is like so meny untold stories of WW. 2,and in this case WW.1, this is not about storming the beach,es on D' day, no heroics escaping the death camps, flying spitfires shouting "jolly good show". Its about ordinary working class people with no great education, turning things round and overcoming meny battles of grief and loss,emptiness,and heartache, keeping there diginity through two world wars. Our 'Martha,' worked,and lived,through poverty and the loss of a mother Elizabeth, who she nursed , before dying of stomarch cancer at home. A not so helpfull drunken and missing father Samuel who died the same year as his wife..1920. The loss of a good husband, Arnold Stansfield, Lancashire Fusilier, Nov,9,1916. The death of her younger brother James Birch ,prvt, West Cumberland Yeomanry, Oct, 10,1918, just weeks away before the end of the war. He was coming home to England from Ireland on H M S Lienster, from Queenstown.The death of her half brother William, Henry Birch.(Stephens) killed early in the war. Her other brother Thomas,returning from the war with wounds

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