Maritime Regt. DEMS                                            Merchant Navy                                        Royal Navy DEMS     

ROPNER NAVY MEMORIAL FUND APPEAL

  SS Thornaby, 1,730grt. Sunk 28 th February 1916         SS Stonepool, 4,815grt. Sunk 11 th September 1941

As 2005 is the official “Year of the Sea” coinciding with the 60 th anniversary VE & VJ celebrations, I approached a local group with a concerted interest in the re development at Ropner Park (the park was originally given to Stockton Council by the ship owner Sir Robert Ropner in 1893). The idea is to have a bronze Memorial Plaque dedicated to recognise the sacrifice of over 650 men lost from the Merchant Navy including Royal Navy & Maritime Regt. DEMS gunners (Defence Equipped Merchant Ships) while serving on Ropner ships in two World Wars, affectionately known as “Ropners Navy” after the successful sinking of a least 1 U-boat during WWI. Very little is known by the people of Teesside the immense sacrifice suffered by Merchant shipping in both wars. In WWI the Ropner Co. lost 27 of their ships to enemy action (50% of her fleet) and a further 43 ships owned and managed by them during WWII. By the time WWII finished the company were down to their last 4 ships owned by the Ropner Shipping Co. & 7 of the Pool Shipping Co. The biggest loss of ships by any one company in war. During WWII no less than 13 OBE's, 3 British Empire Medals & 2 Lloyds War Medals were awarded to the Officers & crew of the Ropner fleet. The Merchant Fleet saw service in every theatre of war during WWII from Dunkirk to D-Day, the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Pacific, North Africa & North Russia.

Permission has now been granted by the Council & Park Ranger Tony Raine to have a Plaque situated in the Ropner Park (exact location yet to be arranged). All funding has to be raised through public donations as the Lottery Heritage Grant Funds given to the park have already been fully allocated and accounted for on the restoration work ongoing.

I am appealing for any donations no matter how small, as £1200 is needed for the plaque alone. Anyone wishing to make a donation should make payable to the following and sent to the bank below. By using the Acc. No & Sort Code, donations can be made at any Lloyds TSB Branch or done online.

“ROPNER NAVY MEMORIAL FUND”

Account No. 1550358 Sort Code 30-98-13

(Please note anyone paying online or through a separate branch will need to place a 0 before the Acc. No.)

Lloyds TSB Bank Plc

27 High Street

Stockton-on-Tees

TS18 1SP

For further details contact Billy McGee on 01642-656085

“On all the oceans white caps flow you do not see crosses row on row, but those that sleep beneath the sea, rest in peace for your country is free”