Identity
Person No.
21892
Service No.
69119
Last Name
First Name
Robert Pringle
Initials
R P
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
23
Military Service
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause of Death
Died of exposure, in lifeboat. U-156 sank the Allied liner Laconia west of Africa in what has become known as the Laconia incident. An American B-24 bomber from Ascension Island, piloted by James D. Harden, found the U-156 on the surface carrying out rescue operations of over thousand survivors from the sunken (by U-156) HMS Laconia. U-156, having radioed earlier that she would not attack any ship assisting, displayed a large Red Cross in hopes of making the Americans cancel an attack. Harden described the situation to base and was told "Sink sub" and then commenced an attack which damaged the boat. The boat radioed home about the attack and sailed west to repair damages
Grave Reference
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Coordinates
Additional Information
Notes
Son of Laurie McLeod Ross and Agnes Ruth Ross (nee Pringle), of Bedford, Cape Province, South Africa. Educated at St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown. B.Sc. On Bedford Town War Memorial, Eastern Cape
Citation
Unknown
External Source
Unknown
South African War Graves Project