List of Missing
The list of missing is given as follows: Capt. Charles A. Whincop, of Rydal Gardens, Harton, South Shields; chief officer H. Farbrother, of 322 South Frederick Street, South Shields: second officer S. Anderson, of 211 St. Vincent Street, South Shields; chief engineer Gilbert Baker, of Donvin Grasmere Avenue, Heworth; the steward Mr W. J. Softley, of 14 Beethoven Street, South Shields; able seamen W. McStravick, of 15 Randolph Street, Jarrow; W McLachlan, of 66 Reay Street, South Shields; J. A. Thomason, of 11 Westhope Close, South Shields.
Firemen G. Giammarris, of 16 Wells Grove, South Shields; A Cocallis, 16 Beech Grove, North Shields; Stephen Hoy, 10 Winterbottom Street, South Shields, wireless operator G. Smith-Murray, of 20 Beaumont Terrace Jarrow and mess room steward William Henry, of 314 Dean Road, South Shields.
Survivors Fireman Lewis Colderon, of 27 Maple Crescent, North Shields; able seamen Robert Williamson, of Shetland Islands; E. Rutter, of 5 New Henry Street, South Shields; L. Wilkie, a lamp man of Hartlepool, and donkeyman W. E. Matthews, of London.
News of the sinking of the Whitemantle was revealed (as reported in The Evening News last night) yesterday together with the news of the sinking of another well-known Tyne trader, the Sea Venture aboard which were South Shields men.
Extract from The Evening News 24 October 1939
Shields Father of 8 Missing After Ship Sunk by Germans
Youngest Child only Six Weeks Old
Local Survivor, Swam 2 hours, Among Five Rescued
Escaped From Four Torpedoed Vessels in Last War
A North Shields father of eight children - the youngest is only six weeks old - is missing and another North Shields man - who escaped from four British vessels torpedoed in the last war - is one of the survivors following the sinking by enemy action in the North Sea of the collier Whitemantle, a well known Tyne trader.
The missing North Shields man is Anastacias Cocallis, a fireman, of 16 Beech Grove. The local survivor is Lewis Colderon, of 27 Maple Crescent, who was landed at an East Coast port with four other survivors. There are nine South Shields men among the missing and one among the survivors. Altogether there are 13 missing. It is known other vessels were in the vicinity when the Whitemantle was sunk.
Cocallis, aged 51 is a native of Argus Greece, but has lived in North Shields since he was 11 years old and has been going to sea all of his life. He has been a fireman in the Whitemantle for 16 years.
Mrs Cocallis told The Evening News she has refused to give to give up hope for her missing husband.
The port missionary called to see her last night, she said. Cocallis served in the British mercantile marine throughout the last war. He never figured in any mishaps at sea.
Fifth Escape
Colderon who is 43 years of age, is married and has one daughter. He has sailed as a fireman on board the Whitemantle for 11 years without a break. Mrs Colderon received a telegram yesterday afternoon from an East Coast port telling her of her husband's safety. The telegram told her he was going into hospital but that she had not to worry as he was all right. This morning she received a notification by post that her husband was in hospital suffering from an injured hip. Apparently he had been swimming two hours before he was picked up. The Whitemantle sank after an explosion midships. Colderon is a native of Chile, but he has lived in North Shields for the last 23 years. During the last war four British vessels on board which he was employed sank after being torpedoed.
