Sinking of the Livingston

Oh in the morning that was, just about daylight. And we were in a dory, about six of us, on a hatch, and a lifeboat blew away from the stern, which was in lashings, but it landed on the water, and when we picked it up there was, I think four men, and we picked up other men in the water. I think about four. I just can't quite... one fellow was a hold to a diamond shape in the water, you know, that's a float. And he was a hold of a diamond shape trying to stay out of the water, which was very difficult. Interviewer: How long were men in the water? Oh they weren't very long because the torpedo struck the stern, and the stern blew in and the vessels settled down by the stern. Finally she went under, that part, and when it went down the stem was on the other side of me, and when it disappeared it was parallel with the water, the stem was. Interviewer: A vessel, another vessel came by to pick you men up? Well not then. We had a dory and we had a lifeboat. And there was, we picked up four men in lifeboat, those of us in the dory, and that made, four and six is ten. And we picked up I think four fellows in the water. So that was fourteen. Interviewer: And there were no others you could see? Well that's all we saw. You know it's quite difficult to see, when you're close to the water, in small boats. Interviewer: So the other men, as far as you know, perished. Well their quarters were on the stern, and some of them were killed, wireless operator was a, had a house up on the stern part section of the boat. We didn't find any sign of him. Interviewer: How long were you in the dory? Oh well not too long in the dory because we got together with the lifeboat, and we decided that we'd all transfer to the lifeboat. And we just tied the dory on, just for security reasons you know, just in case. Interviewer: So the fourteen of you are now in the lifeboat? And with the dory tied on... Well yes, we all transferred to the lifeboat.

Mr. Blackmore describes the sinking of the Livingston and how he found a dory and a life boat. He also speaks about how they rescued sailors in the water.

Wilfred K. Blackmore

Wilfred Blackmore was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland on November 21, 1920. His father was a seaman who freighted cargo between Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Blackmore left St. John's at the age of 21 for Corner Brook where he began sailing for Bowaters transporting pulp. As the eldest son, he was now the bread winner for his family. His ship, the SS Livingston, a British registered merchant ship and converted lake boat, was torpedoed on November 2, 1941, while transporting 2000 tons of coal and other cargo from Boston to the American forces base in Argentia, Newfoundland. One of 14 survivors to reach St. John’s, Mr. Blackmore continued to serve in the Merchant Navy until the war ended. Following the war, he taught seamanship at the navigational school in St. John’s.