SS Garmula

Steam Merchant Vessel
Built by Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd.
Completed: 1920
Owned by British India Steam Navigation Co. Length: 400.3 ft
Beam: 52.2 ft.
Service Speed: 10 kts.
5,254 tons

Nationality: British

The Garmula (Master Robert C. Brown) was carrying 6,009 tons of grain from Melbourne via Capetown, which she departed on 8 July, 1942. She was making her way to Freetown, presumably to join one of the SL series of convoys for the remainder of her voyage to the UK. On 23 July, 1942, the unescorted vessel was torpedoed and sunk by U-752 at grid reference ET 5967 (05.32N, 14.45W). The master, 61 members of the crew and five gunners were picked up by the British armed trawler HMS Pict (FY 132) (LtCdr W.N.H. Faichney) and landed at Freetown. 20 crew members and one gunner lost their lives although only four crew members are commemorated on Tower Hill..