Final Passage.

The Louis Sheid was originally named the Ultor and built in 1920 by Nord Werft of Wesermunde for the Rickmers Line. She was a big ship of 6057 tons, 418ft from stern to bow with a beam of 55ft. The Ultor was later bought by the James Chambers Lancashire Shipping Company of Liverpool and renamed Kendal Castle. She was finally renamed again as Louis Sheid when bought by the Belgian National Shipping Line.

The 'Louis' left Buenos Aires on what was to be her final voyage, homeward bound for Antwerp with a main cargo of grain, plus 600 tons of hides and 12 tons of leaf tobacco and honey with a crew of 46. She had 'BELGIE' painted in huge letters on her sides, along with a big Belgian flag. This was to remind any potential attacker that although Britain was at war with Germany, Belgium, as a neutral country, was not.

Neutrality, however, did not save the Dutch cargo-liner Tajandoen, bound from Amsterdam for Batavia on 7 December 1939. At 5:24am the U-47, commanded by Gunther Prien, started to line up on the Tajandoen and at 5:30am hit her with one torpedo. The great explosion was heard clearly on board the Louis who was on hand where she rescued 62 members of the crew.

Kovettenkapitan Gunther Prien was a German war hero, personally decorated by Hitler with the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves for sinking the Royal Oak in Scapa Flow less than two months earlier.

The Dutch ship began to sink almost at once. The torpedo's explosion had split her fuel tanks and fuel covered the sea around her. Six crew didn't make it to the lifeboats and probably died in the explosion. Those who did make it to the lifeboats did so just in time as the spilled fuel ignited. They rowed frantically across the blazing sea and, scorched and singed, managed to reach the safety of the Louis.

Once the captain of the Louis had the survivors safely on board, he feared that he might share the Tajandoen's fate. Prien and U-47 obviously had no respect for neutrality, so the Louis made off at full speed for the nearest land and shallow water where the U-boat might not dare to follow. By nightfall the Louis was running close in along the Devon coast. Heavy rainfall blocked out the shape of the land and the wind was increasing into a full southerly gale. No friendly shore lights were to be seen to guide her, due to blackout regulations.

The Louis headed closer and closer towards shore and finally, just missing the rocks called the Delvers, which stretch out from Warren Point, she ran into the tiny bay or Leas Foot in front of the Thurlestone Golf Club. At the Eastern end of the little shingle beach, another small headland with a tiny reef was waiting. Here, in the early hours of December 8, the Louis struck, just as the tide was dropping... >>