In a tranquil corner of St Wynwallow churchyard, near Church Cove, on the Lizard, I discovered two ordinary sandstone headstones with Merchant Navy insignias.

The graves were of two crew members from the ship Gairsoppa, buried in the churchyard close to the home of the Lizard lifeboat.

Poignant wooden Remembrance crosses adorned by a single poppy at their base showed that these men will always be remembered for paying the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

I knew the Gairsoppa was a British India Steam Navigation Company (BISNC) vessel but the story which unfolded is tinged with typical wartime sadness and heroism.

The story began off Freetown, Sierra Leone, at dawn on January 30, 1941, when the 5,300 ton Gairsoppa was one of 21 merchant ships making up the SLS (Sierra Leone Slow) 64 convoy bound for the UK.

Gairsoppa, commanded by Captain Gerald Hyland, had a crew of 85 mainly British officers, Lascar seamen and two gunners. Bound for London, the ship had loaded at Calcutta 2,600 tons of pig iron, 1,765 tons of tea, and 2,369 tons of general, as well as silver ingots worth millions in today's market.

A week before on January 23, 1941, U101, commanded by Ernst Mengersen, had sailed from her base at Lorient on a routine Atlantic patrol. His 66.5 metre long Type VIIB U boat was capable of diving to 220 metres, carried 14 torpedoes and 26 mines. At the end of his war career Mengersen had become a top U-Boat ace who sank over 70,000 tons of shipping, most of it British merchantmen. He died in 1995 aged 83.

A few days out of Freetown, Hyland told the convoy commander Gairsoppa could not maintain the convoy's speed. He requested to break away in order to conserve his bunkers.

The unescorted convoy SLS 64 sailed on until February 12 when she was intercepted by the German cruiser, Admiral Hipper, commanded by Kapitan Meisel, who immediately gave the order to open fire on the 20 remaining ships in the convoy. The action lasted just 30 minutes during which time seven ships were sunk by gunfire and torpedo with the loss of 150 lives. The Admiral Hipper broke off the engagement fearing British warships were in the area.

Gairsoppa, in the meantime, steamed alone at a slow but steady five knots towards south west Ireland with her crew unawares as to the fate of SLS 64.

A single German Focke-Wulf reconnaissance plane sighted the lone merchantman on February 16 and immediately guided U101 to the lame duck.

At 0038 hours on February 17, 1941 Mengersen submerged and moved in for the kill. Firing one torpedo, the Gairsoppa was hit in number two hold with the resulting explosion taking out the main mast which in turn carried away the radio aerials preventing radio officer Robert Hampshire from sending out an SOS.

Sinking quickly by the bows Gairsoppa was mortally wounded as Captain Hyland gave the order to abandon ship.

The crew had to lower the lifeboats, which under normal circumstances can be difficult, in the teeth of strong winds and heavy seas. Mengersen, who had scant regard for his brother seamen, brought the U101 to the surface where he ordered his crew to machine gun the Gairsoppa as the crew desperately tried to abandon ship.

The ship had four lifeboats but only one managed to get away although it lost its rudder during the launching. Ablaze from stem to stern Gairsoppa sank in 20 minutes.

German U Boat records state the Gairsoppa was attacked and sunk at 0038 hours on February 17, 1941, although British records claim the ship was sunk the previous day. The different dates are in all probability due to German submariners keeping their log books in German time.

Second officer Richard Ayres took command of the lifeboat which contained eight Europeans and 25 lascar seamen. Under jury rig he set course for the north. Buffeted by gale force winds the lifeboat made slow progress with her occupants suffering from the effect of hypothermia and dehydration as fresh water supplies ran out after four days afloat.

On March 2, 14 days after the sinking the Lizard peninsula was sighted and only Ayres, Hampshire and gunner Norman Thomas had survived the ordeal. As the water logged lifeboat was washed ashore in the surf it capsized.

Thomas and Hampshire drowned and their bodies along with those of two lascars were washed ashore. Richard Ayres survived thanks to three young girls out walking the cliffs who alerted the Coastguard. He was taken to Helston Cottage hospital where after making a full recovery he became a cargo superintendent with BISNC.

Thus, in a quiet corner of a Cornish churchyard, the final chapter of convoy SLS 64 was written when the brave men washed ashore on the Lizard were finally laid to rest.

* Thanks to Captain Bernard Edwards and the German U Boat Archive for providing information for this story.

.....................................

EASTER EGGS HANDED OUT TO SHIPS' CREW.

Co-operation between St Marys RC Church, The Apostleship of the Sea and The Mission to Seafarers meant that some ships' crews in Falmouth all received Easter eggs in time for Easter. Eggs and cards were delivered to the Maritime Coastguard Agency tug Anglian Princess, survey ship Ocean Researcher, bunkering tankers Falmouth Jubilee, Whitchampion and the barge Falmouth Industry.

The eggs were collected by the congregation of St Marys Church and accompanied by Easter cards from local school children.

Penny Phillips, chairman of Falmouth Mission to Seafarers, said: "Visiting the ships at Easter means a great deal to the crews and it shows them they are not forgotten. They were particularly touched by the Easter cards."

.....................................

FARM PLAN IS A DISASTER.

If ever there was a recipe for disaster then the proposal to site a mussel farm north of the North Bank buoy must be it.

The largest concentration of leisure craft within the Fal estuary use this area when transiting the Carrick Roads. In wintertime the Falmouth Working Boats go about their business in this all-important oyster fishery which must be protected.

Restronguet and Mylor Yacht Clubs use the entire stretch of water across to St Just for yacht racing. It would be unwise and a danger to navigation to site a mussel farm in the proposed area.

.....................................

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

Tuesday, April 3.

Panamanian coaster Samaki (494/66) arrived from Southampton to Lighterage Quay, Truro.

Wednesday, April 4.

British salvage tug Anglian Princess (2,241/02) moved from Carrick Roads to Duchy Wharf. Barbudan coaster Torrent (999/92) moved from Falmouth Bay to Carrick Roads. French tanker FS Charlotte (9,416/06) arrived from Runcorn for bunkers in Carrick Roads and sailed for Bayonne, France. Panamanian tanker Challenge Pioneer (28,063/07) arrived from Portbury for bunkers in Carrick Roads. Liberian tanker Kara Sea (27,526/98) arrived from New York to Falmouth Bay. Panamanian bulker Red Queen (40,040/05) sailed from Falmouth Bay for Stigsnaes, Denmark. British tug Muria (128/60) sailed from Queens Wharf for Liverpool towing jack-up rig Haven Seaway (405/).

Thursday, April 5.

Torrent (999/92) sailed from Carrick Roads to Porthoustock to load stone and sailed for Shoreham. Samaki (494/66) sailed from Lighterage Quay, Truro, to Carrick Roads and later sailed for Porthoustock to load stone for Littlehampton. Challenge Pioneer (28,063/07) sailed from Carrick Roads for Valletta. Kara Sea (27,526/98) moved from Falmouth Bay to Carrick Roads for bunkers and sailed for Milford Haven. Anglian Princess (2,241/02) sailed from Duchy Wharf for Mounts Bay. Norwegian bulker Berge Atlantic (91,962/98) arrived from Port Talbot for bunkers in Falmouth Bay.

Friday, April 6.

Marshall Islands cruiseship Van Gogh (15,402/75) arrived from Funchal, Madeira to land and embark passengers and sailed for Malaga. Indian tanker Jag Pahel (27,627/04) arrived from Savannah for bunkers in Falmouth Bay. Berge Atlantic (91,962/98) sailed from Falmouth Bay for Ponta Da Madeira, Brazil. Bahamian lpg tanker Cotswold (3,368/89) arrived from Lisbon for bunkers in Falmouth Bay.

Saturday, April 7.

Jag Pahel (27,627/04) sailed from Falmouth Bay for Mongstad, Norway. Cotswold sailed from Falmouth Bay to Teesport. Barbudan coaster Torrent (BRB/ggc 999/92) Shoreham to Carrick Roads.

Sunday, April 8.

Barbudan coaster Torrent (999/92) sailed from Carrick Roads to Porthoustock to load stone and sailed for Southampton. British research vessel Ocean Researcher (1,936/84) moved from No. 4 dry-dock to Duchy Wharf. Swedish tanker Tarnvik (9,980/01) arrived from Dublin for bunkers in Falmouth Bay and sailed for Brunsbuttel, Kiel Canal. Liberian lpg tanker Maingas (3,932/01) arrived from Dakar, Senegal, for bunkers in Falmouth Bay and sailed for Teesport. Monday, April 9.

British lpg tanker Surrey (14,102/82) arrived from Stade, Germany, to Falmouth Bay.

....................................

HIGH TIDES.

FALMOUTH.

Friday, April 13 00.55(4.3) 13.55(4.3).

Saturday, April 14 02.15(4.7) 14.55(4.7).

Sunday, April 15 03.12(5.0) 15.45(5.0).

Monday, April 16 04.01(5.3) 16.31(5.3).

Tuesday, April 17 04.48(5.5) 17.14(5.4).

Wednesday, April 18 05.34(5.6) 17.58(5.5).

TRURO: Add eight minutes. ST IVES: Subtract 15 minutes. NEWQUAY: Subtract five minutes. All times are GMT. Add one hour for BST.