[Hugh]

ss KHEDIVE ISMAIL official number 162372 built 1922 as ACONCAGUA.
1935 renamed KHEDIVE ISAMIL, requisitioned by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) in 1940 as a troopship.

12th February 1944: Torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-27 (Fukumura), in the Indian Ocean S of the Maldive Islands near Addu Atoll, in position 00.57N 72.16E while on government service on a voyage from Mombassa to Colombo, with troops and medical staff, part of convoy KR 8 comprising 5 troop ships.

The Master, Capt Roderick William MacAuly Whiteman DSC, 119 crew, 12 gunners, 5 medical staff and 1134 troops were lost. 51 crew and 56 troops were rescued by HM destroyers PALADIN 1540/41 (G.69) (Lt-Cdr Rupert C. Egan) and landed at Addu Atoll, Maldive Islands, then embarked on HM cruiser HAWKINS 9860/17 (I 86) (Capt J.W. Josselyn DSC) landed at Columbo 17.2.1944.

Lt Toshiaki Fukumura and crew were lost on the same day when I-27 was sunk in the Indian Ocean in the One and a Half Degree Channel, Maldive Islands, in position 01.25N 72.22E by HM destroyers PETARD and PALADIN.

The sinking of the ss KEHEDIVE ISMAIL was the last incident involving the loss of women personnel during the war, but it was also the worst such in the entire history of the British Commonwealth.

The I-27 was hiding under survivors and flotsam but priority lay in destroying the submarine rather than rescuing survivors and so a depth charge attack was made, unfortunately killing some of the survivors in the water.

Lest We Forget.

Regards
Hugh