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Members of the crew who were lost on the SS "Oranjestad", February 16,1942
LAKE TANKER ORANJESTAD The Lake Tanker Oranjestad lay at anchor off of Lago Colony. It was the early morning of
February 16, 1942. She was awaiting daylight so she could enter San Nicholas harbor and discharge her 2,396 tons of
crude oil she had carried over from Lake Maracaibo to feed the Lago refinery. This was something she had been doing
since 1927, making two trips a week back and forth from Venezuela to Aruba with crude and then back to empty to pick
up another load of crude. She was just one of about 24 little tankers that fend the refinery the crude it needed to keep
operating. It was while at anchor that she was torpedoed by U-boat 156. As soon as she was struck by the torpedo she
burst into flames. The watch raised the Captain who gave the order to raise the anchor but it was to late, within minutes
she was engulfed in fire and the Captain and crew knew she was sinking. Some of the men managed to make it to the
bow while others left the ship from aft and some, ten in total, were not so luck and went down with the ship.
Lake Tanker Oranjestad was under the command of Captain Herbert Morgan when she was torpedoed.
Oranjestad was hit by the second torpedo fired by U-156, the first torpedo having hit the Pedernales.
From the crew of 25 men, 15 survived but 10 were lost. Captain Morgan was one of the survivors.
NAME
|
PLACE OF BIRTH
|
POSITION ON SHIP
|
AGE
|
WILSON, Clifford Achilles
|
Saba
|
Fireman
|
30
|
PIETER, Alberto Gregorio
|
Bonaire
|
Fireman
|
30
|
PANNEFLEK, Federico D.
|
Curacao
|
Pumper
|
41
|
MILLS, William A.
|
Scotland
|
2ed Mate
|
40
|
MARTIJN, Hose Bernardo
|
Bonaire
|
Quartermaster
|
32
|
MARCHENE, Rafael Cristiniano
|
Bonaire
|
Boatswain
|
45
|
LYNCH, Darcy Kenneth
|
Saba
|
Sailor
|
33
|
LINZEY, Eric Norbert
|
Saba
|
Mess Boy
|
21
|
KING, Lam
|
China
|
Head Stewart
|
?
|
JACKSON, Anthony D.
|
Saba
|
Student Fireman
|
37
|
GOELOE, Juan Domingo
|
Bonaire
|
Sailor
|
43/44
|
EMERENCIANO, Louis Nicholaas
|
Bonaire
|
Quartermaster
|
31
|
DePALM, Andres Jose
|
Bonaire
|
Quartermaster
|
43
|
DAVIS, Thomas D.
|
North Wales
|
2ed Officer
|
42
|
( Thanks to www.lago-colony.com )