German submarine was no match for Burton boy
Historian Malcolm Goode looks at the role of a Burton seaman who sunk a German submarine during the Second World War.
A BURTON seaman received praise in April 1941 for sinking a German U-boat with “eighth shot after ship had been torpedoed.”
The headline in the Burton Observer in April 2, 1941 read: “Burton sailer hit U-boat with eighth shot”.
Able Seaman Lawrence David Williams who lived at 11 Fleet Street, Burton was awarded the British Empire Medal for his part in the sinking.
He was the gun layer serving onboard the Oil Tanker SS Cardita when the convoy that she was part of came under attack.
The Cardita’s captain turned his ship out of line and picked up crew members from ships torpedoed and sunk by the submarine.
Then suddenly the U-boat surfaced so near to them that it could not fire its torpedoes.
In a letter sent to Able Seaman Williams’ mother; Captain Bruce said “they broke records getting off the first shot. The submarine dived again, but as it disappeared a huge mountain of water came up, which they felt certain indicated a direct hit.”
It was officially recorded that after the eighth shot, oil was thrown up and no more was seen of the U-boat.
For his part in turning round his ship and rescuing crews of sunken ships from the convoy and for the probable sinking of the U-boat with his ship’s gun, Captain Robert Laurence Bruce was awarded the Order of the British Empire.
The award made A.B. Williams’ mum very proud when she was told by a “Burton Observer” reporter.
She said: “I thought he would get something for it but I heard from his captain and his wife that he had done something good, but I did not know he had got a U-boat. I am very excited and no one is more proud than I am now”.
A.B. Lawrence Williams was educated at Stapenhill and joined the Royal Navy as a boy.
Later he transferred to the Merchant Navy and was a member of the crew of the Queen Mary on her maiden voyage. Before the war he was employed at the Burton Goodrich factory, at the outbreak of the war he returned to the Navy and was placed onboard the SS Cordita as a gunner.