The Sinking of SS Athenia: A Calgary Connection
September 21st 2022
Earlier this year, the Naval Museum of Alberta was contacted by Mr. William (Bill) Peggie who wished to donate artifacts, a diary, and photographs and clippings of his Grandmother Mrs. Margaret Peggie who was onboard the SS Athenia when it was struck by a German torpedo and sunk in the early days of the Second World War. Mr. Peggie also offered medals, a flying logbook and other materials that had belonged to Mrs. Peggie’s son who was an RCAF pilot lost during that war. The significance of the sinking of the Athenia to the story of the war as well as the Calgary connection made this a welcome addition to the museum collection.
Twin-Screw Turbine Steamer
S.S. Athenia was the first UK ship to be sunk by Germany during World War II, and the incident accounted for the Donaldson Line's greatest single loss of life at sea, with 117 civilian passengers and crew killed. Of the dead, 28 were US citizens which caused Germany to fear that the US might join the war on the side of the UK and France. Wartime German authorities denied that one of their vessels had sunk the ship. An admission of responsibility did not come from German authorities until 1946.
Germany was committed by treaty not to sink civilian passenger ships, but the Athenia, running without lights in a zig-zag anti-submarine pattern due to the submarine threat, was thought by the U-Boat Captain to be an armed merchant cruiser (Legion Magazine 2019).
Margaret Peggie of Calgary 1939 (NMA Collection)
Setting off across Canada by train, Mrs. Peggie traveled for four days to Montreal, where she boarded a ship on her voyage across the North Atlantic. On 27 May she sailed away from Canada, noting the sights as she passed Quebec and the old City. By 28 May she was passing the Grand Banks and sailed on until 5 June when the ship sailed up the Clyde where, she noted, the Ship Queen Elizabeth was under construction. She landed in Glasgow, where she saw the sights, visited friends and family, and visited the resting place of her forbearers.
On 1 July, she boarded the S.S. Athenia at Glasgow for the return trip. The ship sailed to Belfast where more passengers were loaded onboard. The ship then went on to Liverpool and loaded more passengers.
On the evening of Sunday 3 September, the Athenia was torpedoed by German Submarine U-30. Excerpts from the journal kept of the trip by Mrs. Peggie describe the event in a matter-of-fact tone:
“Sun. 3rd, Course changed. Weather fine. Torpedoed at 7:45. Had just finished dinner and gone down to our cabin when it happened. Ship plunged into darkness. Managed to get a coat and lifebelt, a gentleman across, lighting a match, showed us the way out. Struggled to our lifeboat station. Boat [was] lowered and had to climb down a rope ladder 30 ft. and got safely in the boat. One good thing it was still light outside.
Saw the smoke as they fired from the submarine again as they aimed to destroy the wireless. The ship was listing badly, but they were able to get lights going after a while. We could always see it in the distance. [We] drifted all night in the lifeboat. High swell was running but the moon was clear. Our boat was full of women and children.
HMS Escort
The deck Steward, Jimmie Grant, had charge and the seamen did a great job, poor souls. We were beginning to feel pretty low when the destroyer at last came into sight and kept guard until it was light enough to do anything. Huge schools of porpoises were all around us and it was an anxious time. Finally, at 5:45 a.m. we were taken aboard [HMS Escort] up another short ladder and dragged aboard, given a hot cup of tea, and helped to the mess room. The men were wonderful [and] did everything possible, gave clothing where it was needed.
Monday we were aboard in the evening we got another scare, although the men told us we were perfectly safe, but they were depth-charging. Also learned that they had got the submarine. Monday morning Athenia sunk to her last resting place.”
Margaret Peggie (right) and Mrs. Lang on HMS Escort (NMA Collection)
On Tuesday Mrs. Peggie and the survivors were landed at Greenock [Scotland] from the (Escort) and were taken by bus to the Adelphi Hotel, and from there she was taken to Glasgow and there met up with the friends she had stayed with previously in Scotland. Mrs. Peggie stayed with them again until she was given passage on the Duchess of Richmond which did not sail until 7 October. The trip across the Atlantic was arduous with poor accommodations, heavy gales, and the zig-zag course they took on the convoy back to Canada where they arrived at Quebec on 14 October. There, the Canadian Red Cross came on board and interviewed the Athenia survivors of which there were about 40. Mrs. Peggie travelled across Canada by train and eventually arrived home in Calgary on Wednesday 18 October. On that day, The Calgary Herald interviewed her, where she recounted her experiences.
This was not the last time that Mrs. Peggie would be affected by the war. Her son, Sgt. Pilot William Johnston Peggie RCAF would be killed in a flying accident in England in December of 1941.
Naval Museum of Alberta
Bradley S. Froggatt, Curator
Carroll, F. (2019) The Sinking of SS Athenia. Available at: https://legionmagazine.com/en/2019/08/the-sinking-of-ss-athenia/ (Accessed 6 July 2022).
Valour Canada (2022) SS Athenia Sunk. Available at https://valourcanada.ca/military-history-library/ss-athenia-sunk/ (Accessed 6 July 2022).
The SS Athenia
On 3 September 1939 Canada marked its first losses of the Second World War. The Nazis had only invaded Poland two days before, and Britain had only entered the war earlier in that same day. Canada’s first casualties were not military personnel but civilians traveling home to Canada on S.S. Athenia (Valour Canada 2022).Twin-Screw Turbine Steamer
S.S. Athenia was the first UK ship to be sunk by Germany during World War II, and the incident accounted for the Donaldson Line's greatest single loss of life at sea, with 117 civilian passengers and crew killed. Of the dead, 28 were US citizens which caused Germany to fear that the US might join the war on the side of the UK and France. Wartime German authorities denied that one of their vessels had sunk the ship. An admission of responsibility did not come from German authorities until 1946.
Germany was committed by treaty not to sink civilian passenger ships, but the Athenia, running without lights in a zig-zag anti-submarine pattern due to the submarine threat, was thought by the U-Boat Captain to be an armed merchant cruiser (Legion Magazine 2019).
Margaret Peggy and the Athenia
When Margaret Peggie left her home and family in NW Calgary in May of 1939 to visit her native Scotland, she had no inkling that she would be involved in one of the most significant events of the early days of the Second World War.Margaret Peggie of Calgary 1939 (NMA Collection)
Setting off across Canada by train, Mrs. Peggie traveled for four days to Montreal, where she boarded a ship on her voyage across the North Atlantic. On 27 May she sailed away from Canada, noting the sights as she passed Quebec and the old City. By 28 May she was passing the Grand Banks and sailed on until 5 June when the ship sailed up the Clyde where, she noted, the Ship Queen Elizabeth was under construction. She landed in Glasgow, where she saw the sights, visited friends and family, and visited the resting place of her forbearers.
On 1 July, she boarded the S.S. Athenia at Glasgow for the return trip. The ship sailed to Belfast where more passengers were loaded onboard. The ship then went on to Liverpool and loaded more passengers.
On the evening of Sunday 3 September, the Athenia was torpedoed by German Submarine U-30. Excerpts from the journal kept of the trip by Mrs. Peggie describe the event in a matter-of-fact tone:
“Sun. 3rd, Course changed. Weather fine. Torpedoed at 7:45. Had just finished dinner and gone down to our cabin when it happened. Ship plunged into darkness. Managed to get a coat and lifebelt, a gentleman across, lighting a match, showed us the way out. Struggled to our lifeboat station. Boat [was] lowered and had to climb down a rope ladder 30 ft. and got safely in the boat. One good thing it was still light outside.
Saw the smoke as they fired from the submarine again as they aimed to destroy the wireless. The ship was listing badly, but they were able to get lights going after a while. We could always see it in the distance. [We] drifted all night in the lifeboat. High swell was running but the moon was clear. Our boat was full of women and children.
HMS Escort
The deck Steward, Jimmie Grant, had charge and the seamen did a great job, poor souls. We were beginning to feel pretty low when the destroyer at last came into sight and kept guard until it was light enough to do anything. Huge schools of porpoises were all around us and it was an anxious time. Finally, at 5:45 a.m. we were taken aboard [HMS Escort] up another short ladder and dragged aboard, given a hot cup of tea, and helped to the mess room. The men were wonderful [and] did everything possible, gave clothing where it was needed.
Monday we were aboard in the evening we got another scare, although the men told us we were perfectly safe, but they were depth-charging. Also learned that they had got the submarine. Monday morning Athenia sunk to her last resting place.”
Margaret Peggie (right) and Mrs. Lang on HMS Escort (NMA Collection)
On Tuesday Mrs. Peggie and the survivors were landed at Greenock [Scotland] from the (Escort) and were taken by bus to the Adelphi Hotel, and from there she was taken to Glasgow and there met up with the friends she had stayed with previously in Scotland. Mrs. Peggie stayed with them again until she was given passage on the Duchess of Richmond which did not sail until 7 October. The trip across the Atlantic was arduous with poor accommodations, heavy gales, and the zig-zag course they took on the convoy back to Canada where they arrived at Quebec on 14 October. There, the Canadian Red Cross came on board and interviewed the Athenia survivors of which there were about 40. Mrs. Peggie travelled across Canada by train and eventually arrived home in Calgary on Wednesday 18 October. On that day, The Calgary Herald interviewed her, where she recounted her experiences.
This was not the last time that Mrs. Peggie would be affected by the war. Her son, Sgt. Pilot William Johnston Peggie RCAF would be killed in a flying accident in England in December of 1941.
Naval Museum of Alberta
Bradley S. Froggatt, Curator
Carroll, F. (2019) The Sinking of SS Athenia. Available at: https://legionmagazine.com/en/2019/08/the-sinking-of-ss-athenia/ (Accessed 6 July 2022).
Valour Canada (2022) SS Athenia Sunk. Available at https://valourcanada.ca/military-history-library/ss-athenia-sunk/ (Accessed 6 July 2022).
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