Richard (Dick) Benjamin Vaughan James. He was born in Perth, Western Australia on 26/6/1923. The family originally came from Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire but lived in Western Australia from 1921-1934. Dick Attended The Wireless College, Colwyn Bay around 1940. He was Second Radio Officer aboard SS Zurichmoor (registered London) on an unescorted voyage from Halifax, Nova Scotia to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands after crossing the Atlantic in Convoy ON-90. At 00.24 hours on 23 May, 1942 Zurichmoor was hit by two torpedoes from U-432 and quickly sank. According to http://www.voy.com/208979/6/3884.html :- “The ship was not officially classed as missing/untraced until 29th July 1942. A German radio message was later intercepted claiming the ship had been sunk. German records would later show the ship had been torpedoed and sunk by U- 432 on 23rd May 1942 East of Philadelphia in position 39' 30N 66' 00W”. No trace of ship or the 45 people on board was ever found. Richard is listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website as commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial in London, where his name is included on Panel No. 121. Links:- http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/Z ealandic%20to%20Zurichmoor.html http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/1696.htm l http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war- dead/casualty/2362276/JAMES,%20RICHAR D%20BENJAMIN%20VAUGHAN

A postcard sent to his brother Bill, two months before he died.

Cap badge & button from The Wireless College, Colwyn Bay

S.S. Zurichmoor

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