| Accession Number | P07618.002 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
British Official Photographer |
| Place made | Gibraltar |
| Date made | Oct - Nov 1941 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Lieutenant Commander (LtCdr) Arthur Callaway RANVR reading out a signal of congratulations sent ...
Description
Lieutenant Commander (LtCdr) Arthur Callaway RANVR reading out a signal of congratulations sent by the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill to the ship's company of HM Trawler Lady Shirley. Arthur Henry Callaway of Sydney, Australia, joined the Royal Australian Naval Reserve on 1 July 1924 as a Midshipman and, having specialised in anti-submarine warfare, was promoted Lieutenant Commander on 23 June 1939. He was mobilised in September and served with HMAS Yarra before being lent to the Royal Navy in late 1940. In June 1941 he assumed command of Lady Shirley, which operated from Gibraltar. On 4 October, Lady Shirley was 400 nautical miles (741 km) west of the Canary Islands when it came into contact with German U-boat U111. Following 20 minutes of engagement, in which a fierce exchange of gunfire took place, the commanding officer of U111 was slain, and the 44 crew scuttled the battered submarine and surrendered. For his part in the action, LtCdr Callaway was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Over two months later, on 11 December 1941, Lady Shirley disappeared while on patrol in the Straits of Gibraltar, with all hands. It was later concluded from German records that she had been torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat (U 374). See also P07618.003.