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BERNARD W. SPILMAN

Cadet Bernard W. Spilman was aboard the SS EXAMELIA serving his country during his “Sea Year” for the United States Merchant Marine Academy when tragedy struck. Cadet Spilman was an engine major at the Academy. At 0148 GCT on October 9, 1942 about 50 miles south of Cape of Good Hope, South Africa the freighter SS EXAMELIA was torpedoed by the German submarine U-68 (Merten). His position was 34-52 South/18-30 East while the ship was en route from Colombo, Ceylon the Capetown, South Africa. The torpedo struck between the engine room and fire room, which put the engines out of commission. The torpedo caused so much damage to the hull that the ship sunk in 7 minutes. It is unknown what raft that cadet Spilman was on but the Number 3 lifeboat was destroyed and #1 was blown from its davit and left hanging from the forward fall. The survivors attempted to abandon ship in #2 and #4 lifeboats but the ship sank so fast that the #2 lifeboat went down with the ship bring two more crew members with it. Remaining survivors in the water managed to climb aboard the #1 lifeboat, which drifted free from the ship, leaving 15 survivors on the #1 boat and 25 on the #2. At 1230 that same day they were rescued by the SS JOHN LYKES and then were transported to the SS ZAANDAM. Twenty-one of the original survivors were lost when the SS ZAANDAM was torpedoed.