HMHS Newfoundland

After the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943 , HMHS Newfoundland was assigned as the hospital ship of the Eighth Army , and was one of two hospital ships sent to deliver 103 American nurses to the Salerno beaches on 12 September . The hospital ships were attacked twice that day by dive bombers , and by evening they were joined by a third hospital ship . Concerned by a number of near misses , it was decided to move the ships out to sea and anchor there for the night . All three ships were brightly illuminated and carried standard Red Cross markings to identify them as hospital ships , and their protection under the Geneva Convention.

At 5:00 a.m. on 13 September while under the command of Captain John Eric Wilson O.B.E , Newfoundland was hit by a Henschel Hs 293 air - launched glide bomb 40nmi offshore of Salerno . The bomb was launched by a Dornier Do 217 bomber belonging to KG 100. It struck on the boat deck , abaft of the bridge . The ship was only carrying two patients and 34 crew members . Communications were lost but , more importantly , the fire fighting equipment was completely shattered . came alongside to rescue the patients , and also put a party on board to help with damage control . By now the ship had caught fire . There was another explosion and it became clear that the oil tanks had also caught fire . The injured crew left the boat and 12 crew members battled the fire for a further 36 hours . The ship was beyond repair and was towed further out to sea and intentionally scuttled the day after the attack by the destroyer . Of the people on board , six of the British staff nurses and six medical officers had been killed . One of the medical officers was Lt Col Hartas Foxton , MC 1889 - 1943 who had been a GP in Uttoxeter until the War . Four of the other RAMC doctors who were killed were Major Charles Ryan , RAMC 65313 aged 38 , Major George Alexander Hay Adam , RAMC 108781 , Major George North Watson , RAMC 75408 and Captain Harry Mathews , RAMC 157582 aged 29. The six Nurses who were killed were Matron Agnes McInnes Cheyne , QAIMNS , 206099 , Sister Una Cameron , TANS , 209965 aged 31 , Sister Dorothy Mary Cole , QAIMNS , 218052 aged 29 , Sister Phyllis Gibson , QAIMNS , 223596 aged 31 , Sister Mary Lea , TANS , 213741 , aged 31 , and Sister Margaret Annie O'Loughlin , QAIMNS , 234988 , aged 27