At 19.36 hours on June 29, 1941, SS Rio Azul, while in convoy, was torpedoed near the bridge and sunk by U-123 in position 29.00N, 25.00W (200 miles southeast of the Azores). Six crew members and three gunners were rescued by HMS Esperence bay and landed at Scapa Flow. The master (Thomas Vickers Sutherland), 31 crew members and one gunner (unknown) were lost. The master and crew members are commemorated on Tower Hill, Panel 87.
AHMED SALEH , Fireman and Trimmer, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 44.
AHMED SALEH , Fireman and Trimmer, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 30.
AHMET HASSAN , Fireman and Trimmer, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 38.
ALI MOHAMED , Greaser, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 41.
ATKIN , Fourth Engineer Officer, JOHN ROBERT, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 26. Son of William and E. S. Atkin, of Sunderland, Co. Durham.
BARLOW , Apprentice, NORMAN, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 18. Son of Harry Barlow, and of Doris Barlow, of Sale, Cheshire.
DIXON , Third Officer, ERIC, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 13th July 1941. Age 18.
EDGINTON , Deck Hand, JOHN, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 46. Son of George and Emily Edginton.
EVERETT , Boy, ALBERT, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 16.
FISHER , Second Radio Officer, CHARLES BLANE, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 16.
GORDON , Able Seaman, PETER, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 34. Son of Magnus and Mary Gordon, of Bressay, Zetland; grandson of Francis and Ann Gifford Smith; nephew of Helen Smith, of Lerwick, Zetland.
HABBERSHAW , Galley Boy, GEORGE, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 14th July 1941. Age 20.
HILLS , Deck Boy, WILLIAM CLUBBS, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 14. Son of Robert and Charlotte Hills, of South Shields, Co. Durham.
HUNTER , Sailor, THOMAS MILNE, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 27.
ISAAC , Second Engineer Officer, FREDERICK CLIFFORD, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 41.
KINNUMAN , Able Seaman, KENNETH PATRICK, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 14th July 1941. Age 21. Son of John and Rose Kinnuman, of Catford, London.
MEDJED , Donkeyman, ABDUL, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 14th July 1941. Age 39. Son of Ahmed and Miriam Medjed, of Tharla, Yemen, Arabia; husband of Annie Medjed, of South Shields, Co. Durham.
MELLENTIN , Second Officer, ROBERT CHARLES, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 31. Son of Robert and Charlotte Isabella Mellentin; husband of Jane Morris Nixon Mellentin, of Hendon, Sunderland, Co. Durham.
MUHAMED ALI , Fireman and Trimmer, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 41.
McCANN , First Radio Officer, PETER GERRARD, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 11th July 1941. Age 20. Son of Robert and Cecelia McCann, of Newry, Co. Down, Northern Ireland.
NAGI ABDULLA , Fireman and Trimmer, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 46.
NEWTON , Chief Officer, BENJAMIN LYSLE, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 27.
RIGG , Third Engineer Officer, ALBERT DOBSON, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 30. Son of David and Jane Rigg; husband of Edith Catherine Rigg, of Grangetown, Sunderland, Co. Durham.
SAID ALI AHMED , Fireman and Trimmer, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 12th July 1941. Age 48.
SALEH GHALIB , Fireman and Trimmer, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 34.
SALEH MOHAMED , Fireman and Trimmer, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 41.
SANDERCOCK , Steward, CHRISTOPHER, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 12th July 1941. Age 59. Son of George and Sarah Ann Sandercock; husband of Jane Clark Sandercock.
SENOGLES , Cook, CHARLES ANDREW, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 52.
SUTHERLAND , Master, THOMAS VICKERS, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 36.
TAYLOR , Able Seaman, JOHN DIXON GRIEVES, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 26. Son of William and Jane Taylor, of Blyth, Northumberland.
TEMPLE , Chief Engineer Officer, HENRY NEVILLE, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 29th June 1941. Age 39. Son of Henry and Gertrude Temple; husband of Norah Miller Temple, of Gosforth, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
WYATT , Boatswain, HAROLD ALFRED, S.S. Rio Azul (London). Merchant Navy. 24th July 1941. Age 39.
Commemorative data kindly provided by Billy McGee: http://www.british-merchant-navy.co.uk/.