DOB/DOD: December 10, 1907 (Sweden) – December 8, 1942; 34 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: East Hartford
SERVICE NUMBER: Z-066793
FAMILY: Born to Sven O. (1880-1959) and Marie Swanson (1881-1948). One sister, Sigrid E. Swanson Sullivan (1909-1996).
CIRCUMSTANCES: At 0137 hours on December 8, 1942, the James McKay (Master Herman N. Olsen) was torpedoed by U-600 about 425 miles south of Iceland. The ship had met convoy HX-217 east of Newfoundland, but she fell out of the convoy on December 6th for some unknown reason. The vessel was hit by three torpedoes, the first amidships under the stack and the others behind. Distress signals were sent as the freighter immediately stopped, and the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats. At 0202 hours, a coup de grâce was fired from the opposite side. The explosion threw smoke and water 300 feet high, but the ship remained afloat. Another coup de grâce, fired seven minutes later, missed, but at 0219 hours, two heavy explosions occurred on the ship, and she sank. None of the ten officers, 38 crewmen, and 14 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, four 20mm, and one .30cal guns) was ever found. [uboat.net]
The fate of U-600
Sunk on November 25, 1943, in the North Atlantic north-east of the Azores, in position 40.31N, 22.07W, by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Bazely and HMS Blackwood. 54 dead (all hands lost). [uboat.net]