b. 28/04/1905 East Ham, Essex. d. 17/10/1960 Las Palmas, Canary Islands.
DATE OF AM ACTION: 17/10/1960 Las Palmas, Canary Islands.
Stanley C Logan AM
Stanley was born in East Ham, but grew up in Ilford, Essex, with his two brothers Robert and James. His mother was called Julia, and she largely raised the boys as their father was regularly away at sea. Stanley joined the Merchant Navy as an Engineer Officer in 1931 and served throughout WWII, being awarded the 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Italy Star and War Medal 1939-45. He spent his whole career with the Union Castle Line. He married Pamela M Durrant in 1944 in Lambeth and they had a daughter. They moved to Margate in Kent soon afterwards.
AM CITATION:
When the ” Capetown Castle” was approaching Las Pialmas in the course of a voyage from Capetown’ to Southampton there was a violent explosion in the engine room, which resulted in serious injuries to a number of the engine room staff: two of them died in the ship and five others, including Mr. Logan. died in hospital ashore. At the time of the explosion Mr. Logan was at the starboard engine controls and he received the full force of the blast and the sheet of flame that accompanied it, and his clothes were burned from his body. In spite of intense pain, he stayed at his post. The explosion set off a number of fires in the engine room and in the diesel generating room. Some machinery was still’ running, which meant that flames were playing on pipes full of oil under pressure, and the fires were being fed by air blown in by fans, if this had continued more fires would have broken out and’ the whole ship would have been in danger. Mr. Logan’s only .thought was to save the ship and the lives of those aboard her by seeing to it that the machinery was shut down. He then caused a report on the situation to be made to the bridge. After that, while refusing assistance to himself, he organised the removal of the other injured members of his staff. He was ultimately persuaded to leave the engine room, but after receiving some medical treatment he tried to enter it again and was only prevented by the smoke being too dense. After he had returned to the sick bay the ship’s lights failed and he tried to get up from his bed and go below to have them seen to. He eventually left the ship about 3 hours after the explosion and was taken to hospital where he died soon after.
BURIAL LOCATION: MARGATE CEMETERY, MARGATE, KENT.
Grave 20.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
Acknowledgement:
Allan Stanistreet – Image of Stanley Logan AM.