SS Mendi facts for kids

Mendi dressed overall
Quick facts for kids History
United Kingdom
Name	Mendi
Namesake	Mendi people of West Africa
Owner	British and African Steam Navigation Company Ltd, Liverpool
Operator	Elder Dempster & Co, Liverpool
Builder	Alexander Stephen and Sons
Yard number	404
Launched	19 June 1905
Fate	Requisitioned 1916
United Kingdom
Reclassified	troopship
Fate	Sank after collision on 21 February 1917
General characteristics
Tonnage	4,230 GRT, 2,639 NRT
Length	370.2 ft (112.8 m)
Beam	46.2 ft (14.1 m)
Depth of hold	23.3 ft (7.1 m)
Propulsion	triple expansion steam engine
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)

The SS Mendi was a British steamship built in 1905. It was a passenger ship that later became a troopship during the First World War. Sadly, it sank in 1917 after a collision, leading to a great loss of life.

The ship was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow, Scotland, and launched on 18 June 1905. It was managed by Elder Dempster & Co for routes between Liverpool and West Africa. In 1916, the UK Admiralty took over the ship to carry troops. On 21 February 1917, another large ship, the SS Darro, crashed into the Mendi in the English Channel. The Mendi sank, and 646 people died. Most of them were black South African soldiers. Today, a building at the Port of Ngqura in South Africa is named eMendi to remember the ship.

The Mendi's Last Journey

The destroyer HMS Brisk, which helped Mendi and rescued survivors

The Mendi left Cape Town carrying 823 men. These men were part of the 5th Battalion of the South African Native Labour Corps. They were on their way to work in France during the war.

The ship stopped in Lagos, Nigeria, where a naval gun was added to its back. Then, it sailed to Plymouth in England. From there, it headed towards Le Havre in northern France. The Acorn-class destroyer HMS Brisk was sailing with the Mendi to protect it.

The crew of the Mendi was a mix of people. The officers, stewards, cooks, and gunners were British. The firemen and other crew members were from West Africa, mostly Sierra Leone.

The South African soldiers on board came from many different parts of South Africa and nearby countries.

• 287 were from Transvaal.
• 139 were from the Eastern Cape.
• 87 were from Natal.
• 27 were from Northern Cape.
• 26 were from the Orange Free State.
• 26 were from Basutoland (now Lesotho).
• 8 were from Bechuanaland (now Botswana).
• 5 were from Western Cape.
• 1 was from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
• 1 was from South West Africa (now Namibia).

Most of these men had never seen the sea before. Very few of them knew how to swim. The white officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) were from Southern Africa.

The Ship Sinks

At 5 am on 21 February 1917, a thick fog covered the sea. The Mendi was about 10 nautical miles (19 km) south of St. Catherine's Point on the Isle of Wight. The cargo ship Darro accidentally crashed into the Mendi's right side. This caused a big hole in the front of the Mendi.

The Darro was a much larger ship, almost three times the size of the Mendi. It was sailing empty to Argentina. The Darro survived the crash, but the Mendi sank. A total of 616 Southern Africans died, including 607 black soldiers. Also, 30 crew members lost their lives.

Some men died right away in the collision. Others were trapped below the ship's decks. Many gathered on the Mendi's deck as it tilted and sank. Stories say the men faced their death with great courage. An interpreter named Isaac Williams Wauchope, who was also a church minister, helped calm the scared men. He raised his arms and shouted:

"Be quiet and calm, my countrymen. What is happening now is what you came to do...you are going to die, but that is what you came to do. Brothers, we are drilling the death drill. I, a Xhosa, say you are my brothers...Swazis, Pondos, Basotho...so let us die like brothers. We are the sons of Africa. Raise your war-cries, brothers, for though they made us leave our assegais in the kraal, our voices are left with our bodies."

The damaged Darro did not stay to help. But the Brisk quickly lowered its boats. Its crews then rescued the survivors.

An investigation into the accident was held in 1917. The court found the captain of the Darro, Henry W Stump, guilty. He was found to have driven too fast in thick fog. He also failed to use the correct fog signals. Captain Stump's licence was taken away for one year.

People have wondered why Captain Stump did not help the survivors. There is no clear reason for his actions. The Darro itself was damaged and could have been attacked by enemy submarines.

The Wreck Site

Location in Southern England

In 1945, the Mendi's wreck was known to be about 11.3 nautical miles (21 km) off Saint Catherine's Light. But it was not officially identified until 1974. The ship now rests upright on the seabed. Parts of it have broken apart, showing its boilers.

In 2006, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission created a learning tool. It is called "Let us die like brothers." It teaches about the role of black Southern Africans in the First World War. Those who died are remembered just like all other Commonwealth war dead.

In December 2006, English Heritage asked Wessex Archaeology to study the wreck. This project will help plan future research. It might also lead to a survey of the wreck itself. In 2017, the ship's bell was given to a BBC journalist anonymously. The Prime Minister, Theresa May, returned the bell to South Africa in August 2018.

Memorials and Tributes

The sinking of the Mendi is remembered by many monuments. These are found in South Africa, Britain, France, and the Netherlands. The port building at the Port of Ngqura is named eMendi Admin Building. Two South African Navy ships are also named after the Mendi or its heroes:

• SAS Isaac Dyobha, a missile boat.
• SAS Mendi, a frigate.

Other ways the Mendi and its lost men are remembered include:

• The Hollybrook Memorial in Southampton. It lists the names of those from the Mendi who have no known graves.
• 13 men are buried in cemeteries in England. One is in France, and five are in Noordwijk in the Netherlands.
• A memorial in the churchyard at Newtimber in West Sussex, England.
• The Mendi Memorial in Avalon Cemetery in Soweto. Queen Elizabeth II unveiled it on 23 March 1995.
• The Mendi Memorial in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• The Mendi memorial at the Gamothaga Resort in Atteridgeville, South Africa.
• The SS Mendi Memorial at the University of Cape Town. This sculpture by Cape Town artist Madi Phala looks like a ship's bow sinking into the ground. Helmets and discs in front represent the troops and crew. A plaque simply says "SS Mendi, S. African troopship, sank next to the Isle of Wight 1917 02 21". In 2016, this memorial became a national heritage site.
• The Delville Wood South African National Memorial has a bronze relief and a list of names of men lost on the Mendi. A poem called 'The Sinking of Mendi' by S.E.K Mqhayi, originally in isiXhosa, is also there.
• The ship's telegraph from the Mendi is at the Maritime Museum in Bembridge, Isle of Wight.
• The Order of Mendi for Bravery is an award given by the President of South Africa. It honours citizens who show amazing bravery.
• On 23 August 2004, the SAS Mendi and the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Nottingham met. They laid a wreath where the Mendi sank.
• In 2006, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and History Channel released a film. It was called Let Us Die Like Brothers. It told the story of the Mendi sinking.
• On 21 July 2007, a ceremony was held at the Hollybrook Memorial. The SAS Mendi then laid a wreath at sea.
• In March 2009, the UK Ministry of Defence made the Mendi's wreck site a protected war grave.
• A painting called The loss of the Mendi by Hilary Graham is at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum.
• A short animated film, Off the record, was made by Wendy Morris in 2008.
• BBC Radio 4 broadcast a radio show, The Lament of the SS Mendi, on 19 November 2008.
• A white life-belt marked "SS Mendi 21-02-1917" is displayed at Simonstown's quayside in South Africa.
• A film called African Kinship Systems: Emotional Science – Case Study #2: The Fate of the SS Mendi was shown in 2014.
• A war memorial is located next to the Parliament of Botswana in Gaborone, Botswana.
• The SS Mendi Memorial Wall was completed in 2014 at the University of Cape Town. It lists the names of all the men who died.

100th Anniversary Events

Many events marked the 100th anniversary of the disaster:

• A special service was held in Portsmouth on 21 February 2017.
• A memorial service took place at Newtimber churchyard on 19 February 2017.
• On 20 February 2017, a ceremony was held at Hollybrook Cemetery in Southampton. The Princess Anne attended.
• A poem titled "Waters of Wars Unknown" was written by Fr Lawrence Mduduzi Ndlovu. It was published on the 100th anniversary.
• A play called SS Mendi, Dancing the Death Drill was performed in 2018. It was based on a book by Fred Khumalo.
• On 8 August 2017, a granite plaque was placed at the wreck site. It was done by a team from the Legion of South African military veterans.

Images for kids

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  SS Mendi Memorial, University of Cape Town