Saylor on the Greek Ship Dimitris
Birth place – S. João Batista, Santo Antão - Cabo Verde
Birth date – 10/01/1904
Death date –
Father –João José da Luz
Mother –Sinhorinha Franscisca Lima
Eduardo João da Luz was a crew member of the Greek ship Dimitris when the vessel was attacked and sunk by U-29 on June 26, 1940, off Cape Finisterre, in northern Spain.
The submarine fired a warning shot across the bow of the merchant ship and forced it to stop. The crew boarded two lifeboats, and once they had moved away, the Germans sank the ship with cannon fire.
Eduardo da Luz was rescued by a French destroyer — with the number 22 painted in the bow — which transported him to Casablanca, in North Africa, where he was lodged at the Hotel Ocean.
In the Moroccan city, he presented himself at the Portuguese consulate and reported the events. He also explained that he had not received any salary, only 400 francs for the purchase of clothing.
The seaman had been hired for the Dimitris crew when the ship passed through Cape Verde in March 1940. The contract — authorized by the Portuguese authorities — stipulated a fixed payment of ten pounds per month, plus allowances depending on whether the ship was sailing in areas considered safe or at war.
The Dimitris departed from Saint Vicente, in Cape Verde, bound for Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. From there, they returned to Saint Vicente before setting course for Liverpool, in the United Kingdom. They were attacked on the way.
Carlos Guerreiro
Sources
Biblioteca Central - Arquivo Histórico de Marinha § Uboat-net
