At 2:00 p.m. on 23 June 1940, 17 survivors from the Wellington Star, sunk on the 16th by U-101, arrived at Buarcos beach in Figueira da Foz. The whaleboat had been sighted from the beach an hour earlier, and the fishing vessel of master José Joaquim Toquilha had set out to tow it ashore.

The survivors were housed at the Pensão Praia and were accompanied by the former British vice-consul in Figueira da Foz until the British consul arrived from Oporto a few days later.

The Wellington Star was hit by a torpedo fired by U-101 at 1:02 p.m. on 16 June, 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre. After the crew abandoned ship in four lifeboats, the U-boat fired three more torpedoes, but failed to sink it. Shortly afterwards the Germans surfaced and after questioning the crew, 31 more shells were fired until the British freighter disappeared beneath the water.

A lifeboat landed in Figueira da Foz and the remaining three were picked up by the French steamer Pierre L. D. and were left in Casablanca on the 24th.

Carlos Guerreiro