Eighty-five years after the loss of SS Aguila, we remember the courage, service and sacrifice of the Royal Navy personnel, Wrens and merchant seafarers who lost their lives in one of the most significant maritime tragedies to affect the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the Second World War.
Originally built in Dundee in 1917, SS Aguila was a British passenger and cargo steamship operated by the Liverpool-based Yeoward Line. Before the war, she regularly sailed between Liverpool, Lisbon, Madeira and the Canary Islands. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the vessel continued operating on these vital routes, helping to maintain essential connections despite the growing threat from German U-boats.
In August 1941, Aguila embarked on what would become her final voyage. Departing Liverpool as part of Convoy OG 71, she was carrying a general cargo alongside at least 86 Royal Navy personnel bound for Gibraltar. Among them were 21 members of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), many of whom had volunteered for specialist duties as wireless operators and cypher officers. Several of the Wrens were based in Scarborough, where they had undergone training before being posted overseas.
The convoy came under attack after being detected by a German aircraft on 17 August 1941. During the early hours of 19 August, the German submarine U-201 struck Aguila with a torpedo, sinking the vessel in the Atlantic Ocean. Rescue efforts saved only a handful of survivors. HMS Wallflower recovered ten people, including the ship’s master, Captain Arthur Firth, while another six crew members were initially rescued by the tug Empire Oak. Tragically, Empire Oak was itself sunk just days later, resulting in the loss of all six rescued men.
The attack on Convoy OG 71 proved devastating. Over several days, eight of the convoy’s 23 merchant ships, along with two escort vessels, were lost. The scale of the tragedy, and particularly the deaths of so many naval personnel aboard a civilian vessel, prompted a significant change in policy, with the Royal Navy ending the practice of transporting large numbers of its personnel on merchant ships.
The loss of the 21 Wrens resonated deeply across Britain. Their deaths represented one of the greatest single losses suffered by the WRNS during the war and highlighted the vital role women played in naval operations. Fellow Wrens contributed a day’s pay towards a memorial fund, which helped fund the construction of HMS Wren, a convoy escort vessel launched in 1942. Remaining funds were later donated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which named a lifeboat Aguila Wren in their honour.
Today, the memory of those lost endures through a number of memorials. Members of Aguila‘s crew are commemorated at the Merchant Navy War Memorial at Tower Hill in London. The 21 Wrens are remembered at the National Memorial Arboretum through a dedicated Aguila Memorial featuring a giant wren mounted on a granite obelisk. In Scarborough, where many of the women trained, further memorials stand overlooking the sea, ensuring their sacrifice is never forgotten.
As we mark the 85th anniversary of the sinking, we pay tribute to all those who served aboard SS Aguila and especially to the Royal Navy personnel and Wrens who gave their lives in service. Their dedication, bravery and commitment remain an enduring part of Britain’s naval history and a powerful reminder of the human cost of war.
Lest we forget.