Peter de Neumann
Encyclopedia
Commander
Bernard Peter de Neumann GM
RN
(18 September 1917 – 16 September 1972) was a British
sailor, convicted pirate, and dockmaster.
Neumann's sea-going career included being sunk twice in the space of one month, being charged and convicted of piracy
by the Vichy French
, and being known as “The Man From Timbuctoo”
.
and the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea
for removing a 250 kilogram bomb from deep in the engine-room of the Tewkesbury and dropping it over the side during a Luftwaffe air attack off Aberdeen, Scotland on 1 March 1941. Tewkesbury was torpedoed and sunk by gunfire by U-69 on May 21, 1941. All of the crew survived and got away in two boats; de Neumann's boat was picked up by the US freighter Exhibitor, and later he transferred to HMS Cilicia. (The other boat from Tewkesbury was picked up by SS Antinous after 13 days.)
Cilicia arrived in Freetown on 17 May 1941, and Neumann volunteered as Second Officer aboard the Royal Navy
prize vessel Criton (captured from the Vichy French
). Criton sailed from Freetown
for the UK on 19 June 1941, but was intercepted by two Vichy French warships, Air France IV and Edith Germaine, on 21 June and sunk by gunfire. Critons crew were escorted under armed guard to Conakry
, where the executive officers were tried and found guilty of piracy by a Vichy French naval court-martial
and imprisoned in Timbuktu
. They managed to escape, and walked 400 miles (643.7 km) up the Niger River
before they were recaptured and returned to Timbuktu. De Neumann was eventually released at the end of December 1942, and arrived back in the UK aboard HMS Asturias in mid-January 1943.
De Neumann received the George Medal
from King George VI
for his bravery aboard the Tewkesbury in mid-February 1943.
From 1947 to 1953, he served as Commander of .
vessel Baalbeks collision with the Nore Army Fort in 1953, and the disastrous North Sea flood
that resulted in the flooding of Canvey Island
, Foulness
and the East Coast in 1953. In these and other situations, rescue and intelligence gathering were severely hampered by a lack of centralised command and control, which lead to a lack of situational awareness.
In 1953, de Neumann resigned his command after returning Vigilant from the Spithead Review and joined the Port of London Authority
. He immediately suggested that a feasibility study of a port-control system be commenced. He then oversaw its development and ultimate installation at Gravesend
, which was completed by 1960.
He served as Harbourmaster
, and, after his health deteriorated as a result of his imprisonment in West Africa, Dockmaster
at Tilbury
.
Sunfish under Tower Bridge
on 12 March 1960. The Sunfish was aft and the Sun VI forward of the Ellerman Lines
' Palermo, dragging through Tower Bridge inward bound in the Upper Pool
, when the Sunfish was dragged on the Northern Buttress of the bridge. Her stern struck, rolling her over, and she sank with the loss of her Chief Engineer. She was raised the next day, refurbished, and returned to service.
Another commendation came for his part in rescuing the crew of the Tug Kenia when she sank in the New Lock bellmouth, Tilbury Dock, on 25 August 1964. The Crested Cock and the Kenia were undocking the Maashaven from Tilbury Dock New Entrance. The ship started her swing to starboard in the Bellmouth and the Kenia was on the port bow when coming around, the Maashaven went ahead and pinned her to the upper pier head before she cleared the ship’s bow. The Kenia was cut from the deck to the keel
in the after end of the engine room starboard side. A line was passed to the pier head and secured, and all crew rapidly taken ashore, before she sank. Kenia was raised by the PLA Salvage Department and scrapped.
He was also commended for attempting to save the life of a crane driver injured when his crane toppled across the open hold of a ship in Tilbury Dock on 10 March 1966. The crane driver died before he could be released.
De Neumann was killed in an accident in Tilbury Dock on 16 September 1972 just 2 days before his 55th birthday. His ashes were scattered on the River Thames
in Gravesend Reach
.
in London and was on display in the Survival at Sea Exhibition. They were:
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Bernard Peter de Neumann GM
George Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
RN
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(18 September 1917 – 16 September 1972) was a British
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
sailor, convicted pirate, and dockmaster.
Neumann's sea-going career included being sunk twice in the space of one month, being charged and convicted of piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
by the Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
, and being known as “The Man From Timbuctoo”
Timbuktu
Timbuktu , formerly also spelled Timbuctoo, is a town in the West African nation of Mali situated north of the River Niger on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. The town is the capital of the Timbuktu Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali...
.
World War II
His courage during the Second World War was recognised when he was awarded the George MedalGeorge Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
and the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea
Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea
The Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea is one of the four Lloyd's Medal types bestowed by Lloyd's of London. In 1939, with the coming of World War II, Lloyd's set up a committee to find means of honouring seafarers who performed acts of exceptional courage at sea, and this resulted in the...
for removing a 250 kilogram bomb from deep in the engine-room of the Tewkesbury and dropping it over the side during a Luftwaffe air attack off Aberdeen, Scotland on 1 March 1941. Tewkesbury was torpedoed and sunk by gunfire by U-69 on May 21, 1941. All of the crew survived and got away in two boats; de Neumann's boat was picked up by the US freighter Exhibitor, and later he transferred to HMS Cilicia. (The other boat from Tewkesbury was picked up by SS Antinous after 13 days.)
Cilicia arrived in Freetown on 17 May 1941, and Neumann volunteered as Second Officer aboard the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
prize vessel Criton (captured from the Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
). Criton sailed from Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
for the UK on 19 June 1941, but was intercepted by two Vichy French warships, Air France IV and Edith Germaine, on 21 June and sunk by gunfire. Critons crew were escorted under armed guard to Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
, where the executive officers were tried and found guilty of piracy by a Vichy French naval court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
and imprisoned in Timbuktu
Timbuktu
Timbuktu , formerly also spelled Timbuctoo, is a town in the West African nation of Mali situated north of the River Niger on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. The town is the capital of the Timbuktu Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali...
. They managed to escape, and walked 400 miles (643.7 km) up the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
before they were recaptured and returned to Timbuktu. De Neumann was eventually released at the end of December 1942, and arrived back in the UK aboard HMS Asturias in mid-January 1943.
De Neumann received the George Medal
George Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
from King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
for his bravery aboard the Tewkesbury in mid-February 1943.
From 1947 to 1953, he served as Commander of .
Port of London Authority
De Neumann began having thoughts on the potential for a port-control system while he was the commander of the Vigilant. These ideas followed on from considering such incidents as the accidental ramming of by the Divina in 1950, the NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
vessel Baalbeks collision with the Nore Army Fort in 1953, and the disastrous North Sea flood
North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
that resulted in the flooding of Canvey Island
Canvey Island
Canvey Island is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks...
, Foulness
Foulness
Foulness is an island on the east coast of Essex in England, which is separated from the mainland by narrow creeks. The large island had a usually resident population of 212 people in the 2001 census, who live in the settlements of Churchend and Courtsend, at the north end of Foulness. The island...
and the East Coast in 1953. In these and other situations, rescue and intelligence gathering were severely hampered by a lack of centralised command and control, which lead to a lack of situational awareness.
In 1953, de Neumann resigned his command after returning Vigilant from the Spithead Review and joined the Port of London Authority
Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority is a self-funding public trust established in 1908 by the Port of London Act to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and the authority is responsible for the public right of navigation and for conservancy of the...
. He immediately suggested that a feasibility study of a port-control system be commenced. He then oversaw its development and ultimate installation at Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
, which was completed by 1960.
He served as Harbourmaster
Harbourmaster
A harbourmaster is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct operation of the port facilities.-Responsibilities:Harbourmasters are normally responsible for issuing...
, and, after his health deteriorated as a result of his imprisonment in West Africa, Dockmaster
Dockmaster
Within large ports/harbours such as the Port of London, which consists of all the tidal portion of the River Thames from Margate on the south coast, and Clacton-on-Sea on the north, through to Teddington, a total of around 95 miles , plus the enclosed dock systems that may be reached directly from...
at Tilbury
Tilbury
Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. As a settlement it is of relatively recent existence, although it has important historical connections, being the location of a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry...
.
Commendations
He was commended for his handling of the rescue attempt following the sinking of the TugTug
Tuğ is a village in the Khojavend Rayon of Azerbaijan....
Sunfish under Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name...
on 12 March 1960. The Sunfish was aft and the Sun VI forward of the Ellerman Lines
Ellerman Lines
Ellerman Lines was a cargo and passenger shipping company that operated from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. It was founded in the late nineteenth century, and continued to expand with the acquisition of smaller shipping lines until it became one of the largest shipping...
' Palermo, dragging through Tower Bridge inward bound in the Upper Pool
Pool of London
The Pool of London is a part of the Tideway of the River Thames from London Bridge to below Tower Bridge. It was the original part of the Port of London. The Pool of London is divided into two parts, the Upper Pool and Lower Pool...
, when the Sunfish was dragged on the Northern Buttress of the bridge. Her stern struck, rolling her over, and she sank with the loss of her Chief Engineer. She was raised the next day, refurbished, and returned to service.
Another commendation came for his part in rescuing the crew of the Tug Kenia when she sank in the New Lock bellmouth, Tilbury Dock, on 25 August 1964. The Crested Cock and the Kenia were undocking the Maashaven from Tilbury Dock New Entrance. The ship started her swing to starboard in the Bellmouth and the Kenia was on the port bow when coming around, the Maashaven went ahead and pinned her to the upper pier head before she cleared the ship’s bow. The Kenia was cut from the deck to the keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
in the after end of the engine room starboard side. A line was passed to the pier head and secured, and all crew rapidly taken ashore, before she sank. Kenia was raised by the PLA Salvage Department and scrapped.
He was also commended for attempting to save the life of a crane driver injured when his crane toppled across the open hold of a ship in Tilbury Dock on 10 March 1966. The crane driver died before he could be released.
Death
Just a few days before his death, he was involved in another incident with a toppled crane at Tilbury. This time the driver survived.De Neumann was killed in an accident in Tilbury Dock on 16 September 1972 just 2 days before his 55th birthday. His ashes were scattered on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in Gravesend Reach
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
.
Museum pieces
Three items de Neumann brought home from Timbuktu were on loan to the Imperial War MuseumImperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
in London and was on display in the Survival at Sea Exhibition. They were:
- A New TestamentNew TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, with a diary of the movements the prisoners made whilst captured - A Red Cross label from a parcel addressed to Peter de Neumann in Timbuctoo
- The tumbler he made from the bottom of a PerrierPerrierPerrier is a brand of bottled mineral water made from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France. The spring is naturally carbonated...
water bottle by half-filling it with water, binding paraffinKeroseneKerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
-soaked twine around it at the water level, and igniting it, making the glass crack at the water-line