Hi Ron A cargo of clocks & watches from Marseilles to Lisbon sounds more like Swiss exports (vital to the Swiss economy?) than 'food and essential supplies for Swiss consumption'. In which case, you're probably correct in your suggestion that the voyage 'didn't fit the profile' as far as the crews of the ten British Beaufighters were concerned. Bad luck on the perfectly innocent Swiss greaser who lost his life in the incident, though, huh? Regards Gordon From: "Ron Mapplebeck" <ron.mapplebeck1@virgin.net> To: "Gordon Evans" <gordon.w.evans@btinternet.com> Cc: "Mariners" <mariners@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 8:13 PM Subject: Re: [MAR] CHASSERAL ex INGELI (ON 108651) > In HARRISONS OF LIVERPOOL by Graeme Cubbin (World Ship Society/Ships In > Focus Publications, 2003) under the history of the INGELI it states that > as the CHASSERAL from July 1941 she was "employed, with the agreement of > the warring nations, to carry food and essential supplies for Swiss > consumption." > > I wonder which ports would be available to her under this agreement? I can > understand that Marseilles, on the French Mediterranean, might be about as > close as they could get, but was onward transportation difficult through > occupied France despite any such agreement? > > Maybe the voyage Marseilles to Lisbon didn't fit the profile in British > wartime eyes?? > > Was this form of agreement a general dispensation for all Swiss-registered > ships? > > Ron Mapplebeck (UK) > **** > On 07/07/2011 18:50, Gordon Evans wrote: >> There's a photograph of this vessel at :- >> >> http://www.swiss-ships.ch/schiffe/chasseral_006/fr_chasseral_006.htm >> >> and her history can be viewed by clicking on the union jack in the >> left-hand >> column. >> >> I'm intrigued as to why a ship flying the neutral Swiss flag, and >> travelling >> from Marseilles to Lisbon in April 1944 with a cargo of clocks& watches, >> should have been attacked& bombed by ten British Beaufighters? >> >> Regards >> Gordon