236040 Chf. Off'r Robert Lowson Chalmers Merchant Navy SS Criton from:South Shields Chief Officer Robert Chalmers (previous ship rank 'Benvenue'), was signed as crew onto the Criton (a French prize ship) with a cargo of 6000 tons of iron ore.
The Criton with a crew of 52, was in a convoy aiming to return home. The Criton struggled to keep pace with the convoy - believed to have been sabotaged, and after several stops for repair the convoy went ahead and the Criton was left to return to Freetown. On 21st June 1941 the Criton was ordered to stop by two un-flagged war ships (Edith Germaine and Air France 4). The Criton (unarmed itself) was under attack and, after refusing to follow turn-around orders, after intense machine gun fire and shell attack the Criton was abandoned, the crew disembarking into life boats. Confidential records were thrown over board in weighted bags. Survivors were taken to Conakry. The crew and executive officers were singled out and interrogated. The crew were forced to sign statements stating the Criton had been scuttled as the Vichy French were embarrassed they had attacked and sunk their own ship and also charged with piracy and frank-tireurs.
On 26th September 1941 Chief Officer Robert Chalmers alongside the crew of the Criton was moved to Timbuctoo (Kankan) by train from Conakry, arriving on 7th October 1941. Conditions in Timbuctoo were reported as worse than experiences in Conakry, poor sanitation with no sewage systems, heavy rain, high humidity, limited food consisting of grain sometimes soaked in goats milk, often one bowl a day and some days none. He remained here until 14th December 1942. It is reported the crew of the Criton received far worse treatment than any other British prisoners of the Vichy French.
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