World War II - George Town, Cayman Islands
Posted by: 
denben
N 19° 17.801 W 081° 22.982
17Q E 459757 N 2133699
The historic sign titled "World War II" is erected on the site of the remains of Fort George on the corner of Harbour Drive and Fort Street in George Town, Grand Cayman.
Waymark Code: WMV567
Location: Cayman Islands
Date Posted: 02/25/2017
Views: 0
The original purpose of Fort George was to defend Grand Cayman from attacks by Spanish marauders from Cuba. Locals and cruise ship visitors can visit for free the remains of Fort George and get information from the various markers on the site.
This sign reads:
"World War II - German submarine activity during World War II peaked in 1942 with several attacks on shipping occuring in the Caribbean Sea alone. One such attack was the sinking of the merchant steam vessel Comayagua on the evening of 14th May 1942 by the German submarine U-125 commanded by Captain Ulrich Folkers.
The Comayagua was 14 miles southwest of George Town en-route from Guatemala to Cuba when the first torpedo struck her amidships, killing six crew members on watch. A second torpedo blew off the ship's stern, immediately sinking her. The rest of her crew of 42 men abandoned ship in boats and rafts. Surfacing his submarine, Folkers advised the ship's master Peter Larsen that land was only 10 miles away.
A patrolling American Navy plane spotted the survivors and flying over George Town, dropped a note in the yard of Commissioner John Jones who dispatched Captain Eugene Thompson, master of the Caymanian ship MV Cimboco, to rescue them.
Whilst the small police force on Grand Cayman carried out coastal watch duty prior to the sinking of the Comayagua, it was decided that a 'Home Guard' would be more effective. In 1942, police Inspector Roddy Watler was appointed Officer in charge of the Cayman Islands Company of the Jamaican Home Guard, a post he held until the end of the war in 1945."
Group that erected the marker: National Trust Cayman Islands
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
Harbour Drive
George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
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