Udupi: Thomas Alva, Survivor of II World War, dies at 90
Daijiworld Media Network
Udupi, Dec 6: Thomas Alva who had a miraculous escape from death 70 years ago on 26th 1943 during II World War passed away on Friday, December 6, 2013 at his residence, Pangala in Udupi Taluk after brief illness. He was 90.
Thomas was the eldest among 8 children of Lazarus and Magdalene Alva of Hithlu in Pangala village. He left for Mumbai to support the family at the tender age of 13. Initially he worked as a domestic help in a Parsee family. It was the time of II World War and the then ruling British Administration in India was recruiting young men for war related activities and Thomas Alva got recruited to the British India Steam Navigation Company at the age of 18. It was 26th November 1943, the time of 2nd World War, Rohna), a huge ship belonging to the British India Steam Navigation Company, loaded with men and ammunition started out as a part of convoy KMF 26 from Port Oran of Algeria towards Port Karachi in the far east (then a part of India) via Suez Canal. Though the vessel was meant for transportation of cargo it was modified to carry soldiers and ammunition by the order of the British Government. On that fateful day the ship was bombarded by the German War Planes. There were 2388 people on board including 195 members of crew. Among them 1018 soldiers and 120 crew members drowned in the sea. The tragedy has been recorded in history as the largest loss of U.S. troops at sea in a single incident.
Thomas Alva, who had just turned 20, was a crew member in that ill-fated ship. He had a miraculous survival, which was a literal rebirth to him. Though he fell into the sea, for his good luck he got hold of a floating plank of the broken ship and started floating. After a long time, he caught a rope thrown by some other ship in the convoy, they pulled him over board and he was rescued. 70th anniversary of the HMT Rohna tragedy was observed on 26thNovember 2012.
Thomas Alva was one of the Founder members of St Paul's Catholic Association, Fort, Mumbai.
Thomas Alva was retired from merchant navy service in 1981 and involved in agriculture in Pangala. He was a very disciplined person. He is survived by his daughter Jessy, (Sr. Neeta - Secretary of Holy Cross Sisters’ Society, Bangalore) and two sons - John Baptist (Bahrain) and Herald Reginald (H R- Maria Advertisers). Thomas Alva’s wife Maria Alva nee Castelino had expired 50 years ago.
Funeral Details: Cortege leaves his residence Jessy Villa, Mariapura (Innanje Railway Station Road), Pangala to St John the Evangelist Church, Shankerpura (Pangala Church) at 3.15 p.m. on Sunday, December 8. Mass at 4pm
Contact: +91 9739575010
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