In WW2 a ship went down near Canada carrying children?name of ship please?

Question

Hi, right this ship was taking children to Canada as evacuees
it sail from Liverpool during the war, and both my parents as children were do to go on it.
mum from London, and dad from Yorkshire, but there dad's both said no they are not going.
spooky or what,
they met in london after the war,
married 50yrs 2 children 7 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren

sorry for the long story,
and please no wise cracks as answers.

Answer 1

Indeed it was the City of Benares.
In all 77 out of 100 evacuees, nine from Sunderland, died when the City of Benares liner was torpedoed 65 years ago in the Atlantic. The Benares, a passenger liner designed for a tropical trip to Bombay, set sail from Liverpool on its fateful voyage across the Atlantic on September 13, 1940.

She was accompanied by a naval destroyer as she entered seas patrolled by German U-boats.

But on the fourth day of her voyage she continued alone and was hit by a German U-48 submarine. Only a handful of people were rescued.

The City of Benares was a passenger ship, the largest of Ellerman's City built in 1936 for service between England and India. On Friday, September 13, 1940, she sailed from Liverpool in a convoy of nineteen ships bound for Canada. She carried 406 crew and passengers including 101 adults and 90 children being evacuated to Canada by the Children's Overseas Reception Board.

Four days, 600 miles out to sea, the destroyer HMS Winchelsea and two sloops, who had been escorting the convoy, departed to meet eastbound Convoy HX71. Despite a standing order to disperse the convoy and let all ships proceed on their own, Rear Admiral Mackinnon delayed the order. Shortly after 10pm the City of Benares was torpedoed by Uboat, U-48. The order to abandon City of Benares was given but due to rough conditions and Force 5 winds, lowering the boats was difficult and several capsized. Two hundred and fouty five lives were lost either from drowning or exposure. Rescue did not arrive until 14:15 the following afternoon when HMS Hurricane arrived on the scene.

Only 13 of the children survived, 6 of whom spent seven days in a live boat before being rescued by HMS Anthony. The Evacuation Overseas scheme was eventually abandoned, one positive result of the tragedy was the decision to have all convoys accompanied by rescue escorts

Answer 2

I wish you had an email addy. I have searched everywhere and cannot find anything circa ww2 but lots for ww1

Answer 3

City of Bernares, I think