U-boat captain's daughter visits St. John's

From CBC News

U-boat captain’s daughter visits St. John’s

29 men died when Marita Collings's father sank two ships near Bell Island

Last Updated: Thursday, July 8, 2010 | 9:42 PM NT

The daughter of a Nazi U-boat captain who sank ships near St. John's during the Second World War struggled with mixed emotions on a pilgrimage to Newfoundland this week to make peace with her father's past.

Marita Collings says the difficult trip brought her closer to her late father, Rolf Ruggeberg.

"I have felt very close to my father these past few days," she said. "I think in many ways he would've been proud that I brought up the courage to come over here and do these things in his name."

But it also brought her closer to the devastating impact her father had on Newfoundland during the Second World War.

"I'm on the bad side," she said. "I'm alone, and it's my father That was quite hard."

Ruggeberg's torpedo attacks sank two ships near Bell Island, close to St John's, where an iron mine operated.

Twenty-nine men died when the S.S. Lord Strathcona and the S.S. Saganaga plunged to the bottom of Conception Bay, where their wrecks remain.

For sinking the iron ore supply ships, Ruggeberg received two Iron Cross medals.

After the war, Ruggeberg was tried at Nuremberg for war crimes, but he was cleared. He returned to naval service in Germany.

In 1960, Ruggeberg became a diplomat based in London. He was Germany's naval attaché to Great Britain for many years until he retired and moved home to Germany, where he died in 1979 at the age of 72.

Collings was born after the war and knew nothing of her late father's missions.

"Basically, the only thing I knew was that he was a captain on a U-boat," she said.

My first reaction, when I heard, was, 'I don't want anything to do with it.'— Marita Collings

Then five years ago, while clearing out her mother's house in Germany, her husband Barry Collings discovered a small box containing military documents, slide photos of icebergs, and two Nazi-era Iron Crosses.

"My first reaction, when I heard, was, 'I don't want anything to do with it.' I didn't know anything about it, and it wasn't anything I wanted to bring back," said Marita.

Despite her reluctance, Collings's husband continued to research Ruggeberg's military past:

"It's like a jigsaw," said Barry Collings. "Once we got hold of a copy of the logbook and started to work on the logbook, it all started to come together. The pictures matched some of the positions of the boat. The story started to unfold."

It was a fascinating connection to history for Barry Collings, but not so for Marita.

"I think that was one of the first things I said to my husband. I said, 'It's all very well for you. You were on the good side,'" she said.

Marita and her husband had no connection to Newfoundland, but a few months after they learned about her father's connection to Canada, Barry went to a trade show in Britain and stumbled on a Newfoundland outfitter who offers diving trips to the wrecks of the ships Ruggeberg torpedoed.

"And I said 'Oh my goodness, come on into my booth, have a drink of Screech," said outfitter Rick Stanley, laughing.

A friendship was born and eventually Stanley persuaded Marita and Barry to be his guests in Newfoundland.

"I also said to Barry at that same time, 'I know a great home for [your father-in-law's] artifacts.' Now five years later, here they are. It's very special to us," said Stanley.

Artifacts delivered to Bell Island

In early July, Barry and Marita Collings visited Bell Island, and Ruggeberg's artifacts were warmly received by the local historical society.

"It's world history here that we're speaking of, and what Barry and Marita have brought to Newfoundland and to Bell Island is a nucleus for us to build around … and to bring this story to not only to Canadians, but to the world," said Stanley. "It's part of their history."

There are hopes the wrecks in Conception Bay will become a national historic site.

Marita Collings said she wants to return to Newfoundland to see that happen.