Zam Zam Story Reunites Family

When Lillian Danielson and her six children, ages eighteen months through nearly 11 years, boarded the Egyptian passenger ship the Zam Zam in New York City on March 20, 1941, she had no idea they would become involved in an incident with international implications.

Traveling to join her husband, Rev. Elmer Danielson, an Augustana Lutheran missionary in Africa, Lillian and the Danielson siblings, four girls and two boys from Lindsborg, Kansas, joined the 201 civilian passengers aboard the steamer, including 140 Americans, for what was hoped to be an uneventful voyage. Even though World War II was raging throughout Europe and Africa, the fact that the United States had not yet entered the war coupled with the Zam Zam’s neutral country status virtually assured those aboard a safe passage.

Several weeks into the voyage the British captain of the Zam Zam, following Admiralty orders, had the shipped blacked out. This meant the Zam Zam would be running without lights to avoid possible detection by German u-boats and war ships. Despite loud objections from some passengers, the captain insisted his black out order would stand.

At dawn on April 17, the passengers’ fears were realized. The German raider ship, the Atlantis, had been tracking the Zam Zam for days as it steamed toward Cape Town, South Africa. At 5:25 a.m. the German captain, thinking it was a British troop ship and unaware it had been sold to Egypt, ordered his gunners to open fire on the Zam Zam. One of the first shells took out the Zam Zam’s radio shack, cutting off any way to report the attack. In all, 55 six-inch shells were fired at the rickety old steamer and the ship’s fate was sealed.

As passengers hurriedly strapped on their life jackets they crowded on to the ship’s life boats, only to find many of them had leaks and soon sank. The survivors bobbed around in the warm waters of the South Atlantic for 45 minutes until the German captain realized they were innocent civilians and had them pulled to the relative safety of his ship. Three passengers received severe injuries in the attack but all aboard had survived, much to the amazement of both the German captures and their new captives.

The survivors, now prisoners, were transferred to the German blockade runner the Dresden, which was to become their place of confinement for the next month. The quarters were cramped and the food inadequate, but through their faith in God Lillian and her children made the most of their journey.

While citizens of other countries became prisoners of war, including Canadians, the 140 Americans were being held illegally by the Germans as the U.S. had not yet entered the war. In fact there are those who believe the British Admiralty purposely ordered the Zam Zam and other civilian ships to run blacked out, hoping for just such an incident resulting in the loss of American lives, thus pulling the U.S. into World War II.

While excellent medical attention was afforded the prisoners, one of the severely injured former Zam Zam passengers died after 10 days. He was the only fatality among the 201 passengers and 137 crew members rescued from the ill-fated steamer.

Meanwhile in Africa, Rev. Elmer Danielson waited for word that his family had arrived on the continent. It had been six weeks since anyone had heard from the Zam Zam, and Rev. Danielson became more and more concerned for his loved ones’ safety. Finally the news arrived that the Zam Zam had been sunk and all were presumed lost.

The very next day Rev. Danielson got word via a BBC broadcast that the survivors had landed in occupied France. The Americans were then transported to Spain and ultimately reunited with their families in the United States.

All six Danielson siblings, Laurence, Eleanor, Evelyn, Wilfred, Luella, and Lois will be participating in the regular morning worship services at Messiah Lutheran Church, 402 North First Street in Lindsborg, on Sunday, August 17, at 9:30 a.m.; coffee will follow the service in the fellowship hall, followed by a multi-cultural meal at 11:30.

At 1:00 p.m. the Danielson’s will give a presentation on their experiences as the children of missionaries in Africa and on their memories of the Zam Zam incident. Questions from the audience will be invited.

This special Sunday is part of Messiah Lutheran’s celebration of the congregation’s 100th year. Messiah was founded in 1908 as the first English speaking church in the Kansas Conference of the Augustana (Swedish) Lutheran Synod.

The public is invited to join the Messiah congregation for morning services, the lunch, and/or the Danielson’s afternoon presentation.