World War II left scars all over the planet and those scars continue to shape the world today. The tremendous loss of life can still be felt on battlegrounds, in hospitals and in the towns and cities where so many fought till the very end. For some, the war seems to rage on as spectral figures dressed in their same uniforms have been haunting the places where they died or the places that hold special importance. Many of these stories remain unproven or unexplained, but for those who have seen these ghosts or felt their presence, their existence is very real.
SS Alkimos
The SS Alkimos has been known as a cursed ship from its very beginning. The ship got its start during World War II when ships were being pushed through the production line at a staggering pace. Being built in just ten days on the production line meant that corners were cut and the ship was ramshackle from the start. There were even rumors that the ship was completed so quickly that welders were actually sealed into the hull where they slowly died. Dead welders were only some of the rumors of accidents and deaths that plagued the short construction of the SS Alkimos.
Once it was put out to sea, its cursed reputation only continued. It was originally under the name of George. M Shriver before being changed to the Viggo Hansteen. From the moment, it was put into service on October 11, 1943, it was plagued with technical difficulties. The ship would often break down. In August of 1944, the ship’s deadly history got another chapter when a brutal murder-suicide took place. The ship was at port in Naples when a crew member shot and killed a female Canadian radio operator before turning the gun on himself.
After the war, the ship changed hands before finally ended up re-christened as the Greek ship the SS Alkimos. The bad luck and technical difficulties continued to follow the ship as well as stories of hauntings. In 1963, the ship ran aground off the coast of Western Australia. The propeller was damaged so efforts were made to tow the ship to Freemantle for emergency repairs before being taken to Hong Kong for larger repairs. While in Freemantle, the ship inexplicably caught fire. When it was finally ready to tow to Hong Kong, the tow cable snapped and the ship ran aground once again, this time just north of Freemantle.
In an effort to keep the ship going, caretakers were left on the ship until proper efforts could be made to salvage it. Caretakers reported feelings of being watched, smells of cooking food coming from the galley and a great feeling of unease while onboard. Efforts to salvage the ship failed as one company after another tried. In one attempt the ship that was trying to two out the S.S. Alkimos caught fire, causing the S.S. Alkimos to run aground again. This time it was left where it was. Plans were made to demolish the ship, but the man in charge died in a plane crash. Anyone who attempted to salvage to destroy the ship met with misfortune, all efforts have been abandoned and the ship remains there to this day.