Irish Seamen Lost in WW2
MEMORIAL TO THE IRISH SEAMEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES DURING THE 2nd.WORLD WAR.
LIST OF IRISH MERCHANT SHIPS LOST DURING 2nd.WORLD WAR:NAMES OF IRISH MERCHANT SEAMEN LOST DURING 2nd.WORLD WAR:
REPORT OF THE KERRY HEAD SINKING IN 1940
FOR PHOTOS OF THE SEAMEN’S MEMORIAL COMMEMORATION
ON THE 24 NOVEMBER 2002 AND VIDEO OF THE 2006 COMMEMORATION CLICK HERE: CITY QUAY
Irish Seamen’s Memorial CommitteeA Chairde,
On behalf of the Committee I welcome you all on this historic and unique occasion, the official unveiling ceremony by An tUachtaran na hEireann Dr. P. Hillery of the National Memorial honouring our dead seamen of the 1939/45 war period we extend a special welcome to the dependents and relatives present and a sadness at the absence of so many of our friends and supporters who are no longer with us.
“Ar Dheis De go raibh a anam “
Since 1947 many attempts to have a National Memorial erected went unfulfilled for various reasons beyond the control of those involved till 1977 when the present Independent Committee was formed and as a result of 13 years of persistent effort succeeded in completion of the project.
Those we honour to-day were unique in that as civilians of a neutral country carrying out their normal functions at sea, bringing essentials to Ireland, they were drawn into the ensuing conflict between the great powers resulting in heavy loss of life and limb with a casualty rate of 17% the highest ratio among the combatants and neutrals.
These men were patriots in the truest sense, prepared to work for Ireland under
appalling conditions and in so doing made the. ultimate sacrifice with their lives.
Their remains are scattered over the worlds oceans and seemingly forgotten by their fellow countrymen, except their loved ones who mourned their loss and comrades who remember them each year at the Commemoration Services organised by the Maritime Institute.
Our motive in erecting this Memorial was to correct this omission and give testimony to future generations of the Seamens contribution to the survival of our Nation in very difficult times when the call to serve was responded to by thousands ready to endure, but none had to face the hazard of almost daily confrontation with death among the belligerents while in a totally defenseless state protected only by the silent prayers and the word ‘EIRE” painted on a rusted hull.
Our hope that the Nation being an Island would have learned the lesson of dependency on others, appears misplaced when one see 85% of our essential commodities being carried on foreign based vessels while trained personnel are redundant and young people are denied the opportunity of making a living and career from the sea.
Till recent years the Irish Flag flew proudly in all the ports of the world while to-day it is conspicuous by its absence in our own home ports. Must we only look to the sporting fraternity to see the National Flag fly abroad, however, grand and joyous the occasion, it is only a substitute for a native owned Merchant Fleet manned by Irish Seafarers.
Is Misc,
Paddy Launders, Chairman.
“SURELY ITS TIME THE GOVERNMENT GAVE IRISH SEAMEN, WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN NO SMALL WAY TO THE SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY, THE CREDIT THAT THEY DESERVE.”
IRISH MERCHANT SHIPS LOST IN WORLD WAR TWO.
MUNSTER (Captain William James Paisley) mined and sunk in Liverpool Bay
2 February 1940-no casualties
CITY OF LIMERICK (Captain, R. Ferguson) sunk by air attack 700 miles west of Ushant. 15 July 1940-2 dead
MEATH (Captain T. MacFarlane) mined and sunk off Holyhead .
16 August 1940-1 dead
LUIMNEACH (Captain E. Jones) sunk by gunfire from U-46 in Bay of Biscay
4 September 1940-no casualites
KERRY HEAD (Captain C. Drummond) bombed and sunk with all hands off Cape Clear. 22 October 1940-12 dead
ARDMORE (Captain T. Ford) missing on passage Cork to Fishguard.
11 November 1940-24 dead
ISOLDA (Captain A. Bestic) bombed and sunk by German aircraft off Wexford Coast 19 December 1940- 6 dead, 7 wounded
INNISFALLEN (Captain G. Rrth) mined and sunk in River Mersey.
21 December 1940-4 dead
ST. FINTAN (Captain N. Hendry) bombed and sunk by German aircraft of Welsh Coast. 22 March 1941-9 dead
CLONLARA (Captain J. Reynolds) torpedoed and sunk whilst in convoy 0G71 in Bay of Biscay 22 August 1941-11 dead
CITY OF WATERFORD (Captain T. Alpin) sunk whilst in convoy 0G74 in North Atlantic. 19 September 1941-5 dead
CITY OF BREMEN (Captain G. Bryan) sunk by German aircraft in Bay of Biscay
2 June 1942 – no casualties
IRISH PINE (Captain M. O’Neill) torpedoed and sunk in North Atlantic by U-608.
15 November 1942 – 33 dead
KYLECLARE (Captain A. Hamilton) torpedoed and sunk in Bay of Biscay by J-456 23 February 1943 -18 dead
IRISH OAK (Capatin E. Jones) torpedoed and sunk in North Atlantic by U607
15 may 1942-no casualites
CYMRIC (Captain C. Cassedy) missing on passage Ardrossan to Lisbon.
22 March 1944 -11 dead
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IRISH FISHING VESSELS LOST IN WORLD WAR 2
S/Trawler “LUKOS” missing off Donegal
10 March 1940 -11 deadM/Trawler “NAOMH GARBHAN” mined and sunk off
WaterfordWaterford
coast.
2 March 1945 – 3 dead
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The following names are those of Seamen lost on Irish ships during the 2nd World War.
APLIN, T.E .BARRY, E. BARRY, M.J. BEGLEY, T. BERGIN, P. BENT, P. BRADY, T. BRAN NOOK, P. BRENNAN, H. BRENNAN, J. BROWN, W. BRULAND, E. BURKE, L. BYRNE, E. BYRNE, R.CARR, W. CASHIN, C. Cassedy, C. CLEARY, P. CONNOLLY, W. CONWAY, J. COWZER, F. CRICHTON, R. CRONIN, J. CROSBIE, J. CUDDIHY, N. CULLEN, M. CUSACK, M. CUSACK, T. CUSHBY, W.DALGARNO, J. DALY, T. DAVISON, W. deBU RCA, D. DESMOND, B. DONAGH, E. DON NOLLY, W. DONOHOE, T. DONOVAN, P. DOOLEY, M. (Snr) DOOLEY, M. (Jnr) DOYLE, W. DUFFY, P. DUNNE, P. DRUMMOND, C.FANNING, P. FARRELLY, P. FENNELL, J. FORD, T. FORDE, M. FRITZSON, K. FURLONG, G. FURLONG, K.GEARY, D. GREENE, E. GRIFFIN, J. (Snr) GRIFFIN, J. (Jnr) GRIMES, R.HAMILTON, A. HARE, T. HARTNE1T, T. HAYDEN, J. HAWKINS, J. HENDERSON, W. HENDRY, N. HOLLAND, W. HOPKINS, P. HOWAT, J.JOHNSON, A. JONES, J.KAVANAGH, E. KEARNEY, E. KELLEHER, J. KIERAN, B.LAMBE, J. LANE, J. LARKIN, J. LEONARD, M. LYNCH, T.MOONEY, D. MORGAN, J. MULLIGAN, T. MURPHY, F. MURPHY, P. McCarthy, J. MCCARTHY, P. MCGLYNN, J. McGUIGAN, P. McKANE, S. McLeod, A. McMahon. McMahon, S. MCNALLY, S.NAUGHTON, G. NAUGHTON, J. NAYLOR, S. NICHOLL, G. NOLAN, J.O’BEIRNE, D. O’BRIEN, D. O’BRIEN, G O’BRIEN, R. O’BRIEN, W. O’BRIEN, W. O’CALLAGHAN, JAMES O’CONNELL, M. O’CONNELL, C. O’CONNELL, J. O’CONNOR, J. O’DONNELL, M. O’FLYNN, P. O’LEARY, E. O’LEARY, T. O’NEILL, M. O’NEILL, P. O’NEILL, P. O’ROURKE, W. O’SCANLON, P. O’SHEA, F.PAISLEY, W. PILL, A. PLUNKETT, B. PORTER, J. POWER, J. POWER, J.RAYMOND, M. REGAN, J. REYNOLDS, J. RICKARD, J. ROBERTSON, A. RYAN, M. RYAN, P. RYAN, S. RYAN, T. SEAVER, P. SHEEHAN, P. SHORTT P. SIMMS, W. SMITH, S. SMITH, W. SMYTH, W. SPANNER, J. SPEED, E. SPENCE, R. SULLIVAN, J. SUMNER, J.TALBOT, R. THOMPSON, J. TIERNEY, M. TOBIN, A. TOBIN, J. TODD, U. TREACEY, F.WARD, H.WILSON, J.YOUNG, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REPORT OF THE KERRY HEAD SINKING
“The Irish Press”, Saturday June 21, 1952, page 5 as part of a series “The
Brave Ships”, heading “Kerry Head and All Hands”.
————–They were taking in the hay around Kinsale, on the fine August evening
(1940), when the first sign of war glinted in the sun over the old historic
town. A bombing plane roared over the
bay of Ballymacous and circled the Sovereign Islandsbay of Ballymacous and circled the Sovereign Islands
.John Hurley is a small farmer, seafarer and pilot at Kinsale, and he was
making up a rick of hay in his haggard. He looked at the sky when the
bomber’s roar ripped the silence and he watched the dark wings of it rushing
to the sea.
John scanned the bay. There was a ship out there. A three masted ship with
derricks forard. He knew her well. Kerry Head of the
LimerickLimerick
firm of
Mullocks. Out near the Old Head of Kinsale he saw the plane dive – just
where the ship was.Two explosions rumbled from the sea. John called two of the men who were
making the rick and with him (his brother Pat and Tim O’Donovan, since dead)
and ran to the shore even as the plaintive siren of Kerry Head moaned on.
The three men rushed the boat into the water, pulled at the oars. They were
fast oarsmen, those men of Kinsale. Half a mile outside the Bullman Rock
they saw Kerry Head. She was stopped but seemed undamaged.
John pulled alongside, clambered aboard. He saw Captain Charles Drummond
and asked him what was wrong. The Wexfordman answered: “The plane bombed us.” They inspected the damage. No direct hit had been made on the ship. Captain Drummond explained:
Two light bombs had been dropped forward, missed the bridge and hit the sea
right beside the vessel. A heavier bomb had fallen about five yards to the
starboard side of the engine room. The concussion had stopped the engines,
the impact of the sea had crushed in the vessel’s side.
Ship Saved For a while
The cabin quarters were a shambles. The forward winch had been cracked on
both sides by the concussion alone; doors had been wrenched from their
hinges; the compass was smashed; the glass from the wheelhouse windows was
all over the place; cooking pots, tinned foods and crockery were spattered
on the decks. One of the lifeboats had got locked and entangled in the
davits. The other lifeboat had been lowered but was filling with water.
And, after all that, nobody was hurt. The crew stood by in lifejackets,
some were disentangling the locked lifeboat. John Hurley’s boat took the captain ashore to make the report to
Limerick, where he was bound from BritainLimerick, where he was bound from Britain
with coal and tinplate for that city’s factories.The engineers and crew stowed everything, rushed the ship to Garley Cove, to
ground her on a sandbank, so that repairs could be carried out. The Kerry Head was saved – for three months.
In October of that same year, the 1,000-ton ship was passing Castletownbere,
travelling light. Local people at Blackhall Head recognized the familiar
outlines of the vessel. She passed out of sight.
A bomber again swept over the coast, dipped down at the horizon, where the
Kerry Head had gone hull down. Nobody could say, for certain, whether the plane had bombed the ship.
Local boats searched the area when the signal went along the coast. But
Kerry Head had passed Kinsale for the last time.
The following were the crew of the Kerry Head: – Capt. Charles Drummond;
First Officer Dick Byrne, of Wicklow; Second Officer Stephen MacMahon,
Scattery Island, Co. Clare; Will Davidson, chief engineer of Carrickfergus;
Tom Begley, Hartsong St., Limerick; George Naughton, Windmill St., Limerick;
his brother James Naughton, Windmill St., Limerick; Patrick O’Neill, 4 Henry
St., Limerick; John Tobin, Distillery Houses, Limerick; Michael MacMahon,
Scattery (cousin of Stephen); James Wilson, Carrickfergus.
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John D. Reid
Ottawa, Canada