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History The Irish Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleet 1939-46 |
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On the 3rd of September 1939, the outbreak of the Second World War, Ireland declared herself to be neutral. Aides Memoire were delivered to Britain France and Germany, the belligerents involved. The 1907 Hague Convention concerning the rights and duties of neutral powers was cited to be Ireland`s position. Covertly the Irish had agreed with the British 14 points to assist the allies, according to Cab Papers held at the PRO Kew . All Irish vessels registered pursuant to the Merchant Shipping Acts 1894-1939 were instructed by the then Irish Government to display the neutral insignia on passage, the Irish Tricolour and the word "Eire" to be painted on the Port and Starboard sides of the vessel. All navigation lights were to be switched on and the vessel to be well lit up while steaming at night. This was the position in 1939. By the end of the War, 16 Irish registered vessels were sunk or were presumed sunk as a result of belligerent [German] action with the subsequent loss of 149 lives. All these men have their names recorded on the roll of honour of the Irish Merchant Seamens Memorial located at City Quay, here in Dublin. In December of 1950 the following recommendation was submitted for approval within the Government that in any case of bravery, death, disablement the full award should be given even if the duration of service was insufficient to merit the full award. Seamen who lost their lives on neutral Irish registered vessels were awarded posthumously the Mercantile Marine Medal with 3 bars attached. This award is the Irish Governments highest decoration for valour for services at sea during the the second world war.
Research begun in1986 into the loss of the Steam Trawler Leukos missing since March of 1940, created a legal precedent in Irish maritime law when the relatives of Seamen lost on Irish Vessels could from 1988 register these Deaths. Successful completion and publication of research in 1998 into the loss of another missing vessel, the SS Ardmore [an unconfirmed report indicates that the wreck of the SS Ardmore had been discovered in 1995 by the diving community and up till the conclusion of this research in 1998 its location had been kept secret ] missing since the 11th November of 1940, changed Irish Government policy in relation to the presentation of awards. From April 1998 a Minister would in future personally present awards to relatives and survivors. Heretofore medals would have been sent by post. Presentations have since taken place in the following locations ;
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On Saturday the 25th of April 1998 with the representatives for the President of Ireland, An Taoiseach,the British and Norwegian Governments, members of the Irish Army, Irish Naval Service, Irish Naval Association, Royal British Legion, Organisation of Ex Servicemen, Dail TDs and Councillors in attendance; presentations were made to relatives of the crew of the SS Ardmore in the Shandon Court Hotel, Cork City, by Mr Hugh Byrne TD, Minister for State at the Department of Marine and Natural Resources. This was the first public presentation of Marine Valour Medals. |
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to relatives in the Stella Maris Club in Dublin and at Loughshinny,Co Dublin by Minister Michael Woods TD. |
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to relatives of the crew of the St Fintan on board the Irish Government Sail Training Vessel Asgard II during a visit of the Tall Ships to Greenock, Scotland, and |
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to relatives of the crew of the Steam Trawler Leukos in Stornoway Isle of Lewis, Scotland, by the Irish Consul General in Scotland, Mr Dan Mulhall, on behalf of the Minister and the Irish Government. |
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to relatives of the crew of Steam Trawler Leukos in the Conservative Club, Fleetwood by Mr Tom McLoughlin, Superintendent, Mercantile Marine Office, Dublin, on behalf of the Minister, at the AGM of Royal Naval Patrol Service Association and |
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in Wexford at a re-presentation. |
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On the 10th of July 2002 in St James Hospital, Dublin, Mr Gerard Wright Superintendent at the Mercantile Marine Office made a unique medal presentation on behalf of the Government and the Minister for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to a recipient whom was very ill, see Speech |
A Memorial located at City Quay in Dublin dedicated to those lost on Irish Ships was opened in 1990.The first Poppy Wreath remembering the Liverpool lads lost was laid in June of 1998 by Norman Earl from the Wirral Branch, Merchant Navy Association. In October 1998 The SS Ardmore Memorial Plaque was erected by the relatives and dedicated by the the Naval Service Chaplain, Father Des Campion. It is located on the Penrose Quay side of the Michael Collins Bridge in Cork. The Ardmore Memorial Cross had also been laid at the Wrecksite of the SS Ardmore off the Saltee Islands by the Irish Naval Vessel L E Deirdre on behalf of the relatives.
In June of 1998, the closing chapters of the SS Ardmore research project were written in Kilmore Quay, County Wexford, when a memorial service for her crew was held in the village Church and at sea off the Saltee Islands and at the site of her wreck. The idea of memorial services for the Ardmore crew and the erection of a static memorial in Kilmore Quay where relatives could return and remember their loved ones with dignity (and as a consequence would also benefit the Kilmore Quay Community) was first mooted on the 16th of February 1998 in the Cork Edition of the Evening Echo and on Saturday 25th of April 1998 at the inaugural Ardmore memorial service in St Mary's Cathedral, Cork City. Services in Kilmore Quay have since been held in 1999 - 2005. In June of 2001 at Kilmore Quay, the Minister For State, Mr Hugh Byrne TD officially opened a Memorial Trail and Garden dedicated to those lost at sea.With the permission and at the direction of the Minister For Justice, Mr John O Donohue TD, an Inquest was held into the loss of the SS Ardmore in the Wexford Coroners Court, on the 19th of November 1999, pursuant to Section 23 of the Coroners Act. The Jury held that the crew of the Ardmore lost their lives on the 12th of November 1940 as a result of an explosion.
A background check of the crews lost on Irish vessels indicates that 18 were British, 1 Norwegian, 1 Latvian and 1 Argentinian who is my relative, the rest were Irish. Many had also served during the first world war in the Royal Navy, Royal Flying Corps, British Merchant Navy and in units of the British Army. Others would have served with the British Merchant Navy during the second world war. 1 member of the crew of the Ardmore was on leave from the Royal Navy. Research indicates that several may have been members of the RNVR. All those crews lost on Irish Ships would have sailed at one time or another under the red duster before war began in 1939. Ultan Todd B.E.M., 2nd Mate lost on the SS Kyleclare had been personally awarded the British Empire Medal by King George in November of 1942 for his action in saving 8 lives on the SS Marslew, a British Vessel which was attacked and sunk through enemy action on the 24th February 1941.
On the 24th of September 2001, sponsored by the Irish Seamen's Relatives Association (1939-46), the Irish Merchant Navy Memorial Plaque and Plinth uniquely embossed with the Irish flag commemorating those crews lost on Irish registered vessels during the period 1939-46 was erected in the British Merchant Navy Section of the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, England. This is a very significant gesture by our British friends towards recognising the debt of honour owed to all shipmates irrespective of nationality who lost their lives during the second world war.
Postscript
On Saturday 1st September 2007 Shipmate Harry Callan unveiled the Newly Refurbished Irish Merchant Navy Plaque dedicated to all who lost their lives on Irish Merchant Ships and Fishing Fleet during world war two. Shipmate Callan also unveiled a memorial plaque recording the names of the 5 Irish Born Merchant Seamen who lost their lives as a result of Gestapo ill-treatment in the Arbeitsertziehungslager Located in Bremen-Farge 1943-45
