| At 00.16 hours on 26 Jan, 1944, U-360 (Becker) fired a spread of three FAT torpedoes at the convoy JW-56A
in the Barents Sea north of North Cape in 73°45N/24°48E and heard three
hits. In fact, only the ship of the convoy commodore Cmdr I.W.
Whitehorn RN, the Fort Bellingham (Master James Ninian Maley) was hit and fell behind the convoy, where she was sunk by U-957 with a T-3 torpedo at 06.53 hours the same day. The master, the commodore, four naval staff members, 22 crew members and seven gunners were picked up by HMS Offa (G 29) (LtCdr R.F. Leonard, RN) and landed at Murmansk. Two crew members were taken prisoner by U-957. 18 crew members, 16 gunners and two naval staff members were lost. Of the crew members who were lost was Signalman John Beattie Dumigan from Carrickfergus. A comprehensive report on S.S. Fort Billingham and a full Roll of Honour is available here | |||
NAME; Dumigan, John Beattie
RANK; Convoy Signalman
SERV.
NO; C/JX 234041
UNIT/SERVICE; Royal Navy
REGIMENT; S.S Fort Bellingham
BORN; Carrickfergus, 1921
LIVED; Carrickfergus
ENLISTED;
FATE; Killed in action -25th January 1944
CEMETERY; Body never recovered, lost at sea
CHURCH;
MEMORIAL; Chatham Naval Memorial, 76,3
REMARKS: Son of John and Martha Dumigan; husband of Rhoda M. Dumigan, of Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland.
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| S.S. Fort Bellingham |
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