Chief Officer James McAlpin

Today Carrickfergus remembers Chief Officer James McAlpin (McApline) Mercantile Marine lost at sea today 1917 on S.S “Stuart Prince” (Newcastle)

James was born in Carrickfergus in 1877 the son of William and Eliza McAlpin. He was husband to Edith McAlpin (nee Redmond) and father of a young son and daughter. Prior to the war the family moved to Creagh Road in Belfast where James served his apprenticeship in sailing ships and also served as an officer in wind-jammers.  He was a warm supporter of the work of the Imperial Merchant Service Guild.  On securing his sea master’s certificate he joined the Prince Line with whom he was serving at the time of his death.   James was lost at Sea along with 19 other crew when his ship S.S “Stuart Prince” was torpedoed by U Boat U66 85 miles North West of Broad Haven whilst on transit with a cargo of steel from Manchester and Belfast to Alexandria on 22 March 1917. His body was never recovered and remains lost at sea; he is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial London.  Testimony given at the news of his death hailed James as a very capable officer and in private life highly esteemed for his generous disposition.

S.S Stuart Prince

For information on the wreck site visit http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?12197

Updated info on Sydney Allcock - Unity Street Carrickfergus - LOL 553 - R.G.A

NAME; Allcock, Sydney

RANK; Gunner

SERV. NO; 8673

UNIT/SERVICE; Royal Garrison Artillery

REGIMENT; 19th Heavy Battery

BORN; Newport, Isle of Wight 1888

LIVED; Unity Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Carrickfergus

FATE; Killed in Action – France and Flanders 19^th October 1917 aged 29

CEMETERY; Canada Farm Cemetery – Belgium - III E. 3

CHURCH; St Nicholas Church of Ireland, Carrickfergus

MEMORIAL; St Nicholas Church of Ireland

REMARKS; Sydney Allcock was born in Newport Isle of Wight in 1888, son of Mr & Mrs. Mortimer Allcock, he moved to Ireland with his family in the late 1800's.  By 1914 he was living in 16 Unity Street Carrickfergus and was married to Jessie Allcock with 3 sons.  He was an active member of the Albert Road Loyal Orange Lodge 553 and part of the St Nicholas Church of Ireland Congregation.  Sydney was killed in action in the Ypres area of Belgium during the 3rd Ypres Campaign Battle of Passchendaele.  He is buried in Canada Farm Cemetery along with 906 other British and Canadian Great War soldiers.  The cemetery took its name from a farmhouse used as a dressing station during the 1917 Allied offensive on this front. Most of the burials are of men who died at the dressing station between June and October 1917. News of his death in 1917 was reported with great sadness in the Carrickfergus Advertiser noting that "great lose is felt with at the death of Gunner S Allcock... he was well known to many locally and will be sadly missed".  

Following a telegram confirming his death his widow Jessie received the following letter from Rev H A Norton, chaplain to the Forces: 

Dear Mrs Allcock – “It is my painful duty to inform you of the death of you dear husband, Gunner Allcock.  On Friday 19^th October his battery position was heavily shelled by the enemy.  Allcock with others took cover in a small shelter.  A shell exploded nearby and as a result of the violent concussion and rain of splinters he and seven of his comrades were killed whilst three others were wounded.  This is a sad story of an exceptional occurrence. It is not often so many are killed by one shell.  The happening has cast quite a gloom over the men and their hearts were sad when they attended the funeral on Saturday afternoon.  

S.S Bray Head, lost at Sea 14th March 1917

NAME; Atkinson, James

RANK; Fireman and Trimmer

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE; Mercantile Marine

REGIMENT; S.S “Bray Head” Belfast

BORN; Carrickfergus

LIVED; Thomas Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED;

FATE; Died 14^th March 1917 aged 33

CEMETERY; Body Lost at Sea and never recovered

CHURCH; St Nicholas Church of Ireland, Carrickfergus

MEMORIAL; Tower Hill Memorial

REMARKS;  James was the son of James and Jane Atkinson of Carrickfergus and husband to Matilda Atkinson (nee McConnell) of Thomas Street Carrickfergus.  Brother to Samuel, David and George who also served - brother also to Lizzie, Kate, Annie, Sara, Thomas, Nora and Jessie.  The S.S Bray Head was a steamer ship built in 1874 by C.S Swan and Hunter, Newcastle and operated by the Ulster Steam Ship Company Ltd.  On 14^th March 1917 while en route from St Johns, New Brunswick to Belfast with a general cargo she was attacked and sunk by gunfire from U-Boat U44 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Paul Wagenfuhr.  She was sunk 375 miles NW by W of Fastnet, 21 soles were lost including James Atkinson, Captain John Currie Hoy from Whitehead and 6 other men from Carrickfergus.  20 of the crew did survived and were finally picked up by H.M.S Adventure having been adrift in their lifeboat for 5 days.  James body was lost at sea and never recovered, he is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial London and on the St Nicholas Church memorial plaque.  

 

 

 

S.S Bray Head

NAME; Cameron, James

RANK; Fireman and Trimmer

SERV. NO; UNKNOWN

UNIT/SERVICE; Mercantile Marine

REGIMENT; S.S “Bray Head” (Belfast)

BORN; Carrickfergus

LIVED; Patterson’s Row, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Carrickfergus

FATE; Killed at Sea 14^th March 1917 aged 34

CEMETERY; Body Never Recovered

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL; Tower Hill Memorial

REMARKS; Son of William and Ann Jane Cameron and husband of Lizzie Cameron (Nee Breenan)

NAME; Carroll, William

RANK; Seaman

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE; Mercantile Marine

REGIMENT; S.S. “Bray Head” – Belfast

BORN;

LIVED; 4 Albert Drive, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED;

FATE; Killed / Lost at Sea 14^th March 1917 aged 17

CEMETERY; Body Never Recovered

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL; Tower Hill Memorial

REMARKS; Son of Henry and Ellen Carroll of 4 Albert Drive, Carrickfergus

  

NAME; Dalton, Thomas

RANK; Fourth Engineer Officer

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE; S.S “Bray Head” (Belfast)

REGIMENT; Mercantile Marine

BORN; Glasgow

LIVED; Eden, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED;

FATE; Killed in Action 14^th March 1917 aged 24

CEMETERY; Body Never Recovered

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL; Tower Hill Memorial

REMARKS; Son of David and Harriet Dalton of Eden Carrickfergus

NAME; Hilditch, Samuel

RANK; Ordinary Seaman

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE; Mercantile Marine

REGIMENT; S.S “Bray Head” –( Belfast)

BORN;

LIVED; North Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED;

FATE; Died 14^th March 1917 aged 21

CEMETERY;

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL; Tower Hill Memorial – London

REMARKS: Son of Robert and Sarah Hilditch (nee Ross) of North Street Carrickfergus

  

NAME; Stewart, Joseph

RANK; Fireman and Trimmer

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE; Mercantile Marine

REGIMENT; S.S. “Bray Head” Belfast

BORN; Carrickfergus

LIVED; Schomberg Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED;

FATE; Lost at Sea, 14^th March 1917 aged 25

CEMETERY; Body never recovered

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL;

REMARKS; Son of Hugh and Agnes Stewart, husband of Sarah Stewart (nee Blair) of Schomberg Street, Carrickfergus

Private John Logan 6th Battalion Connaught Rangers

Remembering today: Private John Logan - 2314 - 6th Battalion Connaught Rangers. He was killed in action in fighting around Loos France on 5th March 1915 aged 19.

John was born in Carrickfergus 1886 the son of John & Matilda Logan - brother of Charles, Daniel & Sarah-Anne. His brother Charles was killed in action in 1917.

John's body was never recovered and he is remembered on the Loos Memorial in France Panel 124 (pictured).

We will remember them.

The Loos Memorial forms the sides and back of Dud Corner Cemetery.

Loos-en-Gohelle is a village 5 kilometres north-west of Lens, and Dud Corner Cemetery is located about 1 kilometre west of the village, to the north-east of the N943, the main Lens to Bethune road.

Dud Corner Cemetery stands almost on the site of a German strong point, the Lens Road Redoubt, captured by the 15th (Scottish) Division on the first day of the battle.

The name "Dud Corner" is believed to be due to the large number of unexploded enemy shells found in the neighbourhood after the Armistice.

The Loos Memorial commemorates over 20,000 officers and men who have no known grave, who fell in the area from the River Lys to the old southern boundary of the First Army, east and west of Grenay. On either side of the cemetery is a wall 15 feet high, to which are fixed tablets on which are carved the names of those commemorated. At the back are four small circular courts, open to the sky, in which the lines of tablets are continued, and between these courts are three semicircular walls or apses, two of which carry tablets, while on the centre apse is erected the Cross of Sacrifice.

Rifleman Edward Gorman Shaw - 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles

Today I was assisting with the Great War section of Woodburn Presbyterian Church history publication when I realised that Edward Gorman Shaw had in fact been a member of that congregation.  Many of you may have read about him in the section I did about LOL 553 in Carrick but I think the details of his war story are worth another look.  I don't have a picture of Edward yet so if anyone could help track one down I would really appreciate it.

J.S

                ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NAME; Shaw, Edward Gorman

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO; 12/18755

UNIT/SERVICE; 12th Battalion "C Coy"

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus 1871

LIVED; Upper Woodburn, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; September 1914 in Carrickfergus

FATE; Survived the War

CEMETERY; N/A

CHURCH; Woodburn Presbyterian

MEMORIAL; N/A

REMARKS; REMARKS; Edward Shaw was born in Carrickfergus in 1871 the son of Thomas and Rachael Shaw of Woodburn. In 1901 and 1911 he is listed as living in the Woodburn area of the town with his wife Jemima whom he married on 29^th September 1899 in Ballycarry Presbyterian.  The couple had 5 children, William, Henry, Rachel, Susan and Jemima.  The entire family were members of the Presbyterian church and Edward was a member of Bennett's Chosen Few LOL 553.  Prior to the war he worked as a salt miner at the local salt mine works, presumably in Woodburn.  Edward was a big man for the day 5ft 10 inches 156 pounds with blue eyes and dark hair, he had a tattoo of a ship and a flower on his left forearm and was listed as being in good physical health.  On the 28^th September 1912 he signed the Ulster Covenant at Carrickfergus Court House where he is listed as living in Upper Woodburn.  Edward enlisted with the 12^th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in September 1914 aged 34 and was assigned to C Company.  He was promoted to Corporal on 29^th September 1914 but reverted back to private in December that year at his own request.  He saw action across the Western Front and was on active service in France from October 1915.  He was reported as missing presumed dead on 21^st March 1918 but was actually taken prisoner of war.  He served out the rest of the war in captivity only being repatriated on 19^th December 1918.  Edward was demobilised on 29^th March 1919 and returned to Carrickfergus by which point the family were living in 42 Unity Street in the town.