| Author |
Message |
    
Senan Molony
Member
Username: senan_molony
Post Number: 71
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 - 10:12 pm: | 
|
This new book on the tragic RMS Leinster is a cracking read. 315 pages, plenty of photographs.
The mail vessel Leinster was torpedoed by UB-123 in the Irish Sea at the end of the First World War (Oct 10, 1918).
501 of the 771 people on board were killed.
At the moment it is just available from the author, philip.lecane@comhairle.ie. |
Inger Sheil
Moderator
Username: isheil
Post Number: 3780
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 6, 2005 - 3:03 am: |
|
I'll have to look into picking up a copy. Never noted before that the Leinster was sunk on what would, 55 years later, be my birthday.
Lecane has been researching the Leinster tragedy for some time, hasn't he? Here's an interesting page I came across -
http://www.irishships.com/rms_leinster_speech.htm |
Noel F.Jones
Member
Username: ver1tas
Post Number: 429
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 7, 2005 - 2:31 am: |
|
At the time of the Leinster sinking my late father was a very young telegraphist RNVR with the Irish Sea Motor Launch Patrol which was then under the command of Captain Gordon Campbell VC. This officer had come from considerable success with his Q-ships.
The Motor Launch Patrol was based at Holyhead and ranged the Irish Sea between there and Dunmore East (Waterford) and occasionally round to Cork, searching and hydrophoning for U-boats.
The ML's were manned largely by ex-fishermen with local knowledge and commanded by officers drafted in off the retired list.
On the morning of the Leinster sinking, when the news came through the port duty officer came storming out of his office only to find the ML flotilla was off-watch in Holyhead harbour! "I thought you were out" was his incredulous exclamation.
Incidentally, the ML's were built at Bayonne NJ, then railroaded up to Canada to be finished off by Vickers in Montreal before being shipped over as deck cargo. They had wooden hulls and had to comply with the railroad loading guage. My father's boat was ML 325 so there were quite a lot of them. The designer was Sutphen and the shells were code-named 'Sutphens' for security reasons prior to delivery to the RN.
On published accounts, others seem to be ahead of Mr Lecane, viz.:
Roy Stokes: Death in the Irish Sea
http://www.ukdiving.co.uk/wrecks/wreck.php?id=226
Also:
"the protection of the mail boats was the responsibility of Flag Captain Gordon Campbell VC who commanded the Irish Sea Flotilla and, although not his only worry, he expressed the view that the loss of a mail steamer would be considered a national disaster."
http://www.irishships.com/rmsleinster.htm
And according to this site:
http://www.thehistorynet.com/pod/pod1010/
"Leinster was usually escorted by a Royal Air Force airship as a precaution, but on October 10, 1918, the ferry set out alone."
And here you can see a photo of one of the bills of Leinster's salvaged anchor at Dun Laoghaire harbour:
http://www.grahamgosling.com/dlharbour/anchor(0472).htm
Noel |
Senan Molony
Member
Username: senan_molony
Post Number: 442
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 12:18 pm: |
|
Today is the 87th Anniversary of the RMS Leinster disaster.
Ar dheis De go raibh a n-anamnacha uilig.
Which means it is also Inger's birthday. Happy birthday, Inger. |
Senan Molony
Member
Username: senan_molony
Post Number: 443
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 12:34 pm: |
|
 |
Inger Sheil
Moderator
Username: isheil
Post Number: 4076
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 12:10 am: |
|
quote:Which means it is also Inger's birthday. Happy birthday, Inger.
Yup - and I can't resist the obvious comment about two disasters on the one anniversary!
Cheers, Sen - I'll raise of glass of my birthday Bacardi Limon to the Leinster. |
Michael Poirier
Member
Username: mike_poirier
Post Number: 209
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 10:02 am: |
|
Senan-
You are not trying to imply that Inger is 87, are you? 
Happy Birthday Inger!
Mike
Clemency: We've been torpedoed! Oh, Mother! What shall we do?
Millicent: Get the jewelry.
|
Inger Sheil
Moderator
Username: isheil
Post Number: 4080
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 11:40 pm: |
|
Hitting 87 would explain a lot of things, Mike 
Ta for the b'day greeting! |
Michael Poirier
Member
Username: mike_poirier
Post Number: 210
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - 10:20 am: |
|
Hello Inger-
I hope the excitement of blowing out 87 candles was not too much for you. Come to think of it, I believe you and I are about the same age. I guess a wheel chair race is in order.
But on topic- Charles Spedding wrote of travelling on the Leinster, shortly after the sinking of the Laconia. He lamented that the Leinster was sunk and that all the crew that was helpful to him and the other Laconia survivors were most likely lost. I believe the captain of the Leinster gave up his cabin to Spedding during the crossing.
Clemency: We've been torpedoed! Oh, Mother! What shall we do?
Millicent: Get the jewelry.
|
