{"id":489,"date":"2024-03-21T11:49:17","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T11:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/?p=489"},"modified":"2024-03-25T15:42:38","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:42:38","slug":"irish-willow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/2024\/03\/21\/irish-willow\/","title":{"rendered":"Irish Willow"},"content":{"rendered":"

Irish Willow<\/span><\/h1>\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
SS\u00a0Irish Willow<\/i><\/b><\/caption>\n
\"Irish<\/p>\n

Oil painting by\u00a0Kenneth King: from the deck of\u00a0U-753<\/i>, signalling to\u00a0Irish Willow<\/i><\/span>
\n\u201csend master and ships papers\u201d<\/span>
\n(National Maritime Museum of Ireland)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Career (United States)<\/span><\/th>\n\"\"<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Name:<\/span><\/td>\nLake Sunapee<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Owner:<\/span><\/td>\nUnited States Shipping Board (1918\u201323)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Operator:<\/span><\/td>\nUnited States Army (1918\u20131919)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Out of service:<\/span><\/td>\n1920\u201323<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career (United States)<\/span><\/th>\n\"\"<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Name:<\/span><\/td>\nFrank Lynch<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Owner:<\/span><\/td>\nW.J. Gray, San Francisco (1923\u201337)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career (Greece)<\/span><\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Name:<\/span><\/td>\nNestor<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Owner:<\/span><\/td>\nGeorge D. Gratsos and Co Ltd. (1937\u201338)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career(Estonia)<\/span><\/th>\n\"\"<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Name:<\/span><\/td>\nOtto<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Owner:<\/span><\/td>\nK. Jurnas (1938\u20131946)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career (Ireland)<\/span><\/th>\n\"\"<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Name:<\/span><\/td>\nIrish Willow<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Owner:<\/span><\/td>\nK. Jurnas; M\/s Egon Jurgenson (1938\u20131946)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Operator:<\/span><\/td>\nIrish Shipping Limited (1942\u201346)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Route:<\/span><\/td>\nSaint John, New Brunswick to Ireland(1942\u201345)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fate:<\/span><\/td>\nReturned to owners 6 May 1946, then sold<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career (Panama)<\/span><\/th>\n\"\"<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Name:<\/span><\/td>\nVeraguas<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Owner:<\/span><\/td>\nCia de Vapores (1946\u201360)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fate:<\/span><\/td>\n26 July 1960 Broken up by J Boel et fils<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
General characteristics<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Class and type:<\/span><\/td>\nLake freighter\u00a0(1)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tonnage:<\/span><\/td>\n2,009\u00a0GRT<\/abbr><\/span>
\n1,197\u00a0NRT<\/abbr><\/span>
\n3,000\u00a0DWT<\/abbr>\u00a0(2)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Length:<\/span><\/td>\n252\u00a0ft (76.8\u00a0m)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Beam:<\/span><\/td>\n43\u00a0ft 5\u00a0in (13.2\u00a0m)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Depth:<\/span><\/td>\n18\u00a0ft 9\u00a0in (5.7\u00a0m)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Decks:<\/span><\/td>\n1<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Propulsion:<\/span><\/td>\nTriple-expansion steam engine, replaced in 1923 with a six cyl 4 S.C.S.A. Werkspoor diesel engine by Pacific Diesel Engine Co, Oakland, California. Replaced 1938 with a T 3-cyl by John Lewis and Son, Aberdeen<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Capacity:<\/span><\/td>\n130,000 cubic feet (3,681\u00a0m3<\/sup>)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

This article has been donated to Wikipedia<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Irish Willow<\/i><\/b>\u00a0was one of the few ships which maintained Irish trade during World War II.<\/span>
\nAt the outbreak of World War II, known as \u201cThe Emergency\u201d,\u00a0(3)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0(4)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Ireland declared neutrality and became isolated as never before.\u00a0(5)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Although Ireland had a substantial food surplus, there were shortages of specific foods such as fruits, wheat and tea. There were very few Irish ships as shipping had been neglected\u00a0(6)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0since independence. Foreign ships which had transported Irish cargoes, before the war, were soon unavailable.<\/span><\/p>\n

No country had ever been more effectively blockaded because of the activities of belligerents and our lack of ships\u2026<\/span>
\n\u2014 Taoiseach (Prime Minister) \u00c9amon de Valera , Saint Patrick\u2019s Day address 17 March 1940<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The\u00a0Otto<\/i>, an Estonian ship, was in Cobh when the Republic of Estonia was suppressed by the USSR. In October 1941 trustees for the absent owners leased her to Irish Shipping. She was renamed\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>,\u00a0(7)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0She made 18 voyages to Saint John, New Brunswick, returning with wheat. She also exported food to Britain and imported coal. Initially Irish ships sailed in British convoys. In the light of experience they chose to sail alone, relying on their neutral markings. German respect for that neutrality varied from friendly to tragic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Construction<\/span><\/h2>\n

The ship was built for the United States Shipping Board in Toledo, Ohio (Yard Number:143) by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company.[note]later incorporated into the American Ship Building Company[\/note] A Standard WWI cargo ship,\u00a0(8)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0she was laid down as\u00a0War Flag<\/em>, but named\u00a0Lake Sunapee<\/em>.\u00a0(1A)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0She was launched on 28 December 1917,\u00a0(9)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0(10)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0while World War I was still in progress.\u00a0(11)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0She was a single deck vessel with a grain capacity of 130,000 cubic feet (3,681 m3<\/sup>) and bunker capacity of 2,009\u00a0GRT<\/abbr>. She was 252 ft (76.81 m) long, 43 ft 5 in (13.2 m) wide and 18 ft 9 in (5.7 m) deep.\u00a0(1B)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Early history<\/span><\/h2>\n

As a Laker she was designed to navigate the canal locks bypassing Niagara Falls.\u00a0(1C)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Lake Sunapee<\/em>\u00a0served as a U.S. Army transport, based in Cardiff, Glamorgan, United Kingdom, bringing coal to France.\u00a0(11A)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0She departed from Cardiff for New York City on 7 June 1919,\u00a0(12)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0arrived 25 June and was decommissioned at Hoboken, New Jersey 3 July 1919.\u00a0(11B)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Little is known of her service in the years immediately following WWI, although it is recorded that she arrived at New York from the Par\u00e1 on 29 May 1920.\u00a0(13)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0She was laid up until 1923 when she was sold to W. J. Gray Jnr. of San Francisco and renamed Frank Lynch. She was built as a coal-fired steamship with a triple-expansion steam engine. In 1923 this was replaced with a Werkspoor diesel engine.\u00a0(14)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0On 29 August 1929, the passenger ship\u00a0San Juan<\/em>\u00a0collided with the tanker S.C.T. Dodd and sank with the loss of many lives.\u00a0Frank Lynch, Munami<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0S.C.T. Dodd<\/em>\u00a0rescued the survivors.\u00a0(15)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In 1937, she was sold to the Greek company George D. Gratsos\u2019 Sons,[note 2] later changed to George D. Gratsos and Co. Ltd.[\/note] who renamed her\u00a0Nestor<\/em>.\u00a0(16)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0In 1938 she suffered a total engine failure and was towed to Rotterdam,\u00a0(17)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0where she was converted back to a steamer. In 1939 she was sold to K Jurnas of Estonia and renamed\u00a0Otto<\/em>.\u00a0(14A)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

World War II<\/span><\/h2>\n

Background<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Irish government had pursued a policy of self-sufficiency,\u00a0(18)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0so international trade was discouraged and the mercantile marine[note] In Ireland it is the \u201cMercantile Marine\u201d; in the United Kingdom, it is the \u201cMerchant Navy\u201d; in the USA, it is the \u201cMerchant Marine\u201d.[\/note] ignored.\u00a0At independence in 1923 there were 127 Irish ships, but by September 1939 there were only 56, including 7 which did not carry cargo.\u00a0(19)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Irish imports such as wheat, maize, timber and fertilizer were carried on foreign, mainly British, ships.\u00a0(20)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0With the outbreak of hostilities, they were unavailable.[note 4]Petroleum was imported in British flagged tankers\u00a0(21)<\/sup><\/span>[\/note]\u00a0Churchill explained \u201cwe need this tonnage for our own supply\u201d.\u00a0(22)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0In November 1939, American ships were excluded from Irish waters by the neutrality act.\u00a0(23)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0By the end of 1940, nine Irish ships[note] Nine Irish Ships<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. 2 February 1940\u00a0Munster<\/em>\u00a0struck a mine as she approached Liverpool and sank.\u00a0(24)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. 9 March 1940:\u00a0Leukos<\/em>\u00a0sunk by gunfire from\u00a0U-38<\/em>\u00a0All eleven crew lost\u00a0(25)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. 15 July 1940:\u00a0City of Limerick<\/em>\u00a0bombed and sunk by the Luftwaffe in the Bay of Biscay. Two died.\u00a0(26)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  4. 16 August 1940:\u00a0Meath<\/em>\u00a0struck a mine in the Irish Sea and sank.\u00a0(27)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  5. 4 September 1940:\u00a0Luimneacht<\/em>\u00a0sunk by gunfire from\u00a0U-46<\/em>\u00a0(28)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  6. 22 October 1940:\u00a0Kerry Head<\/em>\u00a0bombed and sunk by the Luftwaffe off Cape Clear. Twelve died.\u00a0(29)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  7. 11 November 1940:\u00a0Ardmore<\/em>\u00a0struck a mine approaching the Bristol channel and sank. 24 died.\u00a0(30)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  8. 19 December 1940:\u00a0Isolda<\/em>, lighthouse tender bombed and sunk by the Luftwaffe. six died.\u00a0(31)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  9. 21 December 1940: Innisfallen struck a mine approaching Liverpool and sank. four died<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    [\/note] as well as ten neutral foreign ships carrying Irish cargoes, some of which had been chartered by Irish companies, had been sunk by U-boats, the Luftwaffe or mines.\u00a0(32)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0(33)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0[note 6]ten foreign ships:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. 15 December 1939:\u00a0Germaine<\/em>\u00a0of Greece with 7,400 tons of maize for Cork was stopped and scuttled by\u00a0U-48<\/em>\u00a0(34)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    2. 27 May 1940:\u00a0Uruguay<\/em>\u00a0of Argentina, with wheat and maize for Limerick, was stopped by\u00a0U-37.<\/em>\u00a0She was sunk with scuttling charges, leaving the crew in two lifeboats, one was rescued by Spanish fishermen; the other, with fifteen men was never found.\u00a0(35)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    3. 11 June 1940:\u00a0Violando N Goulandris<\/em>\u00a0of Greece, with wheat for Waterford, was torpedoed and sunk, with the loss of six lives by\u00a0U-48.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
    4. 19 June 1940:\u00a0Adamandios Georgandis<\/em>\u00a0of Greece with a cargo of wheat for Cork was torpedoed by\u00a0U-28<\/em>. One died.<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. 29 June 1940:\u00a0Frangoula B Goulandris<\/em>\u00a0of Greece Outward Cork to St Thomas in ballast to collect a cargo of sugar, was torpedoed and sunk by\u00a0U-26.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
    6. 10 July 1940:\u00a0Petsamo<\/em>\u00a0of Finland with 4477 tons of maize and 1523 tons of grain\u00a0(36)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0for Cork was torpedoed and sunk by\u00a0U-34<\/em>, within sight of the Irish coast, off Baltimore, County Cork. Four died.<\/span><\/li>\n
    7. 11 July 1940:\u00a0Ia<\/em>\u00a0of Greece with a cargo of wheat for Cork was torpedoed and sunk by\u00a0U-99<\/em>. Three died.<\/span><\/li>\n
    8. 14 July 1940:\u00a0Thetis A<\/em>\u00a0of Greece with grain for Limerick was torpedoed and sunk by\u00a0U-52<\/em>. Nine died.<\/span><\/li>\n
    9. 17 September 1940: Tanker\u00a0Kalliopi S<\/em>\u00a0of Greece bound for Limerick was bombed and sunk by Luftwaffe in Sheephaven Bay.<\/span><\/li>\n
    10. 8 October 1940:\u00a0Delphin<\/em>\u00a0of Greece with wheat and maize for Cork was torpedoed and sunk by\u00a0U-103<\/em>. All survived<\/span><\/li>\n
    11. 8 December 1940: Sailing ship\u00a0Penang<\/em>\u00a0of Finland with 3,193 tons of wheat\u00a0(34A)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0for Cobh was torpedoed by\u00a0U-140<\/em>. All 18 crew lost.\u00a0(37)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      [\/note] \u00a0Against this background, the government founded Irish Shipping\u00a0(39)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0and sought ships which it could charter or purchase.\u00a0(40)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0(41)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0was one of those ships.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Soviet claim<\/span><\/h3>\n

      In June 1940 the Soviet Union occupied the Baltic states and on 6 August 1940 Estonia was annexed as the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic. Industry was nationalised and Estonian ships were instructed to go a Soviet port. There were several ships from the Baltic states in, or heading to, Irish ports. All ignored that instruction. Peter Kolts, a crewman of the\u00a0Pirer<\/em>, another Estonian ship at Dublin south quays, hoisted the hammer and sickle and prevented Captain Joseph Juriska from removing it. The Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na were called. Following a court appearance before Justice Michael Lennon the sailor spent a week in jail.\u00a0(42)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      Ivan Maisky, the Soviet Union\u2019s ambassador to the United Kingdom, applied to the High Court in Dublin for possession of the ships\u00a0Their owners could not be contacted. The Soviet case was supported by a letter from John Whelan Dulanty, the Irish High Commissioner in London, who explained that when the ships had been instructed to go immediately to the USSR three had been carrying cargoes destined for Ireland, that he had asked if they could first deliver their Irish cargo, and that Maisky had agreed on behalf of the Soviet Union, provided that the Irish government guaranteed that after discharging their cargo they would be given food sufficient for the journey to a Soviet port. A. K. Overend K.C., acting for Maisky, said that this established that his client was recognised by Ireland as\u00a0\u201cthe proper person to give instruction to the ships\u201d<\/em>,\u00a0(43)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0and that his client was the only claimant.<\/span><\/p>\n

      John McEvoy was the honorary consul[note 7]In the high court record John McEvoy is described as \u201cvice consul\u201d, the speech by the current President of Estonia used the title \u201chonourary consul\u201d.[\/note] of the Republic of Estonia in Dublin.\u00a0(44)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0He opposed the Soviet claim along with Estonian representatives in Switzerland. \u00a0Even though they lacked diplomatic status, the court recognised the right of Herbert Martinson, described as \u201can Estonian national, resident in Switzerland\u201d to join with John McEvoy in vindicating the rights of the absent owners.\u00a0“Eire High Court: Zarine v. Owners, etc. S. S. Ramava, McEvoy & Ors. v. Owners, etc. S. S. Otto, McEvoy and Veldi v. Owners, etc. S. S. Piret and S. S. Mall, Eckert & Co. v. Owners, etc. S. S. Everoja”. The American Journal of International Law. vol 36. (July 1942) American Society of International Law. page:490\u2013504; “>\u00a0(45)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0The court recognised John McEvoy and Herbert Martinson as trustees for the owners. The High Court considered five ships: three from Estonia,\u00a0Otto, Piret<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Mall<\/em>, and two from Latvia,\u00a0Ramava and Everoja<\/em>. McEvoy acted for the various owners of the Estonian ships. On 16 May 1941 the High Court rejected the Soviet claim. The Soviet authorities appealed against the decision to the five-judge Supreme Court. On 3 July 1941 the appeal was unanimously dismissed with costs.\u00a0“Eire High Court: Zarine v. Owners, etc. S. S. Ramava, McEvoy & Ors. v. Owners, etc. S. S. Otto, McEvoy and Veldi v. Owners, etc. S. S. Piret and S. S. Mall, Eckert & Co. v. Owners, etc. S. S. Everoja”. The American Journal of International Law. vol 36. (July 1942) American Society of International Law. page:490\u2013504; “>\u00a0(45A)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The Soviet Union made a \u2018most emphatic\u2019 protest.\u00a0(46)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      Martinson leased the three Estonian vessels to Irish Shipping for the duration of the war plus three months. The two Latvian ships transferred to the British registry and sailed under the Red Ensign.\u00a0Ramava<\/em>\u00a0moved to Britain.\u00a0Everoja<\/em>\u00a0remained in Ireland,\u00a0(47)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0and was torpedoed and sunk on 3 November 1941 by\u00a0U-203<\/em>\u00a0(48)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0while in convoy SC-52 on passage from Canada to Dublin with 6,400 tons of wheat.\u00a0(49)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      John McEvoy was acting at his own expense. \u00a0There was no Estonian government to fund him. \u00a0If he lost the case, the Soviets could have pursued him for their costs, probably bankrupting him. \u00a0Fortunately,the Soviets lost and had to pay his legal expenses. \u00a0The court further directed that he was to be reimbursed for his other expenses from the income earned by the\u00a0Otto (Irish Willow)<\/em>.\u00a0(17A)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0McEvoy\u2019s role was acknowledged by Estonia following its independence (the Singing Revolution), when the President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves said:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201c\u2026 \u2026 we are thankful that Ireland never recognised the illegal annexation of Estonia by the Soviet Union after the Second World War. We will never forget John McEvoy, Estonia\u2019s honorary consul in Dublin from 1938 to 1960. Among other things, one of his good deeds was helping to protect the interests of the Estonian shipowners \u2026\u201d\u00a0(50)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      Irish Willow<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

      On October 1941, in Cobh, the\u00a0Otto<\/em>\u00a0was chartered by Irish Shipping. She was brought to Dublin for extensive repairs. On 5 December 1941, she made her first voyage as the\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>: She went from Cobh to Dublin under Captain G.R. Bryan, from Rathfarnam, previously captain of the City of Dublin. H. Cullen, previously of the\u00a0Irish Elm,<\/em>\u00a0was first officer. H. Jurgenson was chief engineer; he was an Estonian national, and had been the chief engineer when she was the\u00a0Otto<\/em>\u00a0(51)<\/sup><\/span>. As some engine components were not available in Ireland, the repairs had to be completed in Canada. On 5 December she went on her first commercial voyage, under Captain R Shanks of Belfast, as the\u00a0Irish Willow.<\/em>\u00a0She went to Troon for fuel and then joined convoy ON-47. The convoy departed on 15 December 1941.\u00a0(52)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Around this time, Irish crews were refusing to travel in convoy. The\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0\u201clost\u201d her convoy.\u00a0(17B)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0She arrived in St John on 12 January 1942 and on 22 January loaded her cargo of wheat. Repairs delayed her a further two weeks. She was scheduled to return in convoy SC-68.[note 9]According to this: http:\/\/convoyweb.org.uk\/sc\/index.html she was in the convoy. Cleare p. 62,63 and Higgins p. 7 say she was alone. Since she saw a submarine on 3 February 1942 and there is no mention of the convoy seeing it, we can assume that she was out of convoy[\/note] Returning alone, a submarine was spotted on 3 February.\u00a0(0)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0There was no contact. She unloaded her cargo of wheat in Waterford on 2 March and then went again for a further wheat cargo from St John for Waterford.\u00a0(54)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0During the war, she completed 18 such voyages.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Encounter with U-753<\/span><\/h3>\n
      \n

      \"Irish<\/p>\n

      Oil painting by\u00a0Kenneth King:\u00a0from the deck of\u00a0U-753<\/i>, signalling to\u00a0Irish Willow<\/i>\u00a0\u201csend master and ships papers\u201d\u00a0(National Maritime Museum of Ireland)<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      On the morning of 16 March 1942,\u00a0U-753<\/em>\u00a0sighted a lone ship, south-west of the Rockall Bank (the\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>), and prepared to sink her until they saw her neutral markings (the Irish tricolour and the word EIRE) At 2 pm\u00a0U-753<\/em>\u00a0(55)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0surfaced and signaled \u201csend master and ship\u2019s papers\u201d. As Captain Shanks was born in Belfast and could be regarded as British, this was considered unwise.\u00a0(56)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Chief Officer Henry Cullen, with four crew as oarsmen went instead.\u00a0(17C)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0In the conning tower he explained that his captain was too elderly[note 10]Captain Shanks was 39 years old.[\/note] for the small boat. He spoke about Ireland\u2019s neutrality. He reminded them that the next day would be Saint Patrick\u2019s Day. He sensed that he was making progress when tumblers of schnapps were produced in honour of Saint Patrick.\u00a0(57)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0But then the Germans, who seemed embarrassed and apologetic, said that they were awaiting instructions whether or not to sink the ship; they would, however, fire a red flare five minutes beforehand if they were to sink the\u00a0Irish Willow.<\/em>\u00a0Cullen and the oarsmen returned to their ship. They were given a bottle of cognac, to take back \u201cfor the crew\u201d.\u00a0(57A)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0There was an anxious wait until eventually the U-boat fired a green flare.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Rescuing the crew of Empire Breeze<\/span><\/h3>\n

      Convoy ON 122 [note 11]ON means \u201cOutward\u201d to \u201cNorth\u201d America[\/note] left Liverpool on 15 August 1942. Ten days later, on 25 August 1942, when they were in the mid-Atlantic, the convoy was attacked by Wolfpack Lohs.\u00a0(58)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Four ships were torpedoed and sunk.[note 12]Trolla (6 dead and 16 survivors), rescued by Norwegian corvette HNoMS Potentilla(K 214)\u00a0(59)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Sheaf Mount (31 dead and 20 survivors), rescued by rescue ship Stockport\u00a0(60)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Empire Breeze (1 dead and 47 survivors)[\/note] The convoy retreated into a fogbank, with visibility less than 300 meters, probably saving further loss. The fog continued to thicken.\u00a0(61)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0U-176<\/em>\u00a0had hit the 7,457 ton\u00a0Empire Breeze<\/em>\u00a0with two torpedoes.\u00a0(62)<\/sup><\/span>[note 13]U-438 had fired a torpedo at the same time and mistakenly believed that their torpedo hit the Empire Breeze.\u00a0(63)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Some sites,\u00a0(64)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0still credit U-438.[\/note] An SOS was transmitted and acknowledged. The 47[note 14]some sources say 48<\/span>
      \nhttp:\/\/uboat.net\/allies\/merchants\/2088.html says: Complement 49 (1 dead and 48 survivors).; and also: Irish Willow found the wreck in the fog and picked up the master, 41 crew members and six gunners<\/span>
      \nhttp:\/\/www.warsailors.com\/convoys\/on122.html says: Empire Breeze was torpedoed by U-176 and U-438 on 25 Aug with the loss of 1 man, 48 survived.[\/note] surviving crew abandoned ship and took to their three lifeboats.\u00a0(63A)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0A fourth lifeboat was destroyed during launch.\u00a0(63B)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0One crewman died[note 15]Yusuf Doalay, on duty as a fireman, died when the torpedoes hit.\u00a0This was his first voyage on the\u00a0Empire Breeze<\/i>. His previous ship had been sunk.[\/note] The\u00a0Empire Breeze<\/em>\u00a0remained afloat. The rescue ship\u00a0Stockport<\/em>\u00a0was detailed to rescue them. The\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0was 45 miles to the west, too far away to help. 24 hours after the attack the crew of the\u00a0Empire Breeze<\/em>\u00a0were still in their lifeboats.\u00a0Stockport<\/em>\u00a0had failed to locate them in the fog, so she left to rejoin the convoy. There were three radio officers. They had a portable radio transmitter in a lifeboat. Repeated SOS messages were not acknowledged. The\u00a0Empire Breeze<\/em>\u00a0was still afloat. Captain Thomson and some of the crew re-boarded. The cook prepared hot meals. Joseph Brown, a radio officer, connected their portable radio with the ship\u2019s aerial and rebroadcast the SOS. This was heard and acknowledged by Belle Isle radio station in Canada.\u00a0(66)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The rescue tug HMS\u00a0Frisky<\/em>\u00a0and the corvette HMCS\u00a0Rosthern<\/em>\u00a0were sent to rescue the crew and salvage the\u00a0Empire Breeze<\/em>. They failed to locate her or the survivors.\u00a0(67)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0A serious problem was that there had been fog for the previous few days, astronomical observations had not been taken, so no ship in the area knew their exact location. The various accounts of this event give different locations: www.wrecksite.eu (from the convoy report)\u00a0(68)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0has 58\u00b056\u201930?N 25\u00b017\u201930?W.\u00a0(69)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Frank Forde\u2019s book (from the log of the Irish Willow) quotes 59\u00b022\u2019N 25\u00b052\u2019W.\u00a0(70)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      36 hours after the attack they sent another SOS. The\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0heard this SOS, she responded and headed towards the scene.\u00a0(71)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0replied, asking how long they could hold out. Captain Thomson of the\u00a0Empire Breeze<\/em>\u00a0estimated six hours. Captain Shanks of the Irish Willow replied \u201cComing to you \u2013 with you in about five hours\u201d. The fog became denser and visibility reduced to zero. Rather than plotting locations, (dead reckoning) the\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0was using direction finding equipment;\u00a0(70A)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0she was travelling towards the SOS signal: It was dangerous for the\u00a0Irish Willow.<\/em>\u00a0They knew the direction to take, but did not know the distance. Travelling in fog, they could collide with the Empire Breeze, or endanger survivors in the water. Extra look-outs were posted along her bow and whistles were sounded every two minutes. The repeating SOS messages could attract U-boats, seeking to \u201cfinish the job\u201d,\u00a0(72)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0and if such a U-boat found the\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0at the scene, its attitude could be quite different to that encountered on 16 March.<\/span><\/p>\n

      In dense fog\u00a0(73)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0the survivors were located and rescued. The\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0resumed her voyage to Waterford. As they rounded Hook Lighthouse they were met by the RNLI lifeboat\u00a0Annie-Blanche-Smith<\/em>\u00a0from Dunmore East\u00a0(73A)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0with an advance party of doctors and Red Cross volunteers. The Dunmore East Parish Hall had been converted into a reception center. A full team of Red Cross volunteers had arrived from Waterford. Hot meals and medical facilities were awaiting the survivors. It was decided to land the survivors at Dunmore East, while the Irish Willow continued to Waterford. Two were taken by ambulance to Waterford Infirmary with fever.\u00a0(74)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      On 4 September 1942, the Munster Express, newspaper published an interview with Captain Thomson \u201cWe are very pleased to land in Eire, and we certainly could not have found a better landing\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cLucky\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n
      \n

      \"Lucky<\/p>\n

      James Brown and Laurence Burke photographed after signing-on the \u201dIrish Willow\u201d in 1943 (photo from \u2018Signal\u2019<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      There were some fortunate or \u201clucky\u201d crewmen on the \u201dIrish Willow\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

      James Brown of Arklow had served on the\u00a0City of Waterford<\/em>. She was on the \u201cLisbon run\u201d.[note]This route arose from the American neutrality act. American ships would not go to Ireland. Irish cargoes, such as: fertiliser, machinery and tobacco, were brought to Lisbon. it was up to the Irish to collect.[\/note] She was in convoy OG-74 and collided with the tug\u00a0Thames<\/em>\u00a0and sunk.<\/span><\/p>\n

      James Brown was on the companion way with Captain Thomas Aplin and Edward Kearney. They both died. James was thrown into the sea and was rescued by HMS\u00a0Deptford<\/em>. He was transferred to the convoy rescue ship\u00a0Walmer Castle<\/i>. Then the\u00a0Walmer Castle<\/em>\u00a0was bombed and sunk, 31 died including 5 survivors from the\u00a0City of Waterford<\/em>. James Brown survived. He was then assigned to the\u00a0Kyleclare<\/em>, also on the Lisbon run. The\u00a0Kyleclare<\/em>\u00a0traveled out-of-convoy. He made eight \u201cLisbon runs\u201d. He fell off a ladder and fractured bones in his hand. He was not aboard when U-456 fired three torpedoes sinking the Kyleclare and killing all 18 aboard. Kapitanleutnant Max Teichert claimed that he did not see\u00a0Kyleclare<\/em>\u2019s neutrality markings until it was too late as she was so low in the water, listing to starboard and his periscope was awash.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Lawrence Burke was a regular member of the crew of the\u00a0Irish Pine<\/i>\u00a0but he was not on her final fatal voyage. He was then a regular member of the crew of the\u00a0Kyleclare<\/i>, but again he was absent from her last tragic voyage.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Guy Travers Lee, Chief Officer on the\u00a0Willow<\/em>, had been chief officer on the\u00a0Pine<\/em>. He also missed that final voyage. He had been sitting exams to obtain his Master\u2019s ticket.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Post war service<\/span><\/h2>\n

      In May 1946 the\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0was returned to Egon Jurgenson. She was sold to Cia. de Vapores Veraguas and renamed\u00a0Veraguas<\/em>\u00a0with a Panamanian registry. She continued to trade for a further 14 years. At the end of her 42 year career she was scrapped at Tamise, Belgium in July 1960.\u00a0(75)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      Legacy<\/span><\/h2>\n

      The\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>\u00a0rescued the 47 survivors from the Empire Breeze. Throughout the war, Irish ships answered SOS calls and stopped to rescue, irrespective of nationality, and frequently \u2013 as in this instance \u2013 at risk to themselves. Ships in convoy were, usually, forbidden from stopping to rescue, lest they then became a target.\u00a0(76)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0(77)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The\u00a0Empire Breeze<\/em>\u00a0crew were in their lifeboats when the\u00a0Athelprince,<\/em>\u00a0with the convoy commodore aboard, had to alter course to avoid collision with the abandoned\u00a0Empire Breeze<\/em>,\u00a0(78)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0but did not stop to rescue the crew. Irish ships rescued, at least, 534 seafarers during the war.[note]There is list of rescues, with a total of 521 in Frank Forde\u2019s book. It omits, the 13 survivors from the Roxby rescued by the Irish Beech on 7 November 1942. There could be others.[\/note]<\/span><\/p>\n

      Before the war, Irish Shipping Ltd did not exist. Its 15 ships were not under the Irish Flag. During the war, they imported more than a million tons of essential supplies: 712,000 tons of wheat; 178,000 tons of coal; 63,000 tons of phosphate (fertilizer); 24,000 tons of tobacco; 19,000 tons of newsprint; 10,000 tons of lumber; and over 100,000 tons of more than 500 types of other goods.\u00a0(79)<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0(This is in addition to the imports carried by other Irish ships)<\/span>
      \nOn 16 May 1945, a week after VE Day \u00c9amon de Valera addressed the nation:[note]This speech is better known for de Valera\u2019s response to Churchill\u2019s VE-Day broadcast which condemned de Valera\u2019s policy of neutrality[\/note]<\/span><\/p>\n

      To the men of our Mercantile Marine who faced all the perils of the ocean to bring us essential supplies, the nation is profoundly grateful \u2026<\/span>
      \n\u2014 Taoiseach (Prime Minister) \u00c9amon de Valera , radio speech to the nation 16 May 1945<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      In June 1946 a contract was signed with John Redhead and Sons, shipbuilders of South Shields to construct a new\u00a0Irish Willow<\/em>.\u00a0(80)<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Bibliography<\/span><\/h2>\n

      Books<\/span><\/h3>\n