23rd May 1918
The
SS Innisfallen was sunk by
UB-64 in the Irish Sea 30 Km east of the Kish Lightship. The
Innisfallen was owned by The City of Cork Steam Packet Company Ten crewmen lost their lives in the sinking.
Third Engineer Leonard Raybould. From Barrow-in-Furness.
Fireman C. Browne
Fireman John Keown
Fireman Thomas King. From Liverpool. Born in Sierra Leone
Fireman Rob Robinson, From Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fireman Tom Toby. From Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Trimmer George Washington.
Greaser Samuel Creevy, From Liverpool
Cattleman Francis Gallagher. From Westport, Co Mayo.
Leading Seaman Daniel Cronin, Royal Naval Reserve, From Blackrock, Cork. Commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
UB-64 survived the war and surrendered on 21 November 1918. Her commander at the time of the Innisfallen sinking was Kapitänleutnant Otto von Schrader, who went on to become a WW2 Admiral.
Some of the Innisfallen’s crew were survivors of multiple sinkings. The cook, Michael Walsh had just been torpedoed for the fourth time while 2nd engineer, Robert King was on his second sinking in 13 months. The company built a new Innisfallen in 1930. It must be an unlucky name as this Innisfallen struck a mine in the Mersey estuary on 21 December 1940 and sank with the loss of 4 crew
The City of Cork Steam Packet Company had a very active war, losing over 178 crewmen and at least 11 ships to enemy action. The company had been founded in Cork in the middle of the nineteenth century and operated mainly freight services between Cork and ports in the UK and Europe. It employed seamen mostly from Cork but by 1918 many of them had been called up as RN reservists and the company employed men from all over including many from as far afield as Sierra Leone.
Among the City of Cork Steam Packet Company ships lost were;
SS Kenmare. Torpedoed and sunk by U-104 on 2 March 1918 25 miles NW of Anglesey with the loss of 29 crewmen.
SS Inniscarra. Torpedoed and sunk by U-86 10 miles South of Ballycotton, Co. Cork with the loss of 28 crewmen.
SS Serula. Torpedoed and sunk by UB-64 off the Pembrokeshire coast on 16 September 1918 with the loss of 17 crew.
SS Kittiwake. Torpedoed and sunk 9 April 1917 25 miles NW of the Maas LV. 7 lives lost.
SS Lismore. Torpedoed and sunk 12 April 1917 22 miles NW of Havre. 5 lives lost.
SS Bandon Torpedoed and sunk 13 April 1917, 2½ miles SW of Mine Head, Co. Waterford. with the loss of 28 crewmen.
SS Dafila. Torpedoed and sunk 21 July 1917 by U-45 85 miles west of Fastnet. 2 lives lost. Second Engineer Alexander Edwards from Dundee and Fireman A Gannis from Constantinople.
SS Clangula. Torpedoed and sunk by UC- 77 on 19 November 1917 4 miles South-West of Hartland Point with the loss of 14 crewmen.
SS Ardmore. Sunk by U- 95 13 miles SW of the Coningbeg Light Ship on 13 Nov 1917 with the loss of 19 crewmen.
SS Lestris- Captured by the Germans in the North Sea on 5 July 1916. Crew interned.