Bill from Ballyhack was lost in one of the war’s worst naval tragedies
WILLIAM BARRON from Ballyhack was one of 570 men killed in the sinking of the HMS Goliath in one of the worst wartime naval tragedies in history in the Dardanelles strait.
William, (or Bill as he was known), was one of 570 men killed out of a crew of 700.
Aged 22, he had served with the navy since 1912 and had earned three medals, namely the gold Victory medal, a medal for joining the navy before the war and a medal for being in a campaign during the Great War.
The HMS Goliath was commissioned in 1900. Goliath took part in operations during the war against German East Africa, participating in the blockade of the German light cruiser SMS Knigsberg in the Rufiji River. From March 1915, she was part of the Dardanelles Campaign, and remained in support of the landings at Gallipoli in April.
On May 13, 1915, Goliath was providing support to a French naval ship. At around 1 a.m., the Turkish torpedo boat destroyer Mu venet-i Mill ye eluded the destroyers Beagle and Bulldog and three others and closed on the battleships. Mu venet-i Mill ye fired two torpedoes which struck Goliath almost simultaneously abreast her fore turret and abeam the fore funnel, causing a massive explosion. Goliath began to capsize almost immediately, and was lying on her beam ends when a third torpedo struck near her after turret. She then rolled over completely and began to sink by the bows, taking 570 of the 700-strong crew to the bottom, including her commanding officer, Captain Thomas Lawrie Shelford.
Although sighted and fired on after the first torpedo hit, Mu venet-i Mill ye escaped unscathed.
The sinking of Goliath led to drastic upheaval for British Navy top command and strategy.
Closer to home William’s remains were never found but a memorial grave was erected in Plymouth Naval Memorial cemetery in England and William’s father, William had his son’s name inscribed on a family grave at Ballyhack cemetery overlooking the water.
On Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2014, at 11 a.m., wearing his own army uniform, his great nephew John Burke played a lament at his graveside where ten family members gathered including nephews, Mike and Jimmy Barron; grand nephews, Barry Barron and Shane King and his great grandnephew Liam.
(By David Looby)