Clogherhead sailors captured in Pacific

ANOTHER story from the war years and I wonder what was the end result.

In May 1941, the safe arrival in Clogherhead of Peter Fanning, Barrackfield Cottages, and James Reilly, Strand Street, was anxiously awaited by their relatives.

In October 1940, their ship with a cargo of fruit from the West Indies was captured by a German raider in the Pacific. They were taken on board the raider with other members of the crew, including Eamon Gorman; St. Michael’s Terrace, Clogherhead, and their ship was torpedoed.

With 500 other prisoners. Fanning and Reilly were landed on a Pacific island, but young Gorman was kept on board the German vessel. A week or ten days later they were rescued by a British warship and taken to Sydney, Australia. They were on the last stage of their voyage home at that stage.

My thanks to Margaret for sending in these images, it’s Dinnie and Peggy McLoughlin who are celebrating 60 years of marriage.