Dublin remembers Battle of Atlantic heroes

A MARITIME charity that provided help to 104 survivors who were landed in Dublin during the bitter Battle of the Atlantic 70 years ago is remembering their sacrifices.

The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society is highlighting the role the merchant seamen and fishermen played during the battle on its 70th anniversary this year.

The society, which still provides support to seafarers in need living in the area, supplied relief payments, clothing and travel warrants to shipwrecked sailors who survived enemy attacks during the Battle of the Atlantic and to the dependants of those who lost their lives.

The Chief Executive of the Society, Commodore Malcolm Williams, said that in the battle’s 70th anniversary year the city would be remembering the work of the survivors and those who lost their lives as they manned ships transporting vital equipment, fuel and foodstuffs across the Atlantic.

He said:

“The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign of the Second World War which resulted in one of the highest levels of human sacrifice during the entire conflict.

“From 1939 to 1945 between 30,000 and 40,000 Merchant Navy personnel were lost and over 5,000 ships and their cargoes sunk. The outstanding efforts of those from Dublin should not be forgotten.

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The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society supported 35,263 survivors across the country during the Battle of the Atlantic and awarded payments worth £105,222, which in today’s money would be worth over e4 million.

One such survivor was Richard Chilton (87) from Liverpool. His first voyage in July 1942 was as a Deck Boy aged 16 on the SS Bridgepool bound from Liverpool to New York.

He later sailed on MS Sobo of the Elder Dempster Line, on two convoys supporting the allied landings in North Africa and then joined the SS Royal Star which sailed from Liverpool to West Africa and then to Argentina and back.

Still a Deck Boy he joined a Dutch cargo ship, the SS Winsum, for the Sicily Landings in 1943. In 1944 he joined the Liberty Ship SAM Speed which went out to Ceylon and was promoted to Ordinary Seaman. Finally he joined the SS Bactria of the Cunard Line, convoying between Liverpool, Spain and Gibraltar.

He has the Atlantic Star, Italy Star, Burma Star, War Medal and North Africa Medal.

However, he would only say of his experiences that:

“I was just doing my job.

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Today the charity’s primary role is in providing financial support to retired or incapacitated mariners, fishermen and their dependents.

Although one of the UK’s smaller charities, last year’s annual grant expenditure of £1.47 million allowed it to provide financial assistance in over 2,500 cases of need, securing many former seafarers an improved quality of life.

These cases ranged from replacing broken household items and settling utility bill arrears to providing mobility aids such as stairlifts, clothing, beds and bedding as well as rent deposits for homeless seafarers.

The society honoured a number of seafarers who were involved in the Battle of the Atlantic at the time through its annual Skill and Gallantry Awards. The awards have been running since 1851 and recognise heroism at sea.