ALEXANDRA TOWING COMPANY 1942 & tUGS LIVERPOOL

[charneca]

Alexandra towing co. 1942
Hi my granddad JOHN MCCARTHY apparently died in 1942 Whilst at sea-he was actually died in a hospital in Ramsay IOM- Amazingly considering what was going on in that area- his body was shipped back to Liverpool for burial in 1942!

the Alexandra towing company and the crew of several tugs were mentioned and thanked as were Lloyds INS in the obituary notices in the Liverpool Echo newspaper 25 Sept 1942 from his wife Annie McCarthy.I understand he was a marine fireman or similar.I do not know which tug he may have been on?

The employees of Alexandra Towing Co and members of crews of the tugs Coburg, Wapping, Hornby,Nelson and Formby for letters of sympathy and floral tributes. Also the Ramsey IOM Harbour master and RAF personnel of boat 216.What was going on then I wonder and why was an RAF boat there
His death was not recorded in UK- only in IOM but I now have the death certificate.
I would love to know which tug he was on -what happened and anything else really!! Many thanks

[Bertieone]

Hi,

What's the cause of death on the cert?

Its likely the RAF boat was used to transfer your grandfather quickly to shore, either for speed alone or the tug was engaged. Throughout WW2 the RAF had active squadrons on the Isle of Man and RAF boat 216 was probably a search and rescue vessel.

[Hilary]

Similar post on Roots Chat IOM and Lancs boards

[MaryA]

To save duplication of research by anybody

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.ph ... 269.0.html
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.ph ... 267.0.html

[dickiesam]

To save duplication of research by anybody

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.ph ... 269.0.html
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.ph ... 267.0.html

And here...
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=49385

[dickiesam]

Hi Charneca,
RE:

His death was not recorded in UK- only in IOM but I now have the death certificate.

What was the cause of death and does the cert mention anything about an inquest? Because he died in the Isle of Man his death would not have been recorded in the GRO at Southport which only covers England and Wales.

During WW2 the Irish Sea was a war zone and tug boats would be very active in assisting ships coming into port from Atlantic convoys, many of which would be 'limping' home with damage from German aircraft or U-Boats. During WW2, over 1,000 convoys arrived in the Mersey, on average 3 or 4 per week. There was an Air Sea Rescue unit based on the Isle of Man and it is quite possible their assistance was requested by the tug master to get an injured crew member to hospital quickly. The tug may have been engaged in towing at the time.

The Irish Sea was part of the area known as the Western Approaches monitored from an Operations Room in a reinforced bunker under Derby House in Liverpool. My foster-sister, who was in the WAAF, worked there as a plotter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Approaches
http://www.liverpoolwarmuseum.co.uk/history/

Today, that historical war time bunker has been restored and opened to the public as a memorial to those who died to achieve it. It is the original building where the original battle was fought and won. It has been reconstructed exactly how it used to be.

[MaryA]

It would seem that our forum is the only one paying attention anyway.

Thank you for your informative reply DS, a good bit of background information and of course the Western Approaches is a very interesting place to visit.