"Irish Pine"

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Stanislaus
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Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:33 pm

"Irish Pine"

Post by Stanislaus » Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:49 am

Due to disability I cannot visit your Library, so have to do research online. This I am doing for a family in Liverpool - their late Father Robert Howells was one of 15 survivors rescued by the "Irish Pine," on 18 August 1942. Apparantly their ship the "Richmond Castle" was torpeodoed off the coast of Greenland by a German Submarine, the survivors were picked up at Kilrush, County Clare. Are there any records at your Library pertaining to this, which would give his name - it would mean a great deal to them if there was. Any information would be much appreciated. I live in County Meath, and promised I would contact you and see if we could find any records of their rescue at Kilrush.
Many thanks, in anticipation,

Yours sincerely,

Sheila Shanley.

Paddy Casey
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Re: "Irish Pine"

Post by Paddy Casey » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:28 pm

Sheila,

If you go to the Library website at http://www.clarelibrary.ie and fire up their search facility and enter "Irish Pine" you will find two references. The entry from Senan Scanlon's Kilrush Notes at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... ttery3.htm says "1942 18th August (IT). Rescued by Irish Ship 18 Seamen Landed. Eighteen survivors of a British merchant ship sunk (Richmond Castle) in the Atlantic, and who spent ten days in an open boat before being picked up by the Irish Pine, were landed from that vessel at Cappa Pier,Kilrush,yesterday. Some hours before their arrival the V.A.D. Irish Red Cross, under Messrs.J.C. Clancy and J.A. Doyle, accompanied by the L.D.F, under District Staff Officer W. Hynes, and L.S.F., under Messrs. J.A. Hanson and M. Counihan, equipped with stretchers, blankets and four ambulances, were ready on the pier, and in the shortest time possible had all the survivors conveyed to Kilrush District Hospital, where the local Red Cross Society had them provided with the necessary clothing".

Whilst your question specifically referred to the Library resources, you may have already seen the report of the sinking at http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/2001.html with a list of 22 people who were on board at http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/c ... p2001.html and more at http://www.bandcstaffregister.co.uk/page49.html

The Irish Pine itself, on a voyage from Boston to Dublin, was torpedoed and sunk by U-608, in North Atlantic 15 November 1942. Thirty-three died.

Sorry not to be able to help more. It's just possible that one of the Kilrush experts on this forum, or the Kilrush and District Historical Society (http://www.kdhs.ie/), might have local access to archive material about the landing of the survivors. Also, it might be worth checking with the Irish Red Cross (contact details at http://www.redcross.ie/home/) to see whether their archives contain a report of their activities in Kilrush (see Senan Scanlon's summary above).

Paddy

Stanislaus
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:33 pm

Re: "Irish Pine"

Post by Stanislaus » Wed Apr 22, 2015 4:53 pm

Thank you so much for the information so far. I have printed it out for the family in Liverpool. Strange to say their Father's name is not amongst them, but I will contact the Red Cross, maybe they have some information.

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