THE tragic deaths of 21 crewmen who died aboard the coal vessel the SS Eskmere took place 100 years ago today, October 13.
The vessel, which had been carrying coal from Belfast to Barry, was sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Anglesey in 1917, during the height of the First World War.
Two crew members from Barry – William Smith, aged 19 and 15-year-old Francis Grey – both died in the attack.
The ship went down less than five minutes after being torpedoed by the submarine and both lifeboats were capsized. While an appeal was issued to the Germans to help, they instead suddenly submerged so as to throw the surviving crew members, who were hanging on to the side of one of the lifeboats, into the water.
Seven men survived the ordeal, being rescued the following morning.
The SM UC-75, the U-boat which destroyed the ship, sank no less than 58 allied vessels between 1917 and 1918, before finally itself being sunk by HMS Fairy in May 1918.
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