Irishmen in the Royal Navy

[Peter J]

Given the socio-political climate between Britain and Ireland around the time of the First World War (the Home Rule Bill, the Dublin Uprising etc.) what kind of treatment could an Irishman serving in the RN expect from his peers and superiors?

Given that there was a large number of Irish within the RN, would there have been any prejudice towards them in those days before political correctness, and if so would it have been openly displayed?

Could it be the case, on the other hand, that there was no discrimination or intolerance?

What sort of access would men in the Forces have had to the media of the day, and would there have been any censorship which might have limited their awareness of some political events of the time.

In addition, would anyone know if there is any literature/records/documented cases, covering this subject?

[healdav]

I think it would have been very simple.

You don't go round waving the tricolour and spitting at the British, we won't spit at the Irish.

I would bet that most men would have seen being in the RN as a job and just ignored the politics.

I once had a volume of memoirs written by a sailor who had been in the RN post war; can't for the life of me remember the name of the book or the bloke's name, but he wrote two volumes in Plymouth and they were published there; I picked them up second hand.

Anyway, it was only on close reading of his account of the recruitment procedure then that I even realised that he was from somewhere in southern Ireland and he never mentions anything about discrimination anywhere.

The RN has mostly been a pretty tolernat working area, if only becasue with men spending months or years living on top of one another any outbreak would lead to mayhem. Most foibles of any sort are just ignored.

[Tony Lund]

At the Royal Navy’s training establishment, HMS Ganges, in the 1960's, Boy Seamen from the Republic of Ireland were the only ones who went home on leave in civilian clothes, everyone else had to wear their uniform for the journey home.

Tony.

[Desmond7]

‘What Ballymena has done’

FROM a special four page feature in the Ballymena Observer of May 7, 1915.

These lists contain, as far as is possible to ascertain, all the men from the Borough who were in the forces at that time.

Further weekly recruitment lists appear on a week by week basis in the main body of the book.

ROYAL NAVY

Gunner Fred Aiken, Ahoghill HMS Ajax

Surgeon Jackson Boal, Audley Terrace, HMS Temeraire

R. Cathcart, Ballymena, HMS Bellerophon

Samuel Gourley, Portglenone, (lost with HMS Viknor)

Stoker William Hamilton, Galgorm, HMS Itchen

Thomas Hanley, Princes Street, HMS Mallick

Hugh Hanley, Ballymena, HM Torpedo Boat 99

Ben Wilson, Tullygarley, HMS Cyclops

P.O. Mawhinney, Kells, HMS Garry

Alexander Mairs, Kellswater, (lost with HMS Hawke)

Marine S. Moore, Waveney Avenue, HMS Cumberland

Patrick Joseph McAuley, Moat Road, HMS Exmouth.

C. G. McConaghy, Ballymena, (lost with HMS Amphion)

W.O. T. McCormick, Ballymena, HMS Cochrane

John McCudden, Hillmount, post unknown.

C.Petty Officer D. McCurdy, Bridge Street, HMS Conqueror

Marine Robert McDowell, Albert Place, Royal Marines.

Andrew McFadden, James Street post unknown

Alexander McIlwaine, Dunfane, HMS Bellerophon

P. O. W. J. McKernan, Laurel Cottage, Galgorm Road, HM Torpedo Boat 054 (destroyer).

1st Class P.O. Alex McNiece, Queen Street, HMS New Zealand.

Marine H. McNeill, James Street, Royal Naval Marines, wounded at Antwerp.

Stoker Joyce Power, Raceview, (lost on HMS Hawke)

Lt. C. Stuart, Castle Street, HMS Glasgow

John Wilson, Bridge Street, post unknown.

J. Wilson, Railway Street post unknown.

[healdav]

At the Royal Navy’s training establishment, HMS Ganges, in the 1960's, Boy Seamen from the Republic of Ireland were the only ones who went home on leave in civilian clothes, everyone else had to wear their uniform for the journey home.

Tony.

That was an order given for ALL servicement going to Ireland at the time.

As I remember it there were at least three zones laid down, safe (basically the republic) where they wore civilian clothes, dodgy where they could go on urgent family business and no-go areas for just about any reason.

But between the men themselves there was no real feeling (at least in the RN).

[Desmond7]

http://www.freewebs.com/snake43/weeklywar1914.htm

Go here and scroll down a few pages until you get to Stoker Joyce Power.

Nice insight into how a sailor thought about how an Irish sailor viewed the early part of the war.

Des

[Peter J]

Thank you, one and all.

My Grandfather was from Co. Cork and volunteered for the Navy in 1913 aged 16. His life prior to joining up had been pretty horrendous by all accounts, so one can only imagine that his quality of life must have drastically improved on joining.

My Grandmother told of how, when he returned home from the Navy in 1921, the he had a very 'posh' English accent!

During his time in the RN he witnessed the launch of HMS Warspite at Devonport; served in Theseus where he was during the U-Boat attack which (I believe) sank HMS Hawke, and served in Princess Royal at Jutland. Coincidentally, the last ship he served in was Warspite. The ship that he had seen as a boy beginning it's career had been the ship to see the end of his.

He spent the rest of his life working hard and raising his family in the England he fought for. He returned to Ireland to die in 1964.

Thank you all again.

[Tony Lund]

You are right about the Hawke.

One account says the U9 had been stalking H.M.S. Theseus for three hours but had been unable to take a shot, and then two more cruisers, H.M.S. Hawke and H.M.S. Endymion joined the Theseus, and unaware of the U-boat, all three ships stopped dead in the water to exchange mail by cutter.

The Hawke was the one chosen for attack, but I suppose it was just a matter of which of the three Kapitanleutnant Weddigen thought was best placed for a successful attack.

Tony.