curranl Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Hello All, While photographing gravestones for the War Grave Memorial Project, I came across a grave in Kilrush Church of Ireland graveyard that has three merchant seamen buried in it. The men were crew of the S.S. Eupion and their gravestone says they died of exposure in a raft after their ship was sunk without warning by a German submarine. Does anyone know the full story? I presume she was sunk somewhere off the Clare coast. Regards, Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 EUPION Built in 1914 by Mackay Brothers Ltd., Alloa as Yard 21 for Eupion Steamship Co. Ltd. Managed by Howard, Houlder & Partners of London for the British Tanker Co. 3575 tons. Torpedoed and sunk, west of Loop Head, Co. Clare, Ireland on October 3rd 1918 Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curranl Posted 22 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Hi Dave, Thanks for that. In nine minutes too - you're on the ball today! Regards, Liam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Liam Sunk by UB-123 (Oberleutnant Robert Ramm), just a week before the same submarine sank the Leinster! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curranl Posted 22 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Hi Stephen, Does that mean that Oberleutant Ramm raced away from the sinking and went round the south coast to get back to Dublin to sink the Leinster a week later? What speed would he have made? Did he have to travel on the surface (presumably at night) to make it there within that time? Regards, Liam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Liam I'm not sure of the details, I read the above in a review of Philip's book about the Leinster which we were talking about recently. Afraid my geographic knowledge of the Emerald Isle is confined to Temple Bar and some of the hostelries in Ballaghadreen in Roscommon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Lowrey Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Liam, I wouldn't use the term "raced away." The cruise speed of an UBIII was about 7 knots on the surface, leaving more than enough for UB 123 to cover the distance in a week. And yes, U-boats operated on the surface at nigh when not attacking or forced down — and sometimes they even attacked while surfaced at night — and often operated on the surface during the day time. Best wishes, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historydavid Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 To add a little more. The Eupion was about 10 miles W of Loop Head when torpedoed, was heading for Limerick from Philadelphia, carrying a cargo of oil. There were a total of 11 casualties, some of whom are commemorated on the Towere Hill Memorial. Best wishes David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kin47 Posted 23 August , 2006 Share Posted 23 August , 2006 Hello One of the 11 was a DAMS RNR gunner. All best don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curranl Posted 23 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 23 August , 2006 Hello Gents, many thanks for your contributions. At tem miles West of Loop head she was almost home and safe. I suppose those last 20 miles or so must have been the most dangerous as presumably that's where there would have been plenty of submarine activity. Regards, Liam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larney Posted 26 March , 2008 Share Posted 26 March , 2008 Hi Liam, I have just stumbled across your posting regarding the SS Eupion. I am currently writing up profiles of the men of West Wales who died in both wars, and one of these is buried at Kilrush Cemetery, and was aboard the Eupion. You stated that you had photographed his grave. Would you mind letting me have a copy of the photo at all, so that I can use it on my website, with full acknowledgement of course. His name was Sidney Frederick Walters. All the best, Steve. steve_john@tiscali.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrecktec Posted 26 March , 2008 Share Posted 26 March , 2008 The men lost on the ship: ANDERSON, Walter Clarke Chief Steward MM Eupion (London) drowned 3.10.18 CLARK, Christopher 3rd Mate MM SS Eupion (London) drowned 3.10.18 DOHERTY, John Charles Seaman MM SS Eupion (London) drowned 3.10.18 HALTER, George WT/Opr MM SS Eupion drowned 3.10.18 LAGO, Luciano Sailor MM SS Eupion (London) drowned 3.10. 18 OLIVARES, Joni Seaman MM SS Eupion (London) drowned 3.10.18 VAN DE PUT, W. Fireman MM SS Eupion (London) drowned 3. 10.18 VAN DER NEUT, Arie Fireman MM SS Eupion (London) drowned 3.10. 18 WALKER, Charles A Assistant Steward MM SS Eupion (London) drowned 3.10.18 WALTERS, Sidney Frederick 2nd Mate MM SS Eupion (London) drowned 3.10.18 MANN, David Leading Seaman RNR 4342.B SS Eupion killed 3.10.18 Cheers Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melliget Posted 26 March , 2008 Share Posted 26 March , 2008 WALTERS, Sidney Frederick 2nd Mate MM SS Eupion (London) drowned 3.10.18 The CWGC seems to have two near-identical entries for the EUPION: WALTERS, SYDNEY, Second Mate, age 28, D.O.D. 04/10/1918 Son of John and Eleanor Walters (formerly Lewis), of Myrddin House, Lloyd's Terrace, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire. Born at Newcastle, Evelyn. TOWER HILL MEMORIAL WALTERS, SIDNEY FREDERICK, Second Mate, age 28, D.O.D. 03/10/1918 Son of John and Eleanor Walters, of Myrddin House, Lloyd's Terrace, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire. Born at Newcastle Emlyn. KILRUSH CHURCH OF IRELAND CHURCHYARD regards, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrecktec Posted 27 March , 2008 Share Posted 27 March , 2008 Hi Martin The Cross of Sacrifice also has them both down, but I left the first one out, because it was obviously the same guy Cheers Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lörscher Posted 10 July , 2010 Share Posted 10 July , 2010 I can add a interesting note from the Master's statement (TNA file ADM 137/3434, loss of "Eupion"): On Monday, October 28th, at 3.0 p.m. I appeared before the Mercantile Marine Award Committee, who decided that everything possible had been done to avoid attack and that no further action would be taken; The Committee also informed me that the series of questions on the Admiralty form for torpedo attacks, which had been filled in by me at Killrush, were on the s.s. "Leinster" at the time she was sunk. (Sgd) A.E. Calver, Master "Leinster" was sunk by UB 123, "Eupion" could have been an victim of the same submarine or more possibly UB 90, but both U-Boats were lost with no survivors. Oliver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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