Old Photograph Military Cemetery Kilchoman Islay Scotland

Old photograph of a military cemetery at Kilchoman, Islay, Scotland. This is the final resting place of British crew members who died when H.M.S. Otranto sank in Machir Bay. HMS Otranto was a armed merchant cruiser requisitioned by the Royal Navy when World War I began in 1914. Serving as the convoy flagship for Convoy HX-50, Otranto departed New York on 28 September. On 6 October she collided with HMS Kashmir, another liner turned troopship, in poor visibility in the rough seas between the North East coast of Ireland and the Western Isles of Scotland. She was holed on the port side forward and, in the heavy swell, began to list. The stricken ship then hit rocks and became grounded. With the heavy seas pounding her continually against the rocks the ship eventually broke up and sank with the loss of 431 lives, 351 American troops and 80 British crew members. A number of Americans and crew were saved by a convoy escort, HMS Mounsey, and were taken to Belfast, Ireland. Many of the survivors were hospitalized there until eventual transfer to England. Probably none of the survivors saw action in the Great War as it ended soon afterwards on 11 November 1918. Many of the dead were buried in the Belfast City Cemetery, although a number of the British crew are buried on Islay (Inner Hebrides). The American servicemen were exhumed and repatriated to the United States in 1920.

Otranto, armed merchant cruiser, damaged in collision on 5th, driven ashore on coast of SW Scotland on 6th, over 400 lives lost, including members of the US Navy and Army
ACTON, Joseph, Greaser, MMR, 699685
AINDOW, John E, Trimmer, MMR, 927413
AUDLEY, John, Able Seaman, 202381
BARNES, George, Fireman, MMR, 782710
BARRETT, Henry W, Private, RMLI, 10877 (Ch)
BARTON, William, Trimmer, MMR, 880996
BATTERSBY, Thomas, Corporal, RMLI, 17267 (Ch)
BAXTER, Herbert, Trimmer, MMR, 899708
BELL, George, Shipwright, MMR, 339202
BENDER, Archibald P, Petty Officer, J 3012 (Ch)
BOWLES, Horace W E, Signalman, RNVR, Bristol Z 4800
BRENNAN, James, Signalman, RNVR, Clyde Z 1470
BROOKER, John R, Ordinary Seaman, RNVR, London Z 7827
BROWN, Peter, Ty/Engineer Lieutenant, RNR
BURNARD, John W H, Able Seaman, 212592 (Ch)
CALE, Edward C, Ordinary Seaman, J 29204 (Ch)
CAMPBELL, George W, Trimmer, MMR, 864415
CAMPBELL, Thomas, Greaser, MMR, 864144
CAMPBELL, Thomas, Trimmer, MMR, 941848
CARTER, Frank, Trimmer, MMR, 852746
CHRISTIE, Stewart, Chief Baker, MMR, 883262
CLARE, William C, Fireman, MMR, 934619
CLARKSON, James W, Ty/Engineer Sub Lieutenant, RNR
COLE, George, Fireman, MMR, 734838
COOK, Joseph, Assistant Steward, MMR, 927245
COOMBS, John, Able Seaman, J 51650
CORRAN, Arthur, Cook, MMR, 949773
DAVIDSON, Ernest G W, Captain
DEAS, John, Fireman, MMR, 741543
EDMONDS, Edwin E, Able Seaman, SS 3266 (Ch)
FALZON, Carmelo, Greaser, MMR, 754524
FORSYTH, James, Trimmer, MMR, 904115
FULLER, John, Able Seaman, J 69782
GANNON, Charles, Trimmer, MMR, 928609
GIBBONS, Benjamin C, Ty/Midshipman, RNR
GILMOUR, George, Cook, MMR, 932076
GOODWIN, Thomas, Able Seaman (RFR B 7523), 192409 (Ch)
GORDON, Alex-, Carpenter, MMR, 843805
GOTT, Oswald, Leading Seaman, J 14561 (Ch)
GREENWOOD, Henry J, Petty Officer, J 2034 (Ch)
GREER, Arthur, Trimmer, MMR, 933130
HACKING, Charles, Ship's Cook, MMR
HALL, Oswald P, Ty/Lieutenant, RNR
HANINGTON, James, Colour Sergeant, RMLI, 9769 (Ch)
HAWORTH, Thomas H, Able Seaman, RNVR, Mersey Z 2662
HEYES, John, Junior Reserve Attendant, M 9240
HOGAN, James P, Trimmer, MMR, 831080
HULSE, William A, Chief Petty Officer, 149859
HUNTER, George, Fireman, MMR, 804692
JOHNSON, Norman J, Plumber, MMR, 926561
KENT, Benjamin G R, Ty/Lieutenant, RNR
KETT, Ernest C, Ty/Engineer Lieutenant, RNR
KNOWLES, Charles, Storekepper, MMR, 467024
KURINSKY, Maurice, Trimmer, MMR, 889297
LAHIVE, Frederick J, Petty Officer, 213954 (Ch)
LAURENCE, Charles, Assistant Baker, MMR, 905077
LAWSON, Daniel W, Chief Armourer, 341119 (Ch)
LEWITT, Benjamin, Surgeon
LUND, Arthur, Trimmer, MMR, 928693
MAKINSON, George E, Carpenter's Mate, MMR, 930379
MCKEOWN, Chris, Trimmer, MMR, 905251
MIDDLEBROOK, Arthur T, Leading Signalman, RNVR, Bristol Z 3647
NOONE, Thomas, Private, RMLI, 20725 (Ch)
NUGENT, John J, Private, RMLI, 20772 (Ch)
OSBORNE, Alfred, Carpenter's Mate, MMR, 930380
PADGETT, Edward, Ordinary Seaman, MMR, (no service number listed)
PARNHAM, Reginald, 2nd Steward, MMR, 896983
PATTIMORE, Fred, Able Seaman, RNVR, Wales Z 3816
PATTISON, Albert G, Private, RMLI, 20765 (Ch)
POYNTER, Leslie A A, Steward, MMR, 896982
PRESCOTT, William C, Private, RMLI, 20784 (Ch)
PURCELL, Harry, Trimmer, MMR, 928634
REID, William A, Fireman, MMR, 932056
RICHARDS, George, Petty Officer, J 4343
RITSON, Charles, Cook, MMR, 681650
ROBERTS, Robert, Carpenter, MMR, 897860
ROBERTSON, Robert McC, Junior Engineer, MMR
ROWE, Charles W, Painter 2c, M 34795
SHAUGHNESSY, Denis, Fireman, MMR, 859619
SHULVER, Ernest, Private, RMLI, 20623 (Ch)
SILVESTER, William J, Greaser, MMR, 464065
SIMMONS, Charles D, Lieutenant Commander, RNR
SINCLAIR, William, Ty/Engineer Commander
SMITH, Albert E, Private, RMLI, 20846 (Ch)
SNOW, James H, Private, RMLI, 20860 (Ch)
SWANN, David, Senior Reserve Attendant, M 9443
TILDSLEY, Sidney, Trimmer, MMR, 930370
TULLEY, Thomas D, Assistant Steward, MMR, 820796
TWADDLE, Dugald McPhail, Ordinary Seaman, J 71830
WATTS, Frank, 2nd Cook and Baker, MMR, 860905
WILLIAMS, Christopher C, Fireman, MMR, 832105
WILLIAMS, Walter, Assistant Cook, MMR, 746613
WOOD, James B, Ty/Engineer Lieutenant, RNR

Islay is 145 miles from Glasgow and Paisley.



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