On March 30^th 1918, a small steamer was chugging along the southern Irish coast. Of the thirteen souls aboard, eleven crew and two naval gunners, eight were from or living in the port city of Waterford. All would die that night, within sight of their homeland. Another statistic is the long and bloody balance sheet of the war to end all wars!

SS Lough Fisher

The SS Lough Fisher (1887) was a small coastal steamer operated by James Fisher & Sons Ltd., Barrow-In-Furness. She was built by MacIlwaine, Lewis & Co., Belfast was 51.2 x 7.6 x 3.7 (m), 418 GRT, her compound engine produced 61  n.h.p., providing a speed of  9  knots.

From the outset, the ship was employed in coastal trade, operating out of numerous Irish Sea ports and along the southern Irish coastline. A collier (coal boat) primarily, she carried coal inwards to Irish ports and pit props outwards when she could get them, but also sailed light (empty) or carried any other cargo she could get, including oats, grain, etc.

A later ship of the same name and belonging to Fishers, (John B Hill collection) accessed from https://shippingtandy.com/features/james-fisher-sons-ltd-of-barrow/

Calls to Waterford

The earliest calls I came across to Waterford were in the 1890s. As an example of the trade, on the week of 16^th May 1913 the port of Waterford saw her visit twice with coal, along with another company vessel – Sound Fisher. The cargos were consigned to Samuel Morris.  Five other coal ships were in that week, including steamers and sailing vessels. Occasionally, she was calling three times per week.

Incidents

In 1914, the Wexford Free Press reported the vessel as grounded on Tuskar Rock, but she refloated unaided on the next tide. In June 1915, the Munster Express covered a story of gun running – boxes of guns were reported aboard, which was subsequently clarified as individual guns. The distinction was important – boxes of rifles might suggest it was part of the ship’s manifest or, certainly, it would have had to be winched aboard, which might suggest many, if not the entire ship’s company, were involved– a few rifles suggested a crewman smuggling on his own initiative, most likely with nationalistic sympathies.

Another vessel of Fishers – the SS Sea Fisher (1883) seen here aground below Waterford city in April 1912. Image courtesy of Michael O’Sullivan, Waterford History Group Facebook page. The incident happened in thick fog and took a salvage operation lasting a few weeks to refloat the vessel. The Sea Fisher disappeared on a journey from Waterford to Barrow in December 1916. Of the 10 people aboard, I can only find the master’s name – James Bigerstaff who was English born but was residing in Waterford at the time of death. Subsquently I found that the mate was from Thomas’ Hill in the city – Edward Grant. Only a lifeboat was ever found as far as I can discover. 

During Christmas 1917 a court case was held in the city to reprimand three crewmen of the Lough Fisher. Their master at the time was Captain Samuel Hunter, who took the action under the Merchant Shipping Act when the men refused to re-join their ship after receiving wages before going ashore in the city in early December.  John Keogh, Summerhill, Edward Power, Morrison’s Road and Patrick Carroll, 15 Lower Sion Row, Ferrybank, were all found guilty and heavily fined for failing to show for work and causing the ship to be unable to sail. Hunter was replaced a few weeks later after the vessel was in collision with a Q ship.

Although no mention is made of the timing of the case, and the feelings in the city, most regular readers will of course, be very aware of the local circumstances. Waterford had just experienced its worst ever maritime tragedy with the loss of the Clyde Steamers Formby and Coningbeg on the 15^th and 17^th of December respectively and the death of 83 souls, 67 of them from the city or hinterland.  I can only imagine there were very mixed sympathies about the conduct of the seamen.

On the 28^th December 1917, the Lough Fisher came upon a scene of devastation off the Welsh coast. A ship called the Lord Derby had been torpedoed and sank and a crew of forty was in the water. The Lough Fisher plucked the survivors from the water; miraculously, only three lives were lost.

Final sailing

The end of the Lough Fisher is something of a mystery. She departed Cork City with a cargo of pit props on route to Garston in Liverpool. There were thirteen men aboard, which included two naval gunners who operated a bow-mounted gun to act as a deterrent against attack. The ship would have been listed as a Defensively Armed Merchant Ship (DAMS).

On March 30th, 1918, Lough Fisher was sunk after an engagement with the German submarine U-101 commanded by Carl-Siegfried Ritter von Georg. Most accounts repeat the location as 12 miles SSE from Helvick Head, in West Waterford. However, that location seems to be where a lifeboat of the vessel was discovered the following day.

Many of the accounts online say she was shelled by the German submarine U-101. One online source from a relative of Captain Robert Murphy states that she was badly shelled, burst into flames, broke in two, and went down with all hands. However, I also read that the following day, a patrol vessel (armed trawler Sarba)came upon a very badly damaged lifeboat from the vessel. In their report, they said the lifeboat had shown signs of being shelled, and they could not determine if the crew were killed in the lifeboat or went down with the ship. They also discovered a bag inside the lifeboat which belonged to the ship’s captain.

On April 1^st, the Sarba discovered the body of a gunner from the Lough Fisher, George Carter, floating on the surface of the sea in a lifebelt. After removing any personal belongings and identification, he was buried at sea. His belongings included a purse containing £2.4s. 6 1/2d. An Almanack, notebooks, his seaman’s pay book and a letter case with private papers.

 U-101

In relation to the submarine between March 20th and April 2nd, the U-101 had sunk 7 ships. It is claimed on an online forum that most of them were given a warning before being sunk. I suppose with a Morse lamp at night or via semaphore flags at day. Was the Lough Fisher given a warning and, instead of abandoning ship, engaged the submarine either by gun or ramming? Perhaps both. Perhaps none!

Victims of U-101 between March 20th and April 1st 1918 included:

• SS Glenford – Stopped and sunk by shell fire – 0 casualties
• SV Jane Gray – Stopped and sunk by shell fire – 0 casualties
• SV John G. Walter – Stopped and sunk by shell fire – 0 casualties
• SS Trinidad – Sunk – 39 Dead
• SS Allendale – Sunk – 1 Dead
• SS Lough Fisher – Sunk – 13 Dead
• SS Solway Queen – Sunk – 11 Dead

Apparently, the captain of the U-boat would sink a total of 74 ships in his career. He survived the war, later joined the Nazi SS, survived the Second World War and died in 1957.

Tower Hill Memorial, London

Crew of the Lough Fisher

Waterford natives or residing:

• William Hayden (17), Able Seaman, Son of Patrick and Mary Hayden (nee McDonnell), of 35, Upper Ferrybank, Waterford. Born at Waterford.
• Michael Hennessey (20), Able Seaman, Son of John and Margaret Hennessy (nee McNamara), of 7, Thomas Hill, Waterford. Born at Waterford.
• Thomas Keane (27), Fireman, Son of John and Brigid Keane (nee Dunne), of 70, Mulgrave Rd., Ferrybank, Waterford. Born at Waterford.
• Thomas Lenihan (18), Cook, Son of William and Anastasia Lenihan (nee Croke), of 8, Anne St., Waterford. Born at Waterford.
• Denis McCarthy (34), Fireman, Son of Bridget McCarthy (nee Henessey), of 83, Gallows Hill, Waterford, and the late Patrick McCarthy. Born at Waterford.
• Martin Morrissey (52), Mate, Son of Thomas and Mary Anne Morrissey; husband of Mary Morrissey (nee Hartery), of 15, O’Brien St., Waterford. Born at Waterford.
• Walter Power(66), Able Seaman, Son of the late Martin and Mary Power; husband of the late Catherine Power (nee Tubbit). Born in Co. Wexford,
• Simon Purcell (45), Able Seaman, Son of Mary Purcell and the late Michael Purcell; husband of Lucy Purcell (nee Byrne), of 5, Jail St., Waterford, Co. Waterford. Born at Bannon (Bannow?), Co. Wexford

The others aboard included;

• MURPHY, ROBERT (37), Master, Son of William John Murphy, of Ballywalter, Co. Down; husband of Jeannie Murphy, of 1, Dunleath Terrace, Ballywalter, Co. Down.
• CARTER, GEORGE (25), Ordinary Seaman, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Son of Elizabeth Carter, of 24, London Rd., Halesworth, Suffolk, and the late Samuel Carter,
• HYLAND, DANIEL (23), Leading Seaman, RN, Son of Mary A. Hyland, of 4, Camden Terrace, Silvester St., Liverpool, and the late James Hyland. Born in London.
• MASSA, JOSE F. INEZ (30), Fireman, Born in Spain
• STEWART, WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM (46), First Engineer, Son of Anne Stewart, and the late Daniel Stewart; husband of Alice Ninita Kate Boon Stewart (nee Edwards), of 3, Adair St. Seaside, Aberavon, Port Talbot, Glam. Born at Port Glasgow.

The names of the men of the Lough Fisher on a panel of the Tower Hill Memorial, London. Used with acknowledgement to the site: https://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/WW1%20Lord%20Carnarvon%20to%20Lucida.php#Lough_Fisher

Waterford

So eight men of Waterford City are added to the loss of sixty-seven locals from the Formby and Coningbeg of a few months before. The reaction in the local press seems to have been muted, however. At the moment, the earliest mention I could find was over two weeks later when three lines in the Munster Express mentioned the loss of a collier with some local connections. No crowds were lining the quay on this occasion, and no families gathered outside the Clyde shipping company offices that would garner interest and focus attention. The differences between the shipping tragedies were obvious of course.

The Lough Fisher may have called regularly to Waterford, but it was not her home port. Unlike the Clyde steamers which sailed twice weekly for many years, hers was an occasional call. Familiar to the families and to the dockside workers and enthusiasts who followed all the shipping movements, but overlooked by the majority as just another ship! Related to this point, the shipping company that operated the vessel was not based or located in Waterford.

Another major difference is that, as early as the following morning, the Admiralty were aware of the attack on the Lough Fisher. Compared to the mystery surrounding the Formby and Coningbeg, this was an open and shut case – there should be no delay here with a war loss pension for the families, beyond, perhaps, the usual bureaucratic formalities.

You might also wonder whether there was a certain degree of War fatigue? As the Great War came into its final months, the endless stories of injury, loss and atrocities too much for people to hear. Indeed in the city of Waterford was another major shipping loss too great a burden when the city was trying its best to cope with the loss of the and to dig deep with public subscriptions to assist the bereaved families. Financial supports were required because there was still an official sense that the Formby and Coningbeg could have been lost in bad weather – and so no need for a war loss pension, and no official financial supports. It was an issue that would drag on long after the guns had fallen silent.

However, there was a fundraising effort created in the city called the Lough Fisher Distress Fund. I can’t find the origins of it as yet, but in early May 1918, the Waterford Star published a list of subscriptions from locals and businesses in the city, collected by Town Commissioner and High Sheriff John Hearne. The Waterford Evening Star recorded that 7 widows of the crew received payments from monies paid from the shipping federation. These included; Bridget Keane Ferrybank £200, Johanna Breen, Summerhill Trce, £150, Anastasia Lennon (sic), Anne St £150, Mrs Hayden Ferrybank £120, Bridget McCarthy, Gracedieu Rd, £300, Margaret Henessey, Thomas’ Hill £200 and Mary Morrissey O’Brien £300.

Family connection

The truth of the matter is, that although I had heard of the Lough Fisher, I had never made the connection between the loss and the city. I am obviously not alone in this as there seems to have been little by way of local recognition for the incident. It was only last week I became aware of it for a very specific and personal reason. Deena, my wife, had welcomed her Canadian cousins Deirdre and Triona into our home and talk started about family origins. They had started to research the family on their side and while visiting their aunt had received a great boost in help as their aunt Maura’s granddaughter Etain had done some digging. One nugget that stood out for me, was the Deena’s Gt Gt Grandfather Walter Power, originally from Templetown or perhaps Fethard, was lost on the Lough Fisher. The money received by Johanna Breen of Summerhill Terrace was a lady better knonw to Deena as ‘Mammy Jo’ and we often visited the house to call on her aunty Nancy.

Walter Power of Summerhill was a seafarer for many years, but as the oldest man aboard at 66, perhaps had the situation been different, he would have been at home enjoying retirement, or working along the city quays. Was Walter a replacement recruit due to the unwillingness of others to sail, or had he been aboard the ship for many years?

Obviously, much more research is required, but if you have any other details you could add to the incident or the other men from Waterford, I would be delighted to fill out their profiles and stories.

This story is made up of numerous newspaper reports of the era accessed from the Irish Newspaper Archive and the British Newspaper Archive. Other online sources were also accessed and the principal sites that I used are listed in the piece or below:

• https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?71342 
• https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/community/threads/centenary-of-ss-lough-fisher-sinking.38412/page-3
• https://uboat.net/wwi/men/commanders/85.html
• https://uboat.net/wwi/boats/?boat=101

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