On the Tower Hill Memorial is the name of First Radio Officer James Brennan serving with S.S. Ashworth (Newcastle upon Tyne), with the Merchant Navy who died 13/10/1942.
Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-
James was the son of Joseph and Ellen (nee Graham/Grimes). He was born at Gateshead on April 2nd 1911.
His father Joseph fought with 27th (4th Tyneside Irish) battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers but was killed in action on February 13th 1916 when James was only 5 years old.
According to 1939 register James was working as a general labourer. He was living with his mother at 38 James Street, Blaydon.
When WW2 broke out James joined the Merchant Navy. He was serving on S.S. Ashworth when tragedy struck in the Strait of Belle Isle.
The Strait of Belle Isle is situated on the eastern coast of Canada which separates Labrador Peninsula from the island of Newfoundland.
At 06.22 on the 13th October 1942 when on route from Trinidad – Halifax – Belfast in Convoy SC-104 carrying a cargo of 7,300 tons of bauxite his ship was torpedoed by German submarine U-221.
The u-boat fired one torpedo each at two ships in convoy SC-1014 about 500 miles east of Belle Isle Strait and observed how the first ship sank after 20 minutes and the second caught fire and was abandoned. At 07.10 hours, another attack was made in grid AJ 9154 and Trojer (U-boat Captain) claimed a hit on a ship that was down by the stern and sinking, but this is not confirmed by Allied sources. The master, William Mouat, 41 crew members and seven gunners from the Ashworth were lost.
The Senta was hit immediately after the Ashworth, but the bad weather made it hard to see what was actually taking place and both ships apparently went down with all hands before the rescue vessel reached their position.
The official report on James stated “missing supposed drowned”.
Probate was allocated to his mother, Ellen and amounted to £332 5 shillings and 3 pence.
James Brennan is remembered at Burnopfield on B155.01, at Byermoor on B158.02 and on our List of Ships’ Crews.
