In Preston Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave with a private headstone of 299009 Petty Officer Stoker James McIlwrath serving on H.M.S. Nottingham with the Royal Navy who died 19/08/1916.
The headstone reads:-
Erected
by his
loving wife
to the
memory of
James
McIlrath
of Belfast
Petty Officer
who
lost his life in
H.M.S. Nottingham
Aug. 19th 1916
in his 33rd year.
He was the son of John and Jane McIlrath, of Belfast and the husband of Margaret McIlrath, of 92 Riga, Belfast. He had served for fifteen years.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James McIlrath was born May 14th 1883 in Belfast County Antrim, historically in Ireland until 1921.
He was the son of John McIlrath and his wife Jane.
James joined the Royal Navy, November 12th 1901 for the duration of 12 years. He was described as 5 feet 4 and a quarter inches tall, fair hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion with a scar on his left cheek. James was posted to Vivid II the Royal Navy Barracks at Devonport as Stoker/Trimmer 299009.
His time at Vivid II was punctuated by time spent at sea on board H.M.S. Russell, H.M.S. Europa, Training Ship Niobe, H.M.S. Sutlej, H.M.S. Andromeda, H.M.S. Indefatigable, H.M.S. Indus and lastly H.M.S. Nottingham. After 15 years of service he had been raised to the rank of Petty Officer Stoker.
His last ship H.M.S. Nottingham was a Royal Navy light cruiser attached to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland during which the ship received no damage and the crew emerged unscathed. This was preceded by the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915 attached to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron and a few months later Nottingham was attacked by U17 and U6 who fired torpedoes at her and missed.
August 19th 1916 H.M.S. Nottingham was in the North Sea at 65 nautical miles northeast of Whitby when at 6 a.m. she was attacked by German submarine U52 commanded by Kapitãnleutnant Hans Walther who fired two torpedoes hitting the ship causing a huge explosion. At 6.25 a.m. a third torpedo struck by which time Captain Charles B. Miller had ordered his crew to take to the lifeboats. Ten minutes after the third strike the ship lost power and sank.
Thirty eight members of Nottingham’s crew were lost including Petty Officer Stoker 299009 James McIlrath. His wife Margaret was informed of his fate August 21st.
Two bodies from the Nottingham were recovered, brought ashore and taken to Tynemouth Infirmary where they lay in the mortuary whilst preparations were made for their internment. They were Chief Armourer Instructor Frederick Bunter from Plymouth and Stoker Petty Officer James McIlrath from Belfast.
August 23rd 1916 in the afternoon their coffins draped with Union Jacks and covered with floral tributes were placed in hearses and taken in a procession to Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery for burial. They were accompanied on their final journey at the head of the procession by a Naval party with arms reversed and followed by the band of the Duke of Wellington Regiment playing Chopin’s Funeral March. Bringing up the rear were naval officers and seamen. Present at the ceremony were relatives of both men.
After a brief ceremony conducted by a naval chaplain the men’s coffins were lowered into their final resting place and a salute was fired over the graves. Petty Officer Stoker 299009 James McIlrath Royal Navy is at rest within Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery grave K. C. 12146. He was 32 years of age. Awards;1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
James had married Margaret Ross, February 9th 1910. Affectionately known as Maggie she was born in Ireland January 26th 1883 and in 1911 was living with her widowed father Thomas H. Ross and her unmarried siblings at 125, Tennant Street, Shankill.
She was awarded a pension of 11 shillings to be received weekly as of February 22nd 1917 sent to her care of the Post Office, Shankill Road, Belfast. In the pension document there is no mention of any children.
Further details of Margaret McIlrath nee Ross are unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
James McIlwrath is remembered on our List of Ship’s Crews.
