SS Irish Willow (1917) facts for kids
Oil painting by Kenneth King from the deck of U-boat U-753, signalling to Irish Willow "send master and ships papers" National Maritime Museum of Ireland
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States |
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| Name | Lake Sunapee |
| Owner | United States Shipping Board (1918–23) |
| Operator | United States Army (1918–1919) |
| Launched | 28 December 1917 |
| Out of service | 1920–23 |
| United States |
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| Name | Frank Lynch |
| Owner | W.J. Gray, San Francisco (1923–37) |
 Greece |
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| Name | Nestor |
| Owner | George D. Gratsos and Co Ltd. (1937–38) |
 Estonia |
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| Name | Otto |
| Owner | K. Jurnas (1938–1946) |
 Ireland |
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| Name | Irish Willow |
| Owner | K. Jurnas; M/s Egon Jurgenson (1938–1946) |
| Operator | Irish Shipping Limited (1942–46) |
| Route | Saint John, New Brunswick to Ireland(1942–45) |
| Fate | Returned to owners 6 May 1946, then sold |
 Panama |
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| Name | Veraguas |
| Owner | Cia de Vapores (1946–60) |
| Fate | 26 July 1960 Broken up by J Boel et fils |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Lake freighter |
| Tonnage |
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| Length | 252 ft (76.8 m) |
| Beam | 43 ft 5 in (13.2 m) |
| Depth | 18 ft 9 in (5.7 m) |
| Decks | 1 |
| Propulsion |
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| Capacity | 130,000 cubic feet (3,681 m3) |
The Irish Willow was a special ship that helped Ireland during World War II. Ireland stayed neutral, meaning it didn't pick sides in the war. This made it hard to get important supplies like food and fuel. The Irish Willow was one of the few ships that kept trade going, bringing much-needed goods to the country.
At the start of World War II, Ireland declared itself neutral. This time was called "The Emergency" in Ireland. Even though Ireland had lots of food, it ran short on things like fruit, wheat, and tea. Ireland had very few ships because its shipping industry had not been a priority since it became independent. Foreign ships that used to carry Irish goods were no longer available.
No country had ever been more effectively blockaded because of the activities of belligerents and our lack of ships ...
The ship, originally named Otto, was from Estonia. It was in an Irish port when the Soviet Union took over Estonia. In 1941, a company called Irish Shipping leased the ship. It was renamed Irish Willow. This ship made 18 trips to Canada, bringing back wheat. It also carried food to Britain and brought coal back to Ireland. At first, Irish ships sailed in British convoys (groups of ships traveling together for safety). But later, they chose to sail alone, trusting their neutral markings. German forces sometimes respected this neutrality, and sometimes they did not.
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Building the Ship
This ship was built in Toledo, Ohio, USA, by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company. It was first called War Flag but then named Lake Sunapee after a lake in New Hampshire. It was launched on December 28, 1917, during World War I.
The ship was designed to carry cargo. It could hold about 130,000 cubic feet of grain. It was 252 feet long, 43 feet wide, and 18 feet deep. It had a special steam engine that helped it move.
Early Life of the Ship
As Lake Sunapee, the ship was built to travel through canal locks, like those that bypass Niagara Falls. It served the United States Army during World War I, carrying coal to France from Cardiff, Wales. After the war, it was taken out of service in 1919.
In 1923, the ship was sold and renamed Frank Lynch. Its steam engine was replaced with a diesel engine. In 1929, Frank Lynch helped rescue people after another ship, the San Juan, sank in a collision.
In 1937, the ship was sold again and renamed Nestor by a Greek company. It had engine problems in 1938 and was changed back to a steamship. In 1939, it was sold to an Estonian owner and renamed Otto.
World War II and Ireland's Ships
Why Ireland Needed Ships
Before the war, the Irish government wanted the country to be self-sufficient. This meant they didn't focus much on international trade or having many ships. In 1923, Ireland had 127 ships, but by 1939, there were only 56, and some of those didn't even carry cargo.
Ireland relied on foreign ships, mostly British, for imports like wheat, timber, and fertilizer. When World War II started, these foreign ships were needed by their own countries. Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, said, "we need this tonnage for our own supply." By the end of 1940, nine Irish ships and ten neutral foreign ships carrying Irish goods had been sunk by German submarines, planes, or mines.
Because of this, the Irish government created Irish Shipping Limited. They started looking for ships to buy or lease. Irish Willow was one of these important ships.
The Soviet Claim
In 1940, the Soviet Union took over Estonia. They told all Estonian ships to go to a Soviet port. Several Estonian ships were in or heading to Irish ports. None of them followed the Soviet order.
The Soviet ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ivan Maisky, tried to claim these ships in the Irish High Court. The ships' owners couldn't be reached. However, John McEvoy, the honorary consul for Estonia in Dublin, fought against the Soviet claim. The court sided with McEvoy and the Estonian representatives. They said the Soviet Union did not have the right to claim the ships. The Soviet Union appealed, but the Supreme Court of Ireland also rejected their claim in 1941.
This decision meant that the Estonian ships in Irish ports could stay. The three Estonian ships, including Otto (which became Irish Willow), were leased to Irish Shipping for the war.
Irish Willow at Work
In October 1941, Otto was leased by Irish Shipping and renamed Irish Willow. After some repairs, it began its first voyage as Irish Willow on December 5, 1941. It traveled from Ireland to Canada, carrying wheat. During the war, it made 18 such voyages.
Meeting a U-boat
On March 16, 1942, a German submarine, U-753, saw Irish Willow in the Atlantic Ocean. The submarine was ready to sink it. But then, they saw the ship's neutral markings: the Irish tricolour flag and the word "EIRE" (Ireland).
The U-boat surfaced and signaled for the captain to come over with the ship's papers. Captain Shanks, the Irish captain, was from Belfast, which was part of the United Kingdom. So, the Chief Officer, Henry Cullen, went instead. He explained that his captain was too old for the small boat. He talked about Ireland's neutrality and reminded them that the next day was Saint Patrick's Day. The Germans seemed apologetic and even offered schnapps in honor of Saint Patrick. They said they were waiting for orders on whether to sink the ship. If they were going to sink it, they would fire a red flare five minutes beforehand.
Cullen and his crew returned to their ship. They waited anxiously. Finally, the U-boat fired a green flare, meaning they would not attack. The Irish Willow was safe.
Rescuing the Crew of Empire Breeze
On August 25, 1942, a British ship called Empire Breeze was attacked by a German U-boat in the Atlantic. The ship was hit by torpedoes. The 47 surviving crew members got into three lifeboats. One crewman died.
The Empire Breeze stayed afloat, but the rescue ship sent to find them got lost in thick fog. The crew of Empire Breeze had a portable radio and kept sending SOS messages. After 36 hours, Irish Willow heard their distress call.
Captain Shanks of Irish Willow responded, saying they were coming. The fog was very thick, making it dangerous. Irish Willow used special equipment to find the SOS signal. They traveled slowly, sounding whistles to avoid hitting the damaged ship or the lifeboats. They also knew that sending SOS messages could attract more U-boats.
Despite the dangers, Irish Willow found the survivors in the dense fog and rescued all 47 of them. They brought the survivors to Dunmore East in Ireland. Doctors and Red Cross volunteers were waiting to help the rescued sailors. The Munster Express newspaper later quoted Captain Thomson of Empire Breeze saying, "We are very pleased to land in Eire, and we certainly could not have found a better landing."
After the War
In May 1946, Irish Willow was returned to its original owners. It was then sold to a Panamanian company and renamed Veraguas. It continued to sail for another 14 years. In July 1960, after 42 years of service, the ship was taken apart for scrap metal in Belgium.
Important Role of Irish Ships
The Irish Willow saved 47 people from the Empire Breeze. Throughout World War II, Irish ships always answered SOS calls and stopped to rescue sailors, no matter their nationality. They often did this even when it put their own ship at risk. Ships in convoys were usually not allowed to stop for rescues, so they wouldn't become targets themselves.
Before the war, Irish Shipping Limited did not exist. During the war, its 15 ships brought over a million tons of vital supplies to Ireland. This included 712,000 tons of wheat, 178,000 tons of coal, and many other goods.
On May 16, 1945, after the war in Europe ended, Taoiseach Éamon de Valera thanked the sailors:
To the men of our Mercantile Marine who faced all the perils of the ocean to bring us essential supplies, the nation is profoundly grateful ...
In 1946, a new ship was ordered and also named Irish Willow, continuing the legacy.
See also
- Irish neutrality during World War II – how Ireland stayed neutral
- Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II – more about Ireland's ships in the war
- Battle of the Atlantic – the long battle for control of the Atlantic Ocean
Other ships operated by Irish Shipping during World War II
- Irish Hazel
- Irish Pine
- Irish Oak
Other Irish ships operating during World War II
- Innisfallen
- Kerlogue
- Cymric
- Mary B Mitchell
- James Postlethwaite
