Civilian ELLEN HARRINGTON Civilian War Dead who died age 63 between 03 September 1939 and 04 September 1939 Remembered with honour S.S. "ATHENIA" CWGC :: Cemetery Details
Noticed a guest looking at this so searched the newspapers and found the list of casualty's on the S.S.Athenia which includes Ellen Harrington. From the Liverpool Daily Post - Tuesday 05 September 1939
Details of the sinking from the U.Boat.net Click link for more reading uboat.net - Articles The first incident of the U-boat war occurred just hours after the declaration of hostilities between Britain and Germany on September 3, 1939, when Oberleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp, commanding U-30, attacked and sank what he took to be an armoured cruiser. His target was, in fact, the S.S. Athenia, a 13,500 ton passenger liner carrying 1,103 civilians, including more than 300 Americans hurrying home ahead of the clouds of war. This case of mistaken identity set in motion a large-scale cover-up on the part of the Reich, and had far-reaching consequences both for the subsequent conduct of the U-boat war, and for some of the key players in the affair - Lemp, Dönitz, and Raeder. On the afternoon war was declared, OKM sent three radio messages, at intervals of about an hour, to all Kriegsmarine vessels indicating that a state of war was in force, that attacks on enemy shipping were to commence in accordance with the Prize Rules, and that vessels should feel free to begin hostilities without awaiting provocation. Lemp at that time was patrolling the area north-west of Ireland. Having absorbed these instructions, Lemp spotted a ship on the horizon, heading away from Britain in a north-westerly direction. He ordered U-30 to dive to periscope depth, took a look at the ship, and observed that the vessel was blacked out and zigzagging, and appeared to carry guns on her deck, all indications that she was an armed merchant or auxiliary cruiser, and therefore a legitimate target.
Hmm - according to this she was departing UK UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 Name: Ellen Harrington Gender: Female Age: 62 Birth Date: abt 1877 Departure Date: 2 Sep 1939 Port of Departure: Liverpool, England Destination Port: Montreal, Canada Ship Name: Athenia Search Ship Database: Search for the Athenia in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database Shipping Line: Donaldson Atlantic Line Official Number: 146330 Master: James Cook TD
