CHANGED (war) TIMES

Researching his family history a friend and colleague Ciarán Cahill found the following wartime report in Belfast newspaper The Northern Whig of December 2nd 1942 :

"City Priest's 30 Hours in Lifeboat.

 

The REV. HUGH CAHILL, a young Belfast priest, who was 30 hours in a life-boat after the ship in which he was coming home from Palestine was torpedoed by a U-boat, has arrived in the city.

 

Father Cahill said the ship was struck by two torpedoes about 6.30 a.m.

Time was given to the crew and passengers to abandon ship before a final torpedo sent the vessel to the bottom.

'The captain and crew were splendid', he said, 'There wasn't a trace of panic after the first few minutes'. When they had drawn away from the ship in lifeboats the submarine surfaced and the commander hailed them in perfect English. 'He told us he was sorry to do such a thing, but it was the fortune of war', added Father Cahill.

 

Second son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cahill, 45 Divis Street, Belfast, Father Cahill completed his studies for the priesthood in The Holy Land, where he was ordained and spent six years".

 

Thanks to Ciarán for revealing this event in his family history showing how some courtesies survived even in war.

Could the like happen in present-day warfare ?