J.H. Warham
Weather: Overcast, with rain, sea calm.
On 02/09/40 in the afternoon 15.45 Warham’s body was washed ashore, 4 miles west of the post. The body was removed at 22.30 to Belmullet for internment the next day 03/09/40. His grave is in the grounds of the Protestant Churchyard in Belmullet, Co Mayo.
J.H. Warham was on the SS Mohammed Ali El-Kebir troop transport ship, sunk by U-Boat 38 (Commander Heinrich Leibe) attacked on 07/08/1940 off the coast of Donegal, 230 miles west of Bloody Foreland.
Private John Halliwell Warham, Pioneer Corps, Army no 13045397. Born Liverpool 3rd or 8th /10/1913, Co Lancashire, England.
Son of John Halliwell and Mary Morris Warham, husband of Alice Warham, daughter Jeanne. Religion: Church of England.
Warham enlisted at Liverpool 04/07/39, his ship was torpedoed 07/08/1940, his career in the Navy lasted 13 months. Occupation before enlisting was noted as a porter.
Notes show his height 5ft 4 inches, eyes hazel, 2 kaki tapes found in his pocket bearing letters AMPC (Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps)
The following details from Gardaí, papers on his body note a payment, 26/07/40 (was this his payment card?) rifle no C(?)24907 written in pencil.
Military Archives Logbook references for pages below
LOP_63_p52 incident 227 02/09/1940
LOP_63_p53 incident 229 03/09/1940
The note on the recovery of J.H. Warham’s body is a memorandum by Sheila Murphy, Department of External Affairs. She was, during WW2, a key official in the Dept. of External Affairs. By the time of her retirement on 19 February 1964, she was Ireland's highest ranking female diplomat. Her signature on such documents can be seen by her initials "SGM”.
G2 Daily Reports Summary No.302, Reports for the 24 hour period ending 10.00 hours 3rd September, 1940.
