WWII War Grave Question

How come 556746 Trooper Albert Freeman of the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry is buried in Kilaghtee Church Of Ireland graveyard? He died on 2nd July 1940. The graveyard is located on the West Coast of Ireland in south west County Donegal. I find it a bit strange that a member of the Royal Armoured Corp should end up being buried in County Donegal around that date. How did he get there and how did he die? I don't believe he had any family or relatives in the area.

 

Could be that he was stationed there and died as a result of natural causes or from an accident.I know that there were troops in NI during the war and that some got detained in the south for unknowingly crossing the border.

 

Hi

This is a guess, but I think he may have been a guard on the Arandora Star, which was torpedoed off Ireland on the 2nd July 1940. It was a steamship that was carrying Italian & German internees (and a small number of POWs) to Canada when it was sunk by U-47. It seems that bodies were washed up along the coast of Ireland. See Arandora Star - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and www.arandorastarcampaign.com for more information.

 

I think this may be the case as someone else suggested this too. As far as I am aware his body did wash up along the coast although I can't be certain of this. I did suspect he may have been off a ship which was sunk but I didn't know which one. I just thought it a bit strange for a member of the Royal Armoured Corp to be on a ship off the West Coast of Ireland at this stage in the war. I take it he would probably have been one of the guards on the ship?

 

This seems logical. By checking other graves you will proabably find a large percentage of sailors but also airmen who were washed ashore during the war.

 

There is only one other WWII war grave in the immediate area. It is in an old graveyard which is actually situated right on the coastline. The grave is for a Sub-Lieutenant E.G. Robbins, Royal Canadian Navy. He was KIA on 30th April 1941 when the SS Nerissa was torpedoed. I know his body was definitely washed up along the local shoreline. I think quite close to the graveyard where he is buried.

 

I checked vairious scources all yesterday morning, Ragnorak is right in that the other cwg in that cemetery belongs to a ww1 soldier. Although other sites, I visited Church sites all over Ireland looking and also Navy net to see what losses there were in that area at that time. I found nothing. Including looking at various regt casualty lists to see what other regt lost men around that time that could possibly be from an action in the surrounding area/sea. Even checked tourist sites to see if any info brought up. Nothing found from me I'm afraid. Although as Skipper points out there are many allied burials in Eire for various reasons quite a few in fact, I certainly could not come up with anything either. But got a lot of good info while searching.

 

Hi Urgh,

Yes there is also a grave for WWI soldier in the Old Killaghtee Graveyard. He was Private Francis Long of the 11th Btn Royal Inniskilling Fusilliers. He was WIA on July 1st 1916. He was evacuated to hospital in England. His father travelled from Ireland to visit him but by the time he reached the hospital Frank had died of blood poisoning. His father transported his body back home for burial.

 

Trooper Freeman was a guard on the SS Arandora...He was a member of the Sherwood Rangers.

 

Death register entry from Dunkineely, Donegal

Body found at St. Julius?? Point, Dunkineely on 15th August 1940. Married. Territorial. Asphyxia from drowning. No evidence to show how he got into the water. Information received from E.F.O. Sullivan, Coroner for South Donegal. Inquest held on 15th August.

The Register is dated 20th August 1940.

I can only find a St. John's Point, but it doesn't look like John on the register.

Link takes you site describing the area and peninsula.

http://www.welovedonegal.com/dunkineely--st-johns-point.html