My family were trawlermen. My great uncle, Tony Pill 18, same name as me, was on the LEUKOS D96 that was shot by a german submarine in 1940. The shot from 200 yards hit the Leukos in the engine room and she disappeared in a cloud of steam and smoke and sank in an hour with the loss of all 11 crew.
He was posthumously awarded a medal for his 'part for the war effort'. The leukos had a tricolour painted on its side as it was a Dublin boat and therefore from a neutral country (Didn't seem to bother the u boat captain) There is a painting of the Leukos in the National Maritime Museum in Dublin.
I intend to sail to Dublin next year from Preston in my small yacht to visit the museum and see this painting for the first time.
For anyone who may be interested. Tony Pill.
Tony Hi .
That was a sad story, just shows how futile war is.
Hope you get to see the painting and post some photos when the time comes.
John .