BBC - WW2 People's War (2024)

6 August 2005: Chris Coyne (left) and his Granddad Tom Coyne, St Nicholas’ Church Tower, Whitehaven, Cumbria. In front of the WW2 Memorial inside the church, Tom told me about his father, Tom (Senior), who lost his life when the M.V. Neptunian was torpedoed in 1940.

Introduction

I recently met with a researcher from the BBC ‘‘People’s War’’ website called Tom Coyne. Tom was an evacuee from the North East of England to West Cumberland during most of World War Two. Tom agreed to share some of his memories with me and that I could write about them.

In August 2005 Tom and his grandson Chris visited Whitehaven (now in Cumbria), the town Tom had been evacuated to during the war. One place I showed Tom and Chris was St Nicholas’ Church and Gardens in the town centre where there is a World War Two Memorial to some of those who died during the war. Among them are some Merchant Seamen who were former parishioners of St Nicholas’ Church.

While we were sitting below this WW2 Memorial, Tom told me about his own father, Tom Coyne (Senior) who was a merchant seaman during World War Two. Tom Coyne (Senior) died when the M.V. ‘Neptunian’ was torpedoed by a German submarine on 7 September 1940. Tom was not exactly sure of the details of the ‘Neptunian’ being torpedoed, but he had heard the Captain was a German submarine ‘Ace’.

After our discussion, I checked some details about Tom Coyne (Senior), the ‘Neptunian’ and the German submarine. This article summarises a little of that research.

In September 1940 Bob and Tom (Junior) had been evacuated to Whitehaven, staying with Jack and Elizabeth Finnegan. Bob and Tom only learned of their father’s death ‘by accident’ when young Tom came across a letter his mother had sent to Mrs Finnegan telling her about it.

Thomas Coyne (Senior) was 34 years old when he died on 7 September 1940. He is commemorated on Panel 72 of the Tower Hill Memorial, London. It is situated near the Tower of London and is the official Memorial commemorating men and women of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in both World Wars and who have no known grave.

After Tom told me about his father, I showed him the names of the Merchant Seamen whose names are on the World War Two Memorial in St Nicholas’ Church Tower. Like Tom‘s father, these other Merchant Seamen are commemorated by the CWGC at the Tower Hill Memorial.

The M.V. Neptunian, Günther Prien and U-47

One reference book I had read was ‘Spitfire Summer' by Malcolm Brown. This mentions a German submarine ‘Ace’ called Günther Prien, who was Captain of submarine U-47 (page151). Among the vessels U-47 torpedoed in the early part of the war were the 'Arandora Star' (1940) and the 'Royal Oak' (1939). There is, however, no mention of the 'Neptunian' in Malcolm Brown's book.

Next, on the internet I found a website about Günther Prien. This confirms that U-47, accompanied by submarine U-65, picked up Convoy SC-2 on 6 September 1940. The M.V. ‘Neptunian’ was part of that convoy. U-65 was commanded by Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen. The day after the submarines found the convoy, at 04.04h on 7 September 1940, U-47 launched its attack on the convoy. Not only was the M.V. Neptunian torpedoed but two other vessels were also torpedoed and sunk. These were the British freighter 'José de Larrinaga' and a Norwegian steamer 'D/S Gro'.

According to this site, ‘Neptunian’ was built in 1925 and was ‘en route’ from Santiago to Liverpool via Canada, carrying a cargo of 8500 tons of sugar. Its position was 58 Degrees 27N / 17 Degrees 17W when torpedoed with all 36 crew lost. Of course, one of these was Tom Coyne (Senior). Another website I checked states the wreck of the 'Neptunian', a steamer of 5155 tons is found 80 miles west of Malin Head and also states it was torpedoed by U-47.

[NB - the two website references about the M.V. Neptunian are listed below. These sites contain some useful detailed information and I wish to acknowledge them as the source of some information].

Conclusion

Undoubtedly there are a number of other researchers with more specialised knowledge of Günther Prien, U-47 and Merchant Navy losses during World War Two. I am pleased to acknowledge the sources of where I obtained the information.

Günther Prien was feted as an ’Ace’ in the early part of the war, and his fame appears to have lasted over the years. If sinking Merchant Navy vessels was the reason for Prien and U-47 finding fame, one consequence of it was the death of many of the seamen on the vessels that were torpedoed. One of the 36 seamen who died on the MV ‘Neptunian’ after being torpedoed by U-47 on 7 September 1940 was Tom Coyne (Senior) who left behind a widow and four young children. Such is the brutal reality of war.

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