The Scottish War Graves Project

mhomac · Joined: 15 May 2009 Posts: 643 Location: South Lanarkshire

While detailing the gravestones in Rothesay Cemetery I came across the name Thomas Mullin. The family gravestone is pictured on the Argyll and Bute forum .

The family gravestone says;

Thomas Mullin,killed at sea, 26 March 1943.

I can find no reference to sea on either CWGC or SNWM sites.

Can anyone shed some light about this man? It would complete the whole Rothesay Cemetery entries.

Thanks
Morag.

jrah60 · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 2413 Location: East Kibride

On scotlandspeople there is the following entry for a Thomas Mullin.

1 1943 MULLIN THOMAS M 63 ROTHESAY /BUTE 558/00 0005

John

mhomac · Joined: 15 May 2009 Posts: 643 Location: South Lanarkshire

Thanks John, that is the father of the Thomas I am trying to locate. We will need to keep looking and hope we find him.
Morag

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

Morag - still can't find him but here's some background that might help in the search.

Thomas (senior) married Margaret Duffy in 1907 in Garngadhill, Glasgow.
Thomas (junior) was born in 1909 in Garngadhill - so aged about 34 when he died in 1943.
In 1911 the family were still in Garngadhill - Thomas (31) Margaret (28 ) Thomas (2) and Margaret (0)
Margaret (Duffy) Mullin died in 1928 in Lochgilphead aged 45 - so born c.1883 which aligns with the census.

Ken

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

The Rothesay WM lists an AB. THOMAS MULLEN, R.N. on the WW2 panels but no sign of him either - so same man????.
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/warmemscot-ftopic357-0-asc-0.html

Ken

ADP · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 105 Location: Edinburgh

How about this one as a possibility?

CWGC

Name: MILLER, THOMAS
Rank: Sailor
Date of Death: 20/02/1943
Age: 35
Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy S.S. Zeus (Greece)
Panel Reference: Panel 121.
Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL
Additional Information:

SNWM

Surname: MILLER
Firstname: Thomas
Service number:
Date of death: 20/03/1943
Decoration:
Place of birth: Glasgow
Other: S.S. "ZEUS".
SNWM roll: MERCHANT NAVY & FISHING FLEETS (Part 1)
Rank: Sailor
Theatre of death: Unknown

There is a discrepancy of a month in the date of death between the two sources above.

ADP

Adam Brown · Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 714 Location: Edinburgh

I think it is this man:

Thomas Mullin, Nathaniel Green 02/24/43 F/W Rothesay, Bute, Scotland

He is not on the CWGC because he was lost on the US Merchant Ship Nathaniel Green

I took those details from an online US Merchant Seaman Roll of Honour some time ago but didn't have time to follow it up. It looks like the webiste is now defunct but it does I think give us the identity of the Thomas Mullin in question

Adam

mhomac · Joined: 15 May 2009 Posts: 643 Location: South Lanarkshire

Thanks, Adam, think this solves the mystery. Your help is much appreciated. Happy Christmas.
Morag.

kenmorrison · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 747

Morag/Adam - not so sure that this is the same man - the date is different and the U-Boat site shows him as an American
http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship2694.html

Ken

Adam Brown · Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 714 Location: Edinburgh

Ken

I think it's worth a bit more investigation as it is more than possible that Mullin could have been born in Rothesay and taken US citizenship or served in the US Merchant Marine - hence him showing as US on the U-boat site.

That other site I found his details on is showing the same man and it gave his place of birth as Rothesay. That's a heck of a coincidence if it isn't the same man. Here's the page: http://www.usmm.org/killed/m.html

As you say the date is a problem but we know dates on graves are not always the most accurrate and I'm inclined to err on the side of the date being wrong - possibly the date when the family recieved news of the sinking -and the identification being correct.

There is hopefully a way to find out. The National Archives have a file PIN 15/2816 - British seamen serving on United States ships: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C207532

Unfortunately it has not been digitised so it will mean a trip to London to find out!

Thanks

Adam