Person Sheet

Name Patrick Harrington Birth 19 3 1902, 51 Sutton Road, Plaistow, London E13, England Death 25 12 1961, Plaistow E13 Father Joseph Edward Harrington (1862-) Mother Fanny Jane Ridley (1864-)
Spouses:
1 Mary Ann Rose Birth 14 1 1902, 8, Sidney Street, Tidal Basin, London Death 2 1 1974, Bow, London, England Father Peter Rose (1869-1929) Mother Jane Eliza Nutt (1873-1947)
Marriage 25 12 1922, St. Lukes, Canning Town
Children: Joseph (1923-1993) Mary (1924-2003) Patrick (1929-2005) Dorothy (1931-) Richard Thomas (1935-) Dennis Victor (1941-) Irene Jane (1943-)
Notes for Patrick Harrington
Pat served most of his adult life in the merchant navy. On April 8th 194 1, his ship, the Rajputana, was torpedoed by a German U boat, (U108, Lieutenant Commander Klaus Scholtz) whilst on station 150 miles south of Iceland. The first torpedo hit just after dawn. The boiler room flooded and the engine room was open to the sea, but when the submarine's periscope was sighted the A.M.C (Armed Merchant Cruiser) opened fire and as no further torpedo arrived, hope of rescue grew. At 7:30 however a second torpedo hit and the ship began to settle rapidly by the stern. At 8:30 the order to abandon ship was given, but the ship went very rapidly at the end and a lot of men were left in the water and died before they could be picked up by the boats. The Rajputana had, however got out distress signals immediately after the first torpedo hit and a little after sun-up a Sunderland Flying Boat sighted the oil slick and guided the rescue destoyer Legion to the scene. Two hundred and eighty three men were picked up and landed at Reykjavik in Iceland, unfortunately not all survived, the final figures were 40 dead with 277 survivors. Pat was amongst those that survived, he suffered injuries to his arms and legs but after his recovery he was back aboard another vessel till the war was over. He then spent most of his working life at sea coming ashore a few years before his early death.