To: Seaman H. MAC CALLUM.
KILLED IN ACTION 2nd AUGUST 1917.
"MUDROS" In the Aegean Sea.
(From Kintra, Isle of Mull, Scotland)
[BIOGRAPHY]
HECTOR MAC CALLUM was born in 1887 & was from "Sunlight Cottage" Kintra on the Isle of Mull, Argyllshire, Scotland. His younger cousin Hugh MacCallum (20) was also serving as a seaman in ERMINE and was also killed on 2nd August 1917. Neither of the two men's bodies were recovered and they are both remembered with eternal honour on the Plymouth Naval Memorial and on the local war memorial at Creigh in Scotland. Both men has served in their civilian capacity in the ship before the war.
Interestingly, although they were both technically merchant seamen serving in a war zone or danger zone they were serving under the flag of the Royal Navy and did not qualify for the Mercantile Marine Medal which was only awarded to civilian crews of purely civilian vessels.
As will be seen by the notation which was hand written across his Mercantile award card on 5th October 1921 when his medal entitlement was being assessed his merchant service was refused.
His full entitlement of 1914-15 Star, War Medal & Victory Medal were issued by the Royal Navy and are recorded on the usual distribution form, a copy of which is included with the papers.
[THE "ERMINE" Career Data]
H.M.S. ERMINE was a Pre-WW1 Twin Screw Passenger Steamer which in it's civilian role was initially employed between Scotland & Ireland and which took part in civilian passenger transport to Scandinavia.
She was one of a group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty at the start of The Great War to augment the ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. These ships were known as MERCHANT FLEET MESSENGERS.
The ERMINE was greatly used under the most arduous of conditions and often under fire during the Dardanelles & Gallipoli campaign. The ship was delivering troops and horses & picking up casualties from the battlefields in the movement of other important officers & transit passengers.
She was fulfilling this role on 2nd August 1917 when sailing in the Aegean Sea she struck a German mine off Mudros.
The vessel was launched on 15 June 1912 by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Govan as Yard Nr: 486 as the passenger ship named ERMINE for G & J Burns Ltd, Glasgow, and was fitted out and completed in September 1912
In 1915 she was requisitioned for Admiralty service as a Commissioned Fleet Messenger, with her name unchanged
8 August 1915 arrived at Kephalo Bay
6 September 1915 at Port Mudros
21 September 1915 sailed Kephalo Bay
1 November 1915 arrived at Suvla Bay
On 7 November 1915, 8 November 1915, 10 November 1915 and 12 November 1915 she was at Suvla Bay with a working party from HMS GLORY on board.
18 November 1915 at Suvla Bay two Carpenters Mates from HMS GLORY working onboard.
10 February 1916 arrived at Saloniki.
2 March 1916 at Saloniki alongside HMS ARK ROYAL where her ratings were clearing stores.
15 March 1916 sailed Saloniki.
29 March 1916 at Port Mudros Lieutenant Woodhouse Royal Navy and one Petty Officer transfered onboard from HMS ARK ROYAL.
13 May 1916 at Port Mudros berthed alongside HMS ARY ROYAL delivering Air Stores.
31 May 1916 Lieutenant Matthew BOGGAN RNR, the ship's Commanding Officer, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross - the citation said:
"Has carried out the arduous duties of ferry service between Mudros and the peninsula, carrying troops and military stores, entailing constant moving and going alongside other ships, in a zealous and most satisfactory manner, the service being frequently carried out under fire"
29 July 1916 sailed Port Mudros.
7 August 1916 sailed Port Mudros.
16 August 1916 arrived at Port Mudros.
26 August 1916 sailed Port Mudros.
9 September 1916 sailed Port Mudros.
20 September 1916 arrived at Port Mudros.
7 October 1916 sailed Port Mudros.
15 November 1916 sailed Port Mudros.
23 December 1916 arrived at Port Mudros.
30 December 1916 arrived at Port Mudros.
3 January 1917 at Port Mudros.
28 February 1917 arrived at Port Mudros.
4 March 1917 arrived at Port Mudros.
20 April 1917 sailed Port Mudros for Saloniki.
10 May 1917 arrived at Port Mudros.
12 May 1917 at Suda.
26 June 1917 arrived at Port Mudros.
[DESTROYED BY A MINE]
2 August 1917 The Ermine struck a mine in the Aegean Sea laid by the German U-Boat UC-23 while on passage from Saros to Mudros.
She was carrying passengers and stores and sank in position 40.39 N 23.34 E with the loss of 24 lives.
[THE SUBMARINE which laid the mine]
SM UC-23 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 26 August 1915 and was launched on 29 February 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 17 July 1916 as SM UC-23.[Note 1] In 17 patrols UC-23 was credited with sinking 45 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-23 was surrendered at Sevastopol on 25 November 1918 and broken up at Bizerta in August 1921.
Those who were killed and who have no known grave are remembered with pride on the Chatham Naval Memorial, the Portsmouth Naval Memorial and the Plymouth Naval Memorial
Those with known graves in the Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria are:
Assistant Cook John Thurlow MMR in grave 1778
Fireman D Moore in grave 1980
2nd Steward Frederick McNab in grave 1893
Carpenter John Gowan in grave 1768
An excellent assembly with papers & much further research potential.
Both medals and plaque are practically 'mint' and are with their original ribbons.
The most attractive & privately produced plaque frame has been very cleverly constructed & machined from a small vehicle brake disc which has been professionally converted & engraved.
£650