Clegg, J.C. (James Craig)
Clegg, J.C. (James Craig)
Seaman James Clegg was in the Merchant Navy and served aboard S.S. Csikos.[1]
On the 18th of April 1941 at 09:39 the Csikos, while sailing with convoy “HG 58” found itself being attacked and machine gunned by a lone Focke-Wulf.[2] It had just dropped 4 bombs nearby which fortunately missed the ship, but still damaged it. Three crew members were also wounded.
H.M.S. Chelsea[3] came alongside at 11 o’clock and took 2 of the injured onboard, the 3rd had already passed away.
At 14:30 a doctor boarded the Chelsea from H.M.S Egret[4] and attempted to save one of the injured sailors from the Csikos. A bullet was extracted but the man died.
At 18:00 hours it was decided the Csikos should go straight to the port of Londonderry due to leakage caused by one of the bombs which had missed the ship earlier on.
It is unknown which sailor was Seaman James Clegg but the other man to die that day was 3rd officer Sydney J Breach.[5]
Date of Death: 18/04/1941 (Aged 23)
Service: Seaman, Merchant Navy, S.S. Csikos (of Panama)
Burial Location: Londonderry (or Derry), City Cemetery, Sec. S. Class B. Grave 1215.
[1] S.S. Csikos was a Panamanian steamer launched in 1913.
[2] Focke-Wulf is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft.
[3] HMS. Chelsea was a British Destroyer launched on the 24th of July 1919.
[4] HMS Egret was an Egret class sloop (long-range escort vessels) and was launched on the 31st of May 1938.
[5] Sydney J Breach, age 22 years. Son of William and Constance, Gertrude Breach. No known burial.
