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History: R.M.S. Leinster

The Fate of the Mailboat RMS Leinster 10 October 1918

The Mailboat Service During World War 1

The Mailboat Service during World War One continued to sail across the U-boat infested Irish Sea. Post Office officials worked the journey sorting the mail, ready for delivery upon arrival in Holyhead. Throughout the war the City of Dublin Steampacket Company had pleaded with the Admiralty, the Board of Trade and the Post Office to provide protection. Their petitions were ignored and the Company was forced either to continue or have its contract annulled. Due to the great speed of the mailboat vessels, they managed to avoid the U-boats almost up to the end of the war.

On 10 October 1918, just a month before the close of World War 1, the full horror of the conflict was brought home to the people of Kingstown. The mailboat R.M.S. Leinster with seven hundred passangers on board as well as seventy crew members and twenty-two post office officials was torpedoed by German U-boat 132. She was just twelve miles outside Kingstown when the first torpedo struct, hitting the post office room at the front of the ship. Several minutes later a second torpedo struck the engine room.

Within fifteen minutes she sank taking the lives of five hundred including the Captain. Captain Birch, whose excellent seamanship had successfully steered the Leinster to safety on three previous occasions.

Mail Sorting Room Struck by Torpedo

Mr JJ Higgins was the only one of twenty-two Post Office staff to survive. Later in an article Mr Higgins recounted his experience:

"In the Post Office on the vessel work was going on as usual. As it was the fourth year of alarms the staff had become somehow hardened to the danger of submarines especially in the rough sea....

....The torpedo exploded in the middle of the Post Office, destroying the floor and the stairs (the only means of escape), which fell down into the storerrom underneath and all the men working in the fore-part of the office were either killed instantly by the explosion or were engulfed by the falling structure and drowned by tons of water pouring in through the hole in the side of the ship......

.....When I pulled myself together I found that I was alone in the dark and judging by the noise of rushing water I thought that the ship was going straight to the bottom and that it was up to me to get out of the office before she went to far down"

Mr Higgins was later shocked to realise that he was the only one of the Post Office Staff to make it to safety. Apart from two, the rest were all married men and all were resident in Dublin. Three men had been assigned to replace three others at the last moment, due to illness.

Eyewitness Accounts

For those passengers who were lucky enough to make their own way to a lifboat, survival was not certain. There was tremendous difficulty in the lifeboats getting away safly. The first lifeboat to be lowered was blown up with its passengers as the second torpedo hit the Leinster. Other lifboats were smashed against the ship, or capsized due to overcrowding. Although there seems to have been sufficient lifebelts for passengers, these were only put on when the explosion occured. Moreover as they were often put on incorrectly they fell off if the passengers fell into the sea.

One survivor told of nine persons clinging on the one plank. Two men were complaining of cramp and both became too weak to hold on, until eventually they disappeared under the water. Others began to disappear one by one, so that in the end only two were left. Survivors of the disaster were brought to Kingstwon. There were only two vacant beds in St. Michael's hospital as 1918 saw the outbreak of a massive influenza epidemic. However space was quickly found and survivors were also brought to hospitals in Dublin. part of the railway station was converted into a morgue for the bodies. In the following days relatives of the victims poured into Kingstown to identify the bodies or search for news of loved ones. Throughout October newspapers were filled harrowing stories of survivors, of their own fortunate escape and how they watched their fellow travellers meet their death. Lists of the dead, missing and survivors were published daily.

Relief Fund

In the aftermath of the disaster the Lord Mayor of Dublin established a relief fund for the relatives of the victims. By 26 October, just sixteen days after the disaster, the Mansion House Relief Fund had raised IR118,675. 4s. 11d. Donations had been made by individuals and companies such as Guiness, Bewleys and the City of Dublin Steampacket Company itself.

Inquest

An inquiry into the disaster was called for, however it was refused by the authorities. Only two inquests into victims' deaths were held. Following legal representation an inquest was held in Kingstown on the death of Ms Georgina O'Brien of London. Speaking at the inquest Mr E Watson, Managing Director od the City of Dublin Steampacket Company, said the Post Office had changed the time of the sailings from night to day. He said that no lives would have been saved only for the change of schedule as the risk of travelling at night was ninety percent more dangerous than travelling during the day. He slao stated that he had been requesting protection from 15 January 1915 without success. The jury returned a verdict of death by drowning, but stated that the Admiralty should bear some of the blame as they had been negligent in not providing an escort.

The Fate of U-Boat 132

It emerged after the War that U-boat 132 never did return home, but was lost by striking a mine in the North Sea on the way back.

This leaflet is dedicated to the memory of the Post Office Workers who died on the R/M.S. Leinster on 10 October 1918:

Richard Patterson, Superintendent in charge, PP Murphy, J Attwooll, J Blake, JA Warbrook, JH Bradley, J Dolan, P Forbes, PP Daly, M Brophy, M Hogan, T Bolster, W Maxwell, AT Mac Donnell, J Dewar, CJ Archer, J Robinson, WH Wakefield, WJ Parker, A Smith, J Ledwidge.

Published by Dún Laoghaire harbour, Rathdown Heritage Society, a FAS Community Response Training Programme, sponsored by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

This Leaflet was sponsored by the Communications Workers Union 1996

Download a version in PDF file format (2.01MB)

Harbour History

RMS Leinster Leaflet

RMS Leinster Leaflet Side One
Caption: Leaflet Side 1
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RMS Leinster Leaflet Side Two
Caption: Leaflet Side 2
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Download a version in PDF file format (2.01MB)

 

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