Name
William Farragher
Conflict
Second World War
Date of Death / Age
17/06/1940
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sapper
1892864
Royal Engineers
159 Rly. Constr. Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DUNKIRK MEMORIAL
Column 24.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, Hitchin Roll of Honour 1939 – 1945 (Book) St Mary’s Church, Hitchin
Biography
His name is spelt ‘Faragher’ in the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. He was born in Liverpool and was residing there at the time of his enlistment.
Before joining up he was employed on the London and Northeastern Railway. He joined the Royal Engineers in 1939, was given Service Number 1892864 and posted to the 159 Railway Construction Company. He was killed on the Cunard White Star liner ‘Lancastria’ (16,243 tons) off St. Nazaire. The liner was packed with troops leaving France after the collapse of the French Army and the British Expeditionary Force. St. Nazaire was the last port available to large vessels, and these were the last men of the B.E.F. to leave.
There were over five thousand troops and three hundred crew on board and the vessel was ready to weigh anchor when it was attacked and sunk by Stuka dive-bombers. Hits were made by three bombs and the great ship heeled over almost immediately. The men were then machine-gunned both on the vessel and whilst in the water. Over two thousand men were lost and many of those rescued were taken from the sea by the Royal Navy, tugs and other small craft.
He has no known grave and is remembered on Column 24 of the Dunkirk Memorial to the Missing in France.
His home was at 20, Cannon Cottages, Stevenage Rd, Hitchin.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines – ‘Hitchin’s Century of Sacrifice’, ‘Second World War’ by J. Hammerton, ‘Dictionary of Disasters at Sea’ by C. Hocking, Herts Pictorial dated 3rd February 1942
