John Macleay, 10B Ballantrushal

John Macleay, seaman, RNR, Ballantrushal, lost his life when the ship on which he was serving as a member of the guns' crew was sunk by the enemy on the 26th April 1918. The deceased had been on active service since the beginning of the war and such fragmentary account as is known of his many experiences, cruel hardships and narrow escapes is a grim record of the perils to which in the terrible times in which we live those are expected to go down to the sea in ships. On HMS Kent he took part in the victorious action off the Falkland Islands in which that ship played such a prominent part. He was subsequently transferred to a ship of a different class on which he had not served long till it was destroyed by mine. His next ship was torpedoed and sunk, but Macleay escaped unhurt. Having joined anothe rvessel he had the same misfortune again, and those of the crew who survived having taken to their small boats were tossed about for hours in a rough sea till they were picked up by another ship. Within twenty minutes of their being taken on board this vessel, which had come to their rescue, met the same fate. We deeply regret that this gallant seaman who had such a series of marvellous escdapes has made the surpreme sacrifice on the occasion of this fifth mishap. The intimation of his death cast a gloom over teh district. He leaves a widow and four children whose ages range from fifteen to five years for whom, and for his aged mother, deepest sympathy is felt.