Daniel Maguire

ABLE SEAMAN DANIEL MAGUIRE
d. 17th November 1942 aged 20

Daniel was born on 14th July 1922 in Luddenden and baptised at St Walburga’s church in Luddendenfoot (this building has been demolished and the site is now a care home Aachen Brook).

His parents John H Maguire and mother Catherine (nee Flood) were from Liverpool. John H is in Liverpool in the 1901 and 1911 census returns and we can also find Catherine Flood in the 1901 and 1911 census. The couple married in Liverpool in 1921 (Q2,8b,84). We can see that John H was living on Providence Place in the 1921 census shortly before Daniel was born but can’t at present find Catherine in the 1921 Census.

In 1939, the family is living at 8 Halifax Lane. The 1939 voters register shows the names of three of the family (John H and Catherine plus one child Joseph P, three names of other family members are redacted on this document).

After joining up Daniel did his Royal Navy training at HMS President III on the north bank of the Thames near Wapping, He then served on a Merchant ship the SS Widestone as a DEMS gunner. The Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship (DEMS) was an initiative started in 1939 to try and protect merchant vessels from enemy attack by placing anti aircraft guns and anti submarine depth Chargers on merchant vessels. These were manned by the Royal Navy.

In November 1942, the SS Widestone left Cardiff docks laden with 3,400 tonnes of Coal and headed north to Oban to join a convoy across the Atlantic to Halifax, Nova Scotia and then onwards to New York. The ship was one of 33 vessels that linked up to form Convoy ONS 144, many were empty (loaded with ballast) and were going to pick up more supplies from America before returning to the UK. They were supported by one Royal Navy Corvette and four Norwegian Corvettes. ONS 144 was the 144th Outward bound from Great Britain to North America

The Convoy was intercepted by a U-boat wolf pack (with the code name Kreusotter, Viper) on 15th November, but the U-boats soon lost contact. The wolf pack consisted of thirteen U-boats. They attacked again on 17th November and SS Widestone and a Greek Vessel Mount Taurus were both sunk with no survivors. The following day another four allied ships were lost.

The SS Widestone went down with all 42 hands including Daniel Maguire, he was one of seven Royal Navy Gunners who lost their lives on this vessel.

The six ships in the convoy that were sunk including one of the Norwegian Corvettes. A total of 86 allied sailors died in these attacks.

The torpedo that sank SS Widestone was fired by U 184 on it's first active patrol. U 184 was reported missing 5 days later on 21st November. There was no indication of it's fate and the crew of 50 men all perished. Daniel is remembered on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

References:
There is a lot of information about Convoy ONS144 and on the Viper Wolf Pack at the following websites:
Convoy ONS-144
ONS 144

And information about DEMS here:
Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships

Civil Birth Registration: 1922/Q3/Halifax/9a/644
1921 Census, RG15/496/4/28/Schedule no 124
1939 England and Wales Voters Register, Halifax CB/496-1/KEAD/Schedule no.50

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