William Terence Mullin
William Terence Mullin was a lace worker, twist hand.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
He was the son of Josephine Mullin of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. He married Mabel Innocent in 1939 and they lived at 3, Albert Street, Eastwood.
Terry Mullin and Jack Draper DSM (1917-1989) from Kimberley knew each other slightly before enlistment from mutual attendance at local dances. They became firm friends after meeting at Derby railway station en route to Devenport along with four other local men - Fred Johnson (who like Draper survived the war), John Abner Elliott (d.1941 - HMS Barham), Reginald Barks (d.1942 - HMS President III, Southern Empress) and Walter Morehen (d.1942 - HMS Havock).
Terry Mullin initially opted to become an Asdic anti-sumbarine detector like Jack Draper. However, the training class being full, he instead became a DEMS gunner and was assigned to a merchantman SS Grayburn.
At 00.30 hours on 29 June 1941, U-651 fired two G7e torpedoes at convoy HX-133 south of Iceland and sank the Grayburn in station #93. The U-boat was sunk by the escort vessels of convoy later that day.
The Grayburn (Master John William Sygrove) had originally been in station #73, but changed to station #93 after some ships straggled from convoy in heavy fog. She was hit on port side amidships by a torpedo, immediately settled on an even keel and sank within 5 minutes.
Because the port lifeboat had been destroyed, most survivors tried to abandon ship in the starboard lifeboat which was pulled down and turned over by the suction from the sinking ship, throwing the 30 occupants into the water and drowning all but two of them.
Five men managed to launch a small jolly boat and others rescued themselves on rafts or cling to debris. 16 survivors, two of them slightly injured, were picked up by HMS Violet (K 35) (Lt F.C. Reynolds, RCNVR) and HMS Northern Wave (FY 153) (T/Lt W.G. Pardoe-Matthews, RNR), later transferred to the British rescue ship Zaafaran (Master Charles Kavanagh McGowan, DSC) and landed at Gourock on 2 July.
Another survivor was rescued by HMS Arabis (K 73) (LtCdr J.P. Stewart, RNR) and landed at Londonderry. The master, 26 crew members and all eight gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 40mm and four machine guns) were lost. (Uboat.net)
DEMS gunners refers to the gunners who served on Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships during WWII. These gun crews, consisting of Royal Navy personnel, Royal Marines, and men from the Royal Artillery Maritime Regiment, defended merchant vessels against enemy attacks, primarily German U-boats, during the Battle of the Atlantic. They were a crucial part of the convoy system, helping to supply Allied operations and protect vital shipping routes. (Wikipedia)
William Terence (‘Terry’) Mullin during basic training at Devonport in 1940. Mullin sits 6th from the left front row next to the Chief Petty Officer. Terry’s friend Jack Draper sits next to Mullin.
Photo: Courtesy of the Draper family archive
SS Grayburn. Terry was lost when this ship was torpedoed during his first trip to sea.
Photo: Courtesy of Wikipedia