Henry Donnelly
- Family History
- Military History
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Henry Donnelly was born in 1878 Belper, he married his wife Ada Phillis on 8th March 1902 at Heanor Parish Church and they went on to have two children , William Charles Henry b1903 Langley Mill and Violet Matilda b1907 Langley Mill, both birth were recorded in the Basford Registration district. The family lived at 85 Zulu Road, Basford, Nottingham. In the 1911 census the family are living at 90 Nottingham Road, Nottingham and are shown as Harry 33 yrs a potter (dipper) he is living with his wife Ada 27 yrs and their children William Charles Henry 7 yrs and Violet Matilda 4 yrs also living with them is Minnie Donnelly 42 yrs born Nottingham single a sister. Following his death his widow Ada received a letter from the Ministry of Pensions dated 13th September 1918 informing her that she would be in receipt of a pension of 25 shillings and 5 pence a week in relation to her and her two children with effect from 30th September 1918.
Private Henry Donnelly enlisted at Nottingham on 31st May 1917 , he was called up 9th August 1917, he gave his age as 40 yrs and 122 days and his address as 85 Zulu Road, Basford, Nottingham, his next of kin was his wife Ada of the same address, he was a pottery dipper. He served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and was on board the hospital ship Glenart Castle when it was sunk by torpedoes and rapidly sank on 26th February 1918 he was drowned. He has no known grave his name is commemorated on Hollybrook memorial in Southampton.
Monday 26 February marks the centenary of the sinking of HM Hospital Ship Glenart Castle. At approximately 04.00, the ship was hit by two torpedoes off Lundy, and rapidly sank, within five to seven minutes. Witness statements made by survivors made it clear that the ship was sunk by an submarine, later identified as the German U Boat UC 56, despite the ship being lit up as a hospital ship (identified by a chain of green lights, in addition to deck and navigation lights) and her location in the ‘free area’ which should have marked her out as immune and an illegitimate target. She immediately lost all power – other boats in the area recorded the sudden blacking out of a previously heavily-illuminated ship, which rendered the already listing ship very difficult to evacuate. She took all but around 29 crew and staff down with her. A handful of survivors were picked up in the area in the aftermath of the sinking, but 144 souls perished with the ship. All eight of the nurses on board went down with the ship, and the sinking represents one of the worst losses of nursing staff at war. It was reported in the British Journal of Nursing on 9 March 1918, clearly a source of much anguish to the profession. Courtesy of a blog from the National Archive)
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