The Brothers Halligan

[Pete Wall]

Benjamin Thomas Halligan b. Liverpool 1909 married Alicia Walsh in the Fall of 1940, on April 30 1941 Benjamin and his 15 year old brother William b. 1926 died when the SS Nerissa was torpedoed 200 miles off the Irish Coast, the two brothers are shown on panel 72 at London's Highgate Memorial.

A third brother John Joseph Halligan was torpedoed twice once in the North Atlantic and the second in the Indian Ocean. SS Brittanic sailing in 1943 out of Durban to Capetown and onto Liverpool shows John under the passenger list described as 'Distressed British Sailor'

Assumption is that John b. Liverpool 1923 (pantry boy) was a survivor of the SS Nova Scotia but he's unlisted, known is that John was in a South African internment camp (Durban?) but managed to get onto the Brittanic and returning to Liverpool rejoined the allied war effort.

Note: Complicating the search is there's another John Joseph Halligan however he's an American (born 1923 in California, USA) and both of them can be found in 1942/3 sailing in and out of New York; equally surprising is the American John J Halligan was also torpedoed in WW2 and survived.

John Joseph Halligan's story of being torpedoed twice and surviving both was laid out in 1950's issue of UK Reader Digest issue but despite trying have been unable to find a copy ~ wartime secrecy linked to John's modesty kept the story away from the family until late 1950's he never even told his wife.

If you can solve this one you're a good man - thx pete wall / Johns cousin

[Hugh]

Hello and welcome Pete.
There is a lot going on there but hopefully a simple answer but it involves obtaining a record from the National Archives. There are a few ways to go about it but the best and first option must be to obtain JJ Halligan's CRS 10 - service record from Jan,1941. The file, if it has survived, should be held at Kew in piece BT 382/717
This file should tell you all of his ships including those that were sunk and also note his return to UK as DBS. The file is best viewed by visit to Kew. Any questions feel free to ask.

Do you know his exact date of birth?

Regards
Hugh

[Pete Wall]

John Joseph Halligan was born in Liverpool, England on February 02 1923 one of (12) children to Joseph Halligan and Elizabeth Parle.

Thank you for the KEW reference I'll follow up and post what I find.

What's the odds of two John Joseph Halligan's born with (4) months on one another, the one in England the other in California and both go onto join their respective merchant navies and unbelievably torpedoed on different ships (my cousin twice) and survived to tell the tale, the coincidences go even deeper with each of them being in and around Capetown and New York within months if not weeks of one another.

Believe I saw the California kid was torpedoed in the Pacific.

Thank you - pete

[Jim Brady]

Pete did the brothers come from Bootle do you know,I went to school with a Brian Halligan.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Hugh]

John Joseph Halligan was born in Liverpool, England on February 02 1923 one of (12) children to Joseph Halligan and Elizabeth Parle.

Can you check that DoB again please Pete - I have a J Halligan born Liverpool 2/1/1923 Liverpool, could that be the one?

Regards
Hugh

[Frederick Lacey]

Info, hope this is of help.

Birth.
John J Halligan. mmn. Parle. Qrt. Jan-Feb-Mar. 1923. District. Liverpool. Vol.8b. Page.50.

Death.
John Joseph Halligan. Born 2nd January. 1923. Died. December. 1971. age at death. 48 years. District. Liverpool. Vol.10d. Page.479.


Fred.

[Hugh]

Thanks for that Fred. There is a seaman's pouch for him at Kew held in piece BT 372/537/99. That along with the CRS 10 that I have highlighted earlier in post #2 will be his main seaman's records.

Regards
Hugh