Timothy F McCarthy
| (15/07/1888 – 16/03/1917) BORN : LOWER COVE. KINSALE. IRELAND DIED : KILLED IN ACTION. ENGLISH CHANNEL NICKNAME : TIM DUTY : LEADING SEAMAN |
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Tim McCarthy was a true seaman and although young in years, was one of the best on board the Endurance. Born to John and Mary McCarthy in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland in 1888. He and his elder brother Mortimer, (known as Morty) both took part in Antarctic expeditions. Mortimer on Scott’s “Aurora” and “Terra Nova”, and Tim on the “Endurance”. Tim and his brother Morty were born on the same day of the month. Tim: 15th July 1888. Morty: 15th April. 1882. Tim was born in the Lower Cove district of Kinsale, a place renowned in Ireland for producing skilled seamen and fishermen. Just the mention of being born in that district was a guarantee of good seafaring skills to a prospective employer. It is no wonder that Shackleton, being aware of the qualities of his older brother Morty, hired Tim for the Endurance, and selected him, to help sail the James Caird on the epic voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia. Tim McCarthy, taken sometime before the I.T.A.E.
Shackleton had a high opinion of Tim, andsaw to it that Tim, along with McNish and Vincent got the first available ship home from South Georgia. They travelled on a Norwegian steamer the “Orwell” carrying a cargo of Whale Oil which arrived in Liverpool on the afternoon of Thursday 3rd August 1916. Her cargo also included the James Caird. The Whaler “Orwell” at Husvik Harbour 1914. Tim was to have his life cut short, like so many other young men of his generation in World War 1. He had joined the Royal Navy Reserve as a Leading Seaman when on Friday 16th March 1917, just three weeks after signing up, and at the age of only 28, was killed in action at his gun post on board the S.S. Narragansett. The ship was torpedoed between the South West of Ireland and The Scilly Isles. His first day under enemy fire. He went down with his ship along with all other 45 hands. Tim was the first of the I.T.A.E. members to die Years later Frank Worsley paid his own tribute to Tim in his book “Shackleton’s Boat Journey”, when he wrote:
“How sad we should have been at parting with simple honest Tim McCarthy, had we known we should only see him once again for two days. He went down in the war, fighting his gun to the last – three short weeks after landing in England. A big brave, smiling, golden-hearted Merchant Service Jack- we, his shipmates who truly learned his worth in that boat journey, are proud of his memory. I always felt that, no matter where we were or what exalted company we might have been in, if Timothy McCarthy passed by he must be welcomed to a place of honour and given the best of everything, as befitted a brave man and one of nature’s gentlemen”
Tim is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel number 23.
 Newspaper picture of Tim dated 5th December 1916.
 S.S. Narragansett. Built 1903. Greenock.Glasgow. Scotland. For the Anglo-American Oil Company.
She was the largest and fastest tanker of her kind afloat.
Length: 532 feet. Beam: 63 feet. 9196 grt. Speed 11 knots
The Tanker, Narragansett was torpedoed and eventually sank off the Scilly Islands (50.12 N 17 .34W) whilst returning to London from New York with a cargo of lubricating oil, on 16th March 1917.
In October 1913 the Narragansett had played a major role in the rescue of 521 survivors from the fire stricken S.S. Volturno of the Royal Line. She was able to calm the sea by pumping out oil.
On 17thMay 1915 she was attacked by a submarine off the South Coast of Ireland, but on that occasion, the torpedoes missed.
On 17th September 2000, both Tim and his brother Mortimer, were honoured by their home town of Kinsale with a commissioned bust of the two of them, which stands in the town’s park close to the shore line.
Tom Crean’s daughter, Mary Crean O’Brien, and Captain Robert Scott’s daughter, were amongst the many present at the unveiling ceremony.
With thanks to:
Brian Graham and colleagues (Kinsale Tourist Information)
and Bob Burton.
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