Able Seaman Michael Desmond Mulcahy (D/JX 143657) served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Born on 21st June 1918, he was the son of William Mulcahy and Sarah Mulcahy of 5 Erskine Place, Newry, Co. Down.
Japanese forces took Mulcahy Prisoner of War on Christmas Day 25th December 1941 during the fall of Hong Kong. He served at the Royal Naval shore base, H.M.S. Tamar. He died on 7th October 1942 aged 24 years old. A smuggled list records he was on board the prisoner transport ship Lisbon Maru.
Death at Sea
This ship carried 1,816 Allied prisoners, 25 Japanese prison guards, and 778 other Japanese troops. It left for Shanghai, China on 27th September 1942. On 1st October 1942, the Japanese vessel came under attack from U.S.S. Grouper. It went down after a torpedo strike off Zhoushan Port.
Unknown to the crew of U.S.S. Grouper, Japanese officers held the malnourished prisoners in the hold making escape impossible. Around 820 prisoners drowned and those who had strength enough to escape found themselves shot in the water by their captors. Britain received the bodies of 748 men. The Able Seaman from Newry, Co. Down escaped the sinking ship but died 6 days later of dysentry.
Michael Desmond Mulcahy has no known grave. His name is on Panel 66, Column 1 of the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth, Devon, England.