The McElvaneys of Grangetown - courtesy of Eugene McElvaney
My Grangetown grandparents Henry and Isabella McElvaney of Birchington Avenue, lost two sons in WW2. (photos attached) Dominic Anthony McElvaney (Wearing the FEZ) of the Royal Horse Artillery Regiment was 21 years old when he was killed in action on Friday, 21st November, 1941 against Rommels Afrika Corps in North Africa. He is buried in the Knightsbridge War Cemetery. 25 kilometres west of Tobruk, Libya.
His brother James McElvaney (Green Howards) was also involved in those battles in North Africa. Fortunately, James who was captured, managed to escape and survived the war and went on to become the father of ten children. (me included). However, the youngest member of the McElvaney family Ronald, then only aged 22, an Able Seaman in the Royal Navy was also killed in action when his ship the HMS Capel was torpedoed by a German U Boat on Boxing Day 1944 whilst escorting an American Convoy through the Scapa Flow bound for Russia. Ronald's body was never found.
That was the official story for over forty years. However, Thanks to this website the story came to the attention of Guy Roberts of Nottingham who emailed John O'Neill with the new official truth, that was only recently revealed. Which is: The HMS Capel and Affleck were actually chasing a U boat (off Cherbourg, France) that two days earlier had sunk a troop ship the SS Leopoldville with the loss of 763 Americans GIs. The u-boat U-486 captained by Oblt. Gerhard Meyer then also sank both British ships.These sinkings were covered up because the Allies Authorities were embarrassed by being caught off guard in an area they controlled, it was during the Christmas festivities and they did not respond quickly enough to save the troops or crews. The truth was not discovered until about 1998 when the wreck of the SS Leopoldville was found five miles from the French coast! They say "The first casualty of war is always the Truth".
Tragically, James named his new born son (Born January, 1945) Ronald in memory of his dead brother, but the child died during the night of the last major WW2 air raid on the local Steelworks and Shipyards in Southbank and Grangetown. Sadly, Henry, Dominic and Ronald's father died soon after the war was over.
As you can see the McElvaneys' did not have a good war. In 1969 when I was having a medical with the Australian Immigration Department's doctors, I was asked the question "What was the major cause of death of the deceased males in your family"? After thinking for a few minutes, I replied "Germans" .
The McElvaney's are only one of the many Grangetown families who made the ultimate sacrifice,so hopefully,the generations to come could enjoy the fruits of our so called democratic societies. Lets hope they are the last.
My Grangetown grandparents Henry and Isabella McElvaney of Birchington Avenue, lost two sons in WW2. (photos attached) Dominic Anthony McElvaney (Wearing the FEZ) of the Royal Horse Artillery Regiment was 21 years old when he was killed in action on Friday, 21st November, 1941 against Rommels Afrika Corps in North Africa. He is buried in the Knightsbridge War Cemetery. 25 kilometres west of Tobruk, Libya.
His brother James McElvaney (Green Howards) was also involved in those battles in North Africa. Fortunately, James who was captured, managed to escape and survived the war and went on to become the father of ten children. (me included). However, the youngest member of the McElvaney family Ronald, then only aged 22, an Able Seaman in the Royal Navy was also killed in action when his ship the HMS Capel was torpedoed by a German U Boat on Boxing Day 1944 whilst escorting an American Convoy through the Scapa Flow bound for Russia. Ronald's body was never found.
That was the official story for over forty years. However, Thanks to this website the story came to the attention of Guy Roberts of Nottingham who emailed John O'Neill with the new official truth, that was only recently revealed. Which is: The HMS Capel and Affleck were actually chasing a U boat (off Cherbourg, France) that two days earlier had sunk a troop ship the SS Leopoldville with the loss of 763 Americans GIs. The u-boat U-486 captained by Oblt. Gerhard Meyer then also sank both British ships.These sinkings were covered up because the Allies Authorities were embarrassed by being caught off guard in an area they controlled, it was during the Christmas festivities and they did not respond quickly enough to save the troops or crews. The truth was not discovered until about 1998 when the wreck of the SS Leopoldville was found five miles from the French coast! They say "The first casualty of war is always the Truth".
Tragically, James named his new born son (Born January, 1945) Ronald in memory of his dead brother, but the child died during the night of the last major WW2 air raid on the local Steelworks and Shipyards in Southbank and Grangetown. Sadly, Henry, Dominic and Ronald's father died soon after the war was over.
As you can see the McElvaneys' did not have a good war. In 1969 when I was having a medical with the Australian Immigration Department's doctors, I was asked the question "What was the major cause of death of the deceased males in your family"? After thinking for a few minutes, I replied "Germans" .
The McElvaney's are only one of the many Grangetown families who made the ultimate sacrifice,so hopefully,the generations to come could enjoy the fruits of our so called democratic societies. Lets hope they are the last.
Grangetown's Home Guard 1943
As a recent email via Sandra Hartley points out .. the book images of England Around Grangetown by John M O'Neill 2004 by Tempus Publishing is incorrect on page 104. The little guy with the stick on the front row of the photo of the soldiers is my late grandad Alfred Rayson who died in August 1965. Just to let you know these are the homeguards of Grangetown who never left Grangetown and they were the dad's army. So whoever gave this information to the author was mistaken. My grandad lived at 27 Shakespeare Avenue and was married to Marjorie and my mother was Audrey and they had a daughter called Stella, Janet and son called Alan.
The Rayson family from Grangetown
Local Steelworkers
Woman on right may be Mrs Moy
Boiler Yard Fabrication Shop c 1940's
Man in black beret on the back row is my father John O'Neill - a driller in the fabrication shop who left a good job in Ford's motor factory London to return back to his roots with my mother Winifred and his two sons Kevin and Brian. Maybe the fact that my mother was pregnant at the time with yours truly and her mother was seriously ill was also a deciding factor.
The man on the right in the front row was also a distant relative called John Jones - who had Percy and Davy as brothers - and looked alike.
The man on the right in the front row was also a distant relative called John Jones - who had Percy and Davy as brothers - and looked alike.
Bomb Letter 1944
World War Two Nurses
ALEXANDRA ROAD IN 1946
A wonderful evocative image from 1946 which must inspire some memories for someone.