A special centenary service at the Golden Lion, Port Isaac to mark the 100th anniversary of the SS Milly, a merchant steamer sunk by German U-Boat action in World War One, was the centrepiece of a day of celebration in remembrance of the entire crew and especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice for King and country.
The service, at 6pm on Thursday 6th September, was be led by the Reverend Dr Elizabeth Wild, Rector at North Cornwall Cluster of Churches, at the Golden Lion in Port Isaac. Retired Commodore Jamie Miller spoke about the importance of rememberance and the SS Milly.
While the service itself formed a fitting and sober reminder of the consequences of war, the day itself – planned by Golden Lion landlords Marc and Beth Kendall – was designed to be a wider celebration of the contributions made by local people to the war effort.
SS Milly, a 3000-ton British steamer, was built in 1904 by Sunderland ship builders William Gray & Co. and requisitioned for war transport work in 1914. On September 6th 1918, on a voyage from Brest to Barry, the armed merchant ship was torpedoed and sunk by German U-Boat Karl Petri (UB-87) south west of Tintagel Head, with the loss of two young mariners’ lives.
