COBH OLD CHURCH CEMETERY
​​​
County Cork

​Republic of Ireland

GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 51.86284, Longitude: -8.29744
​

Location Information

Cobh Old Church Cemetery (Cobh Cemetery) is located just outside of Cobh in County Cork, in the Republic of Ireland.


Historical Information

RMS Lusitania was en route  on 7 May 1915 from New York to Liverpool, when she was torpedoed by a U-boat 10 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale.  Though the ship went down in less than 15 minutes, over 760 of the 1959 passengers and crew were saved.  Of the crew who died (and were found eligible for war grave status), 3 had been washed ashore and now lie buried, while the names of a further 31 are commemorated on the screen wall.

Total Burials: 197

Identified Casualties: United KIngdom 128, Canada 3, Belgium 1. Total 132.


Cemetery pictures used with the permission of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Master Frederick Daniel Parslow, V. C.
Mercantile Marine, H. M. T. "Anglo Californian" London
died 4th July 1915, aged 59.
Plot B. 15. 8. (The graves of 8 of his crew can be found in rows B 15, 18, & 20.)
​
Frederick Daniel Parslow was the first Merchant Navy Captain to receive the V. C.

His headstone bears the inscription "At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The morning We Will Remember Them"

Citation 

The London Gazette dated 24th May 1919 records the following:- "For most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of the Horse Transport "Anglo Californian" on the 4th July 1915. At 8am on 4th July 1915 a large submarine was sighted on the port beam at the distance of one mile. The ship, which was entirely unarmed, was immediately manoevred to bring the submarine astern; every effort was made to increase speed, and a S.O.S. call was sent out by wireless, an answer being received by a man-of war. At 9a.m. the submarine opened fire making occasional hits until 10.30a.m. meanwhile Lieutenant Parslow constantly altered course and kept the submarine astern. At 10.30a.m. the enemy hoisted the signal to abandon the vessel as fast as possible and in order to save life Lt. Parslow decided to obey and stopped engines to give as many of the crew as wished the opportunity to get away in the boats. On receiving a wireless message from a destroyer however urging him to hold on for as long as possible he decided to get way on the ship again. The submarine then opened a heavy fire on the bridge and boats with guns and rifles wrecking the upper bridge, killing Lt. Parslow and carrying away one of the port davits causing the boat to drop into the sea and throwing its occupants into the water. At about 11a.m. two destroyers arrived on the scene and the submarine dived. Throughout the attack Lt. Parslow remained on the bridge on which the enemy fire was concentrated entirely without protection and by his magnificent heroism succeeded, at the cost of his own life, in saving a valuable ship and cargo for his own country. He set a splendid example to the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine."