Rush Seamen in the Great War

100 faces from 1918

Internees in Ruhleben, Berlin 1914        

In January 1916 the British Government introduced conscription for the UK, apart from Ireland. Men in certain essential industries including merchant seamen, were exempt. Later, in spring 1918, conscription age limits were widened to meet a manpower crisis caused by heavy casualties on the Western Front.  At this time, there were suspicions that some men were registering as merchant seamen just to avoid conscription and were not going to sea. It was decided to check their movements.  

In September 1918 all merchant seamen were issued with an identity card, including a passport style photograph. A corresponding central record card system was set up, which was in operation until late 1921, and is now held in Southampton Archives.

David Snook and his team have worked through the 300,000 records and transcribed the details of 23,000 Irish born men on to a searchable database which can be viewed on www.irishmariners.ie

He has worked with coastal community groups across Ireland in preparing exhibitions of ‘their’ seamen from this period. In this case he has worked with the Loughshinny and Rush Historical Society.

This exhibition will focus on the 100 Rush men included in the records. It will also highlight the experiences of 20 Rush men, trapped in Hamburg in August 1914, who spent time in the civilian internment camp at Ruhleben racetrack in Berlin.