Owen McAleer was the son of Mary McAleer (nee Donaghy). He was born on 3rd December 1888 in Dungannon. His father died when he was young and his mother worked as a house keeper. Owen became a blacksmith. He later moved to Belfast and married. He had two daughters. Owen McAleer found work as a trimmer on the S.S. Hunsdon. The Hunsdon was torpedoed by a German submarine on 18th October and sunk at the mouth of Strangford Lough. Trimmer Owen McAleer was the only man to lose his life.
Further Information
Owen McAleer was the son of Mary McAleer (nee Donaghy).
Owen was born on 3rd December 1888 in Dungannon. He was one of three surviving children of six. There must have been at least two McAleer-Donaghy families in Dungannon at that time.
Known family: Mary McAleer, Mary Agnes McAleer (born 4th June 1882), Alice McAleer (born 30th April 1884), Owen McAleer (born 3rd December 1888).
The 1901 census records Owen as age 13 living with the family at house 1 in Park Road, Dungannon. He was still at school. His mother Mary was a widow and worked as a house keeper and domestic servant.
The 1911 census lists Owen as age 22 living with the family at house 5 in Park Road (East Side), Dungannon, County Tyrone. He was working as a blacksmith.
Owen McAleer and Susan Finlay were married on 21st December 1914 in Belfast.
Speculated family: Owen McAleer, Susan Mary McAleer, Eileen McAleer (born 30th December 1914), Mona McAleer (born 27th May 1917).
Owen McAleer found work as a trimmer on the S.S. Hunsdon.
The Hunsdon was originally a German ship but was captured by the British at Duala, West Africa 14th July 1914.
The S.S. Hunsdon was torpedoed by a German submarine on 18th October 1918 bound for Belfast from Le Harve, only a few weeks before the end of the war.
The ship sunk at the mouth of Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland.
Only one man died as a result of the attack by an enemy submarine. Owen McAleer was 29 years old.
Trimmer Owen McAleer has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, which commemorates the men and women of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in the war.
The CWGC record Owen McAleer as the son of Mary McAleer and the late Mr McAleer. The CWGC also record Owen McAleer as the husband of Susan Mary McAleer (nee Farlay), of 11 Jennymount Street, St Joseph's, Belfast.
