Judith Johnson
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George Furey - A Newfoundland Hero

16/2/2013

26 Comments

 
PictureGeorge J Furey
Whilst reading David Copperfield recently, and moved by Dickens' vivid account of Ham Peggotty's attempt to save drowning men in a terrible storm off the coast of Norfolk, I was reminded of an episode in the life of Newfoundlander George Furey.
 
I came across the mention of George Furey when I was researching the stories of  Southborough & High Brooms men named on our local war memorial.  One of these was Able Seaman C/SSX 15852 Reginald Nye, the son of Harry and Faith Nye, of 28 Great Brooms Road, High Brooms, Tunbridge  Wells. He drowned at the age of 26 when HMS Firedrake was torpedoed while sailing as part of an Atlantic Convoy and sank on Thursday 17 December 1942. Reginald Nye is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent.
 
The excellent website
www.hmsfiredrake.co.uk, compiled by John Masters, gives extensive information on the story of HMS Firedrake, and thanks to him I was able to include a lot of
the following detail in my book Southborough War Memorial: 
  
"Firedrake, an 'F' class Destroyer, was the escort leader to convoy ON153, with 43 ships bound for Canada. They sailed in a force 12 storm, the worst the Atlantic had seen for a very long time. At about 1700 hrs, the ASDIC operator picked up a contact. HMS Firedrake tracked the contact to about 5 miles south of the convoy, when at 2010 hrs she was hit by a torpedo fired by U-boat U211. The ship broke in two. The bow section sank immediately, with the stern just managing to stay afloat.

"Lieutenant DJ Dampier RN had a tally up and found there were 35 still on board. He quickly got the men to work shoring up the bulkheads of No. 3 boiler room, and making safe and jettisoning the depth charges and torpedoes. The gun crew were ordered to fire star shells to attract the attention of the other escorts, because all the radio and signalling equipment
had gone with the bow part of the ship. 
  
At about 2200 hrs, one of the other escorts - HMS Sunflower, a Flower class Corvette - was attracted by the star shells so she made towards them, firing star shells herself. The skipper first thought that the stern section of Firedrake was a U-boat and was about to fire HE at it, but then suddenly realised what it was. He tried to get his ship as close as possible to HMS Firedrake in order to get the survivors off, but the weather was so bad and the sea too rough. There were 60 foot waves breaking over the two ships, which were bobbing about like corks, so he decided to stand by and hope the weather would get better. At about 0040 hrs on the 17th December, the weather worsened and the bulkheads started to give way under the tremendous battering. The stern of HMS Firedrake started to sink, so the men had no option but to take to the water, and at 0045hrs the stern sank. The Sunflower moved in quickly to pick up the men in the water; a Newfoundland rating, G J Furey, had a rope tied around his waist and was lowered down the side of Sunflower. He would swim out to a man and grab hold of him, then his mates on board would heave them back to the ship and get him on board. He and his mates managed to get 27 on board but one died later. There were 168 of the Firedrake's crew lost and three others that had been picked up earlier that had survived an earlier sinking that night."
 
It is hard to imagine what the experience of swimming in these seas must have been like for Furey - surely his Newfoundland upbringing must have had something to do with the incredible powers of endurance he displayed. 
  
His son Bill and daughter Helen contacted the Firedrake Association and recalled that their father was a very strong man, and that when one of the crew of the Sunflower came to Newfoundland from England in the 1990s to visit George Furey, he was still amazed at his courage and strength after 50 years.

George died in April, 1996, at the age of 87, a very humble man from a small outpost community. He had lived a full life and raised a family of ten children. Though his children knew that he had helped save 26 men during the war, they didn't know all the details until shortly before he died. He was not one to talk about himself. He didn't see himself as a hero but talked instead about the 27th man that he couldn't hold on to, due to exhaustion. He was sorry that he couldn't have saved more.


26 Comments
Elsie (Furey) Thistle link
5/3/2013 07:13:59 am

Hello Judith,
Thank you for the article about my father, George Furey. I was both proud and sad as I read your account of my father's heroics. Yes, he was a humble man and rarely spoke of the terrible experiences he lived through during the six years he served his country. Following the war he returned to the small outport community where he was born. He raised a large family and put the memories of the war in his past. His children and grandchildren, will always remember him as a courageous, kind hero.

Reply
Judith Johnson link
6/3/2013 06:15:07 am

Thank you so much, Elsie, for your comments. I feel honoured and touched to have heard from you and one of George's grand-daughters, and I am, as ever, grateful to him and to all those who give so much to us all by their courageous acts.

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Stephen Snelling
20/3/2013 03:58:25 am

Hi Judith,
a splendid and moving tribute to a very brave man.
I would appreciate your help in contacting George Furey's family. I am currently researching an article on the loss of the Firedrake. Over the years, I have gathered a good deal of original documentary material about the incident and have interviewed survivors. I also have a particular interest. My grandfather, Arthur Snelling, was among those lost when the destroyer sank,
best wishes
Stephen Snelling
Norwich
tel 01603 435624

Reply
Elsie Thistle
20/3/2013 08:18:32 am

Hi Judith, I was quite surprised to see the note from Stephen Snelling and that his grandfather was on the Firedrake. Please pass along my email address to him for I would be very interested in hearing about the men my father saved. I do believe the only men saved were the 27 my father rescued. My father never did recieve any contact from any of those rescued men. Thank you again for your article about my father. Elsie Thistle

Cameron Cairnduff
22/6/2013 03:09:06 pm

Hello Elsie,

I am the grandson of a man that your father saved all those years ago on the Firedrake. Firstly I obviously have to thank you for your fathers actions, as like many other people I would not be here today if it not for his truly heroic bravery. Since my grandad's death my mother has been researching all about the events of the time and she is going great lengths in finding your family. Unfortunately she is computer illiterate which means that the son must search the web. It would be great if I could give her your email address, she would love to get in contact you. My email is [email protected] and hers is [email protected]. We are skatering my gramps ashes next month and I am telling the story of the HMS Firedrake. I used to hear how a man with a rope tied around him saved my granddad and it's amazing to see who he was. Thank you so much.

Grandson of David Ninian Morton

Cameron Cairnduff

Reply
Judith Johnson link
23/6/2013 05:50:02 am

Hi Cameron - wow, this is wonderful! I am going to forward your email to George's relatives who have been in touch with me, and to Stephen Snelling! Please keep me in the loop! All best, Judith

Patsy Yetman
9/7/2013 11:14:53 am

Cameron, as you've read in previous blogs my Father was a very humble man. When I was growing up (I will be 65 in Sept.) most of the residents of our small community didn't know about my father's heroics. The story was told at a Rotary luncheon in our Capital city and someone in the community happened to hear it on radio and recognized that it was my Father they were talking about. He never got any recognition. It is wonderful to hear from someone whose grandfather was saved by my Dad. Obviously he should have been given his just rewards. My children and nieces and nephews take great pride in what Dad did. Take care, Patsy Yetman

Judith Johnson link
20/3/2013 08:31:50 am

Arrived online at the end of long busy day, and am thrilled to have been contacted by Stephen Snelling and to have heard again from George Furey's daughter Elsie. Will be contacting both very soon - too late to call now!

Reply
Lesley Cairnduff
11/7/2013 10:17:41 am

Hi there Judith - Thanks for your input to date. My initial need to thank George Fureys family for his act of unimaginable bravery has been further spured on by learning that there was no real recognition of his courage that evening. Am in process of trying to make a small amend. Shall keep in touch. May not succeed - but am in process of trying-

Reply
Judith Johnson link
14/7/2013 04:35:55 am

That's great, Lesley. George Furey was an unsung hero, and it would be great to see him honoured, even years on, for what he did.
Look forward to hearing from you and Stephen Snelling when his article is ready.

Reply
Christine Nye Gibbons
11/3/2015 08:59:58 am

REGINALD NYE..Was my uncle, he was my Dad Harry Nye s younger brother..known affectionately as Ginger.
.

Reply
Judith Johnson link
13/3/2015 04:51:40 am

How wonderful to hear from you Christine - please could you contact me via the contact form on this website?

Reply
Selina
14/7/2017 01:58:55 am

Reginald Nye was my dad's uncle Frank nye

Reply
Patsy (Furey) Yetman
14/7/2017 10:22:16 am

It is amazing how many people have been impacted by my father's, George Furey, heroic acts. He was a very strong man, but also a very humble man. He never talked about what he had done, but sadly remembered the last man, the one that slipped from his grasp. He talked about it on his death bed. I guess the voice of the young man haunted me. Kind regards to you all,

Reply
Judith Johnson link
22/3/2018 01:36:39 pm

When we first published my book Southborough War Memorial through Odd Dog Press we had a modest print run, and when this was sold out, there didn’t seem to be a case for a further re-print, though we did subsequently produce a Kindle version. Fortunately, with the advent of print on demand, we have now able to publish a revised version, with some extra material I’ve been sent by relatives since the first edition in 2009. I’m particularly pleased to include a photograph of George Furey, and Reginald Nye).

The new version can be ordered from any good bookshops or via Amazon.

Reply
Ray Ryan
12/12/2018 10:58:03 am

I was a neighbor of Mr George Furey in St.Josephs S.M.B Newfoundland.Do you have the names of the sailors that Mr. George rescued? My wife thinks her brother Winston Abbott from Bonavista NL was one of the sailors rescued by Mr George.Is there any way you can verify that info.If you can it would be much appreciated.

Reply
Judith Johnson link
13/12/2018 03:46:27 am

Hello Ray, thank you for getting in touch. Wonderful to hear of another connection to George Furey. Sadly I don't have the names of the sailors who George rescued. I think your best bet might be to contact Stephen Snelling (see above). His website address is http://www.stephensnelling.com/about.html and there is a contact form on there. All best wishes, Judith

Reply
Ray Ryan
5/1/2019 11:41:03 am

Hi Judith..I emailed Stephan Snelling with the info you sent me about one month ago without a resoonse I.also used my own email service but it was not received.Do you have any idea why?Thanks in advance.Sincerely & best wishes for 2019.Ray Ryan.

Reply
Ray Ryan
13/12/2018 12:10:26 pm

Thanks Judith for your prompt reply.I am grateful for the email you enclosed.If I could add,All the years I knew George Furey & his family I had no idea of his heroism.In closing thanks again for your help.

Reply
Kelly Best (Granddaughter of Alexander Horwood - Survivor of HMS Firedrake)
5/11/2019 12:28:53 pm

Dear Judith,

My grandfather was rescued by George Furey. Like many others here, here, I am deeply interested in connecting with others who are alive because of this man's bravery.

My grandfather was Harold Alexander Horwood, from the Southside of St. John's, NFLD. I grew up in Newfoundland as well and was extremely close with my grandfather. He was the most devoted, caring, gentle man I have ever known. After the war he lived and worked in St. John's as a postal carrier, had two children (my mother, now deceased) and my uncle (in poor health but still with us). He met my grandmother after he returned to the Southside of St. John's, where she was boarding while working in service to some of the merchant families in town.

Helen Porter, Harold's first cousin, wrote a book in 1979 about Harold's (and my) family called, Below the Bridge. For those interested in the background of one of the survivors, I believe you can still get access to this book through second-hand vendors online.

I'm overjoyed to have stumbled across this blog post.

Kelly Best (granddaughter of Harold Alexander Horwood, HMS Firedrake survivor)

Reply
Patsy Yetman
5/11/2019 05:21:11 pm

Kelly, I'd love to chat with you about my father, George Furey and your grandfather Harold.

Reply
Judith Johnson link
6/11/2019 12:49:20 am

Dear Kelly

How wonderful to hear from you about your grandfather, and it fills me with joy to see this morning that George’s daughter Patsy has responded. Thank you both so much.

I will aim to read Helen Porter’s book - it looks fascinating, and I have been encouraged by the story of George’s courage to learn more of Newfoundland and its people.

Warmest best wishes

Judith

Reply
Judith Johnson link
6/11/2019 07:31:18 am

PS Kelly - I see that one Harold Andrew Horwood has written various books about Newfoundland. Is he a relative of your grandfather, I wonder? https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/425145.Harold_Andrew_Horwood

Reply
Kelly Best
6/1/2020 10:14:28 pm

Hello Judith -

Helen's account of the night my grandfather came home is really something - it's kind of the happy ending that might otherwise have gone unrecorded if not for Helen. Until a couple of months ago I only had the last part of the story. Now I have the whole story. It's so wonderful!

The other Harold: We are distant relatives, but my grandfather got to know the other one quite a bit because they would regularly get each other's mail. My pop received a lot of good news from publishers -- without ever having written a book. We'd laugh about that a lot. :)

Incredible thing, the internet is.

Reply
Joe power jr
21/10/2022 05:01:41 am

I was raised a few communities down from mr Furey , I have lots of memories of seeing mr Furey fishing and working at his stage in St Joseph's. This is such a inspiring story , i feel honored to have the few interactions i did with Mr and Mrs Furey , an amazing story of herotic actions of an amazing man.

Reply
Judith Johnson link
8/11/2022 07:08:44 am

Dear Mr Power, thank you so much for leaving your comment - it's great to hear from you and of your memories!
Warmest best wishes, Judith

Reply



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    Lifelong bookworm, love writing too. Have been a theatrical agent and reflexologist among other things, attitude to life summed up by Walt Whitman's MIRACLES.

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