John Currie Hoy
(1876-1917)

John Currie Hoy was the son of Joseph and Mary Isabel Hoy and husband of Margaret Brown Gibb. He became a ship Captain and was Master of Bengore Head, Carrigan Head and finally Bray Head which all belonged to the Ulster Steamship Company. They became known as the "Head Line" because they named all their ships after headlands around the coast of Ireland.

The U-Boat was commanded by Kapitänleutnant Paul Wagenführ. She was from the 3rd U-Boat Flotilla, operating from Emden. It was half past six of the evening of Wednesday 14th of March, 1917. The submarine shelled the cargo ship from the surface. Bray Head had only been fitted with one gun, a three-pounder, in charge of two Marines. Captain Hoy personally took charge of it to return fire until the ammunition ran out. After two hours of fighting the ship had caught fire. A violent explosion forced the 38 men on board to take to the two life-boats.

The officers and crew of Bray Head stood to as she went down. Captain Hoy and his men were 580 miles west of the Blasket Islands (Co. Kerry). They set a course for the Irish coast, keeping in touch until a rising wind and sea separated the two boats on the second night. Captain Hoy's boat, with 19 men aboard, was never seen again. Three men from Islandmagee were among those lost.

The second boat was picked up by the light cruiser Adventure on the following Sunday morning and landed at Galway. After almost four days adrift two men in this boat had died from exposure. Among the 17 survivors were the third officer, William Henderson, of Cloghfin; and William Wilson of Mullaghdubh. John had been 41 years old. Sadly his wife, Margaret Brown Gibb, died after the war leaving their two young children to be raised by aunties Lizzie and Jeannie at Port Davey. Jack Hoy followed in his father's footsteps and served as a merchant seaman in World War II.
(Courtesy of Stephen Diamond)