James Kervin – Merchant Navy, M.V. Austvard

Ordinary Seaman James Kervin – Merchant Navy, M.V. Austvard

A Seaman of the Second World War

Merchant Seamen Deaths

James Kervin, born in 1918, is a figure about whom only limited records survive. The Merchant Seamen Deaths register notes that he had not been born in the United Kingdom, and it does not record a last known address, leaving his early life and origins largely untraceable. What remains is the record of his wartime service and sacrifice.

Merchant Navy Service

M.V. Austvard
credit - wrecksite

James served with the Merchant Navy as an Ordinary Seaman, one of the essential junior deck ratings whose duties supported the daily running and safety of the ship. He lost his life on 30 January 1941, following the sinking of the M.V. Austvard during the dangerous early years of the Battle of the Atlantic, when merchant ships faced relentless attacks from German aircraft and U‑boats.

The Loss of the M.V. Austvard

The M.V. Austvard was a Norwegian steamship on passage from Lourenço Marques to Immingham, carrying a cargo of iron ore when she came under attack. On 30 January 1941, she was bombed and sunk by German aircraft, approximately 130 miles west of Galway Island, Ireland. The attack was catastrophic: of her 28‑man crew, only five survived. Ordinary Seaman James Kervin was among those who perished when the vessel went down in the North Atlantic.

Commemoration

James Kervin
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - Benjidog Histroical Research Resources.
The Merchant Navy Memorial

With no known grave but the sea, Ordinary Seaman James Kervin is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, where his name stands among those of thousands of Merchant Navy personnel who gave their lives during the Second World War. Though the details of his life remain scarce, his sacrifice is remembered alongside all those who served at sea in Britain’s hour of need.