207028 Alexander MacCuaig Merchant Navy SS Athenia from:Islay My Grandfather, Alexander MacCuaig, born on Islay in 1883, was a member of the crew on SS Athenia when she was sunk on 3 September 1939. I believe he worked in the engine room as a Stoker. My own mother, born in 1936, had a "skull cap" when she was born, a thin extra layer of skin, which apparently sailors think is a lucky omen. My grandfather took this to sea with him. Thankfully he survived and lived until the ripe old age of 92.
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