Manx fishermen remembered as war heroes

Manx fishermen will be commemorated this Sunday (May 3rd) a century after their heroic acts in World War One.

The Lusitania, a luxury cruise liner carrying almost 1200 civilians from New York to Liverpool, was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland.

A Peel fishing boat, The Wanderer, was first on the scene and her seven strong crew rescued more than 150 people from the water.

Lusitania was the most famous ship in the world at the time.

But on a calm, sunny day on 7 May 1915, she sank in just 18 minutes after the attack by a German U-20 submarine.

A special service will be held at the RNLI Lifeboat house in Peel at 12 noon on Sunday, led by Bishop Robert Paterson with the Lieutenant Governor Adam Wood and the President of Tynwald Clare Christian among the congregation.

A flotilla of craft will then sail out of the bay and place poppies on the sea. You can find out more about this weekend's events by visiting thewanderer100 website.

Ben Hartley spoke to Jackie O'Halloran from Peel Commissioners about that day a century ago which sent shock waves around the world:

 Picture: Lusitania propeller at National Museums Liverpool