53409: Murdo Kennedy

Murchadh Choinnich Iain

Murdo  (1899-1976) was a son of Kenneth Kennedy and Johanna Matheson, 33 Lemreway.

On February 21, 1916 he enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve Service Number A8894 and re-enrolled under B6184, C5675 and D5367.  Murdo was only 15 and lied about his date of birth. His records indicate that he was 5ft 5in with fair hair, grey eyes and a pale complexion. On his last registration  he was 5ft 6¼, 

He was Mobilised on March 2, 1916 and was based at HMS Vivid III and the base at Gibraltar. Murdo served aboard  HMS Champagne at the same time as Neil Nicolson 20 Lemreway. Murdo also served aboard HMS Avenger, HMS Idaho and HMS Egmont. His name is mentioned in  Loyal Lewis: Roll of Honour 1914-1918.

The family  moved to 10 Orinsay in 1922.

After the First World War Murdo  joined the Merchant Navy and travelled to  the West Coast of South America on the SS Duendes, to Australia on the SS Willaston, to New Zealand on the SS Arawa and made six trips to Montreal on the SS Sicilian. He was a fisherman in 1921-1922 and returned to sea and travelled to Bombay on the SS City of Baroda, New Zealand on the SS Indianola, West Africa on the SS Lafian, to Russia on the SS Queen Olga and to Brazil, China, Jamaica, Java, Mexico, New York, Rangoon and South America. He served in the Merchant Navy throughout the Second World War based at Scapa Flow. Murdo is also mentioned in Roll of Honour: Pairc, Second World War. 

In Lochs, in 1939, he married Catherine Mary Macleod, 42 Ranish. Murdo and Catherine settled at 10 Orinsay and they had a son, Robert.