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This story is taken from an interview with Joe McKernan at the Ballymena Servicemen’s Association, and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. The interviewer was Matt Morrow, and the transcription was by Bruce Logan.
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My father was in the Royal Navy from 1903-1924. He served throughout the world, and he had 6 medals which I wear on the right-hand side at parades, in connection with Armistice Day and so on. He served at the battle of Jutland in 1916. The then Prince of Wales, who became King George VI, also served at the battle of Jutland, and I have a photo, a picture of HMS Valiant which served at Jutland.

I’m an associate member, and I wear my father’s 6 medals on the right hand side. One goes back to Somaliland, 1906. It’s in Africa. And out in the Persian Gulf, during the First World War. The Navy sailed up into the Black sea, and the Turks on the other side shelled them. He was shipwrecked twice. Those are some of my memories. Those [stories ] were told by my father.

My father was, when he came off in 1924 he was caretaker in the Ballymena YMCA until 1939, when he was called up prior to the war. He was in Devonport for 6 months, and then was brought back to Belfast Lough, and he was stationed in Belfast on a vessel as a Chief Petty Officer in charge of men because at that time France had been overrun, there was some French vessels lying in Belfast Lough and there was fear that they would scuttle them. And he and some men were put aboard, a number on each boat, to make sure that they didn’t. He caught a chill and died in what is Stranmillis Training College, because during the war it was used as a servicemen’s hospital.

[like Campbell College?]
Was it done the same? Well, he was in Stranmillis Training College. I can remember going up to see him, urgently one night with my mother, when he was in. And on the way back, coming up the Antrim road, the shrapnel was bouncing off the top of the car.

And his name is engraved on the memorial, the War memorial in Ballymena, memorial park. Chief Petty Officer William McKernan. He died 1940, he was born in 18… he was aged 53, he died in 1940.

I can remember him well, remember walking when he came home on leave, the first year. He was walking with his uniform down the street, and the young fellows I ran about with, the young ones, stared at this man because of the service uniform. And I was embarrassed, because they were looking at me - they were looking at him and looking at me.

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