News

Derry war hero's son seeks Dunkirk survivor's family

Derek McCauley with the cross which Sammy Larmour presented to his family following the Second World War. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Derek McCauley with the cross which Sammy Larmour presented to his family following the Second World War. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Derek McCauley with the cross which Sammy Larmour presented to his family following the Second World War. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

The son of a Derry Catholic who rescued his Protestant neighbour from the beaches of Dunkirk in the Second World War has appealed for help in tracking down his family.

Derek McCauley’s father, Michael 'Mack' McCauley served in the British army in both world wars as well as being interned for a period in 1922 for his political views.

In a remarkable story of courage, Mr McCauley revealed how his late father had been on the beaches of Dunkirk, France as the German army threatened to route the British Expeditionary Force in 1939.

The story of Dunkirk is the subject of a major new action thriller starring Belfast actor, Kenneth Branagh which went on release this week.

Ordered to help evacuate his fellow soldiers and wounded colleagues, Mack McCauley started dragging people onto a lorry. One of the men he pulled onto the lorry – essentially saving his life - turned out to be Sammy Larmour, a Protestant from Derry’s Fountain estate, just yards from Mack’s Foyle Road home.

Following the war, Sammy Larmour presented the McCauley family with a gift of a crucifix holy water font he had found the rubble of a French town before being evacuated. Mr McCauley’s son still has the crucifix.

However, the Derry man, whose father passed away in 1972, said he had no knowledge of what happened Sammy Larmour after the war.

“We never had any contact with the family. I did try to track them down and there was a family of that name in Limavady but it turned out not to be them,” Mr McCauley said.

It is believed the Larmour family eventually left the Fountain and possibly the city. It is understood there are no families of that name in the Fountain at present.

Mr McCauley said: “I would love to talk to Sammy’s descendants given the close bond created by my father’s link with him.

“It would be great to know what became of Sammy and what sort of life he went on to lead after the war.”

Mr McCauley urged any of the Larmour family or anyone who knew of their whereabouts to get in touch.

Anyone wishing to speak to Mr McCauley can do so by contacting the Irish News at derry@irishnews.com