Was lead submarine stoker Denis O’Connell a relative of yours?

On June 4, 1919, HM Submarine L55 sank in the Baltic Sea. L55 had been targeting two Bolshevik warships. It is unclear whether the submarine was sunk by Bolshevik gunfire or from straying into a British-laid minefield.

The presence of the British navy in the Baltic Sea area contributed to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania achieving independence after the First World War.

Denis O’Connell was a leading stoker on the submarine. The casualty details state that Denis was the son of Mary O’Connell of Flaherty’s Hill, Pouladuff Rd, Cork and the late Denis O’Connell.