MV FRANCHE COMTE - 16th March 1941

You are probably right that this is the captain of the ship Graham. Given it is a black and white photo, I thought it could also have been the chief engineer but further research I have done confirms that Chief Engineer, Francois Le Roux was only 24 when the ship was torpedoed.The chief engineer has the same rings as the master but has purple in between the sleeve rings.

Captain Leslie Clair Church was born in Walthamstow on 3 February 1895 and remained the master of FRANCHE COMTE from 1940 until 1945. In 1941, he would be about 46 years old and he was about 5ft 9in tall which also fits here.
He joins the Merchant Navy as an indentured apprentice in 1911 and serves throughout WWI being torpedoed while aboard ss CLAN MACNAB on 4/8/1918.
He was the master of the mv EBONOL which was sunk on 24/5/1950. He was still serving in 1961.

The attached photo shows him in 1919 as chief officer.

Hugh

 

British Tanker. MOWT/John I Jacobs & Co. 9314 tons. Built in 1936.
Torpedoed by U-99 and damaged in the North Atlantic on 16 March 1941. Survived the war.

Source - Seedies List of Awards to the Merchant Navy.

London Gazette 29 July 1941 - For services when the ship was torpedoed and damaged.

CHURCH, Leslie Clair - Captain - OBE(Civ)

MARTIN, Thomas Hardy - First Radio Officer - Commendation
PASHLEY, Francis Roland - Steward - Commendation
SPRING, James Johnson - Chief Officer - Commendation

Ungazetted award by Lloyd's
CHURCH, Leslie Clair - Captain - Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Citation:

Captain Leslie Claire Church, Master, Franche Comte

The ship was torpedoed by a submarine and caught fire. Not knowing how long the ship would remain afloat, the master and crew took to the boats but remained alongside in order to reboard her if possible. When ordered on board an escorting destroyer the master insisted on remaining near his ship until he was satisfied she was unsalvable. He called for volunteers to return to his ship but the sea was rough and they could not pull alongside. They were towed to their vessel by another of H.M. Ships. The fire was still raging and it was decided to lay to till daylight. The master and crew were again picked up by an escorting ship, but Captain Church said thatt he had no intention of leaving his ship. They therefore remained alongside until dawn, when the master and the volunteers went on board. The fire had been extinguished by the seas, and within 12 hours steam was raised and they proceeded at a slow speed under escort. It was hard to bring the ship to port as she would not steer and was under water almost to the bridge. By good seamanship and his refusal to abandon his ship the master brought her safely home.

Source - Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea by George A. Brown

Regards
Hugh

 

The only Irishguardsman O'Flaherty in the CWGC is Arthur O'Flaherty of the 2nd Battalion who died on 28 March, aged 20. He was the Son of Michael and Anne O'Flaherty, of 37, St. Bridgets Terrace, Galway.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/158057/arthur-o-flaherty/

Is this your great uncle?

 

As the thread has attracted some interest, I've posted here what I think is the last photo that has come down to me showing the damage to the Franche Compte. This and the previous photos may have been taken by my uncle or possibly another crew member and then shared. There may be one other that I'll need to find that may show a submarine, possibly taken at the same time while the tanker was at anchor after unloading and before being moved for repair. My uncles certificate of discharge indicates he left the ship on 28 05 41 from Rothesay.