Paddy Donoghue served in HMS SWITSURE and then HMS SUPERB.  He was loaned to HMS FITTLETON for a couple of weeks for a NATO exercise and a run ashore to Hamburg. FITTLETON was a Ton class Minesweeper made of wood and a relatively small ship, operated by the Sussex Division of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and manned by a volunteer ships company.

On 20 September 1976, she was in collision with HMS MERMAID in the North Sea whilst conducting a heaving line mail transfer. FITTLETON was sucked into the side of MERMAID and capsized trapping some of the ship’s company inside the upturned hull. There were 32 survivors but 12 unfortunately drowned, one of those being Cook Donoghue of HMS SUPERB.

He was buried in Athelone Town, Republic of Ireland.