Letters

Lost when S.S. Drina was torpedoed

August 28, 2009

Dear Mac

I am trying to find the crew member list of those who lost their lives on the ship Drina, can you help?

regards
Howard Weale


Howard,

This list from the Tower Hill Memorial shows those who died when Drina was torpedoed.

Commemorated WWI section Tower Hill Memorial

BERRY, Greaser, EDWARD, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 26. Refg. Son of James Berry and Ellen Berry, of 39, Armstrong St., Bootle, Lancs.

BRISCOE, Fireman, ROBERT, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 27. Son of Richard and Elizabeth Briscoe, of 64, Shelley St., Bootle, Lancs. Born at Liverpool.

DONOVAN, Fireman, DANIEL, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 23. Son of Timothy and Mary Jane Donovan, of 335, Reading St., Stanley Rd., Liverpool.

DOYLE, Fireman, JOHN JAMES, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 27. (served as VIGGOR), Son of Katherine Viggor (formerly Doyle); husband of Sarah Doyle (nee Hurst), of 30, Maple Grove, Seaforth, Lancs. Born at Liverpool.

ENGLAND, Greaser, THOMAS, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 58. Son of Mary England and the late George England; husband of the late Eliza England. Born at Pontefract.

HOLES, Fourth Engineer Officer, NORTON, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast). Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 31. Son of Stephen Holes and the late Annie Holes; Husband of Beatrice Emma Holes (nee Amfield), of 58, Archer's Rd., Southampton. Born at Southampton.

JONES, 6th Engineer, FREDERICO SALDANHA, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 22. Son of Kathleen Hughes (formerly Jones), of 7, Gelli Crescent Risca, Newport Mon., and the late David Morris Jones. Born at Rio-de-Janeiro.

LLOYD, Greaser, THOMAS, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 39. Son of the late Thomas and Mary Lloyd. Born at Liverpool.

MARTIN, Fireman, THOMAS EDWARD, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 32. Son of Thomas E. Martin and the late Margaret Martin; husband of Jane Martin (nee Price), of 81, Howe St., Everton, Lancs. Born at Liverpool.

MURRAY, Fireman, JAMES, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 22. Son of James and Jane Murray; husband of Margaret Murray (nee Kelly), of 43, Arthur St., Walton, Liverpool. Born at Liverpool.

McTAGGART, Greaser, EDWARD, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 44. Son of the late Edward and Agnes McTaggart; husband of Hanorah McTaggart (nee O'Keefe), of 5, Percy Grove, Marsh St., Kirkdale, Liverpool. Born at Glasgow.

O'CONNOR, Fireman, PATRICK, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 31. Son of James and Bridget O'Connor; husband of Margaret O'Connor (nee Dunne), of 27, Skinning St., Great Homer St., Liverpool.
Born at Liverpool.

TARPEY, Trimmer, SAMUEL, S.S. "Drina" (Belfast).
Mercantile Marine. Drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine, 1st March 1917. Age 22. Son of Andrew Tarpey, of 189, Price St., Birkenhead, and the late Ellen Tarpey.

Regards,

Mac.


August 28, 2009

Mac

Thanks for your assistance unfortunately I was hoping to find my grandmothers first husband on the list. No one in the family knew or ever heard about him! My father was born illegitimate in Dec 1913 my grandmother, married a Knud Jorgensen in May(30th) 1914 I have the marriage certificate. He is registered as a sailor, I have found a passenger list with a Knud Jorgensen on the Drina arriving in Liverpool (from Argentina) on May 26th 1914.... is he the same person?  What happened to him is a mystery. My grandmother was still a Jorgensen in June 1919 but then had a son George Howard Lewis in June 1920 his father was Howard Lewis also a sailor and mother Annie Lewis formerly Weale, no mention of Jorgensen. She had a further 4 children with Howard Lewis. I can't find a marriage certificate for them?

Knud Jorgensen is a mystery which I would like to solve, I believe he was my blood grandfather and I would like to find out where he was from and what happened to him. All I know is that he was a sailor born c1891 and his father was called Christian. My grandmother was from Porthmadog North Wales which at the time was a very prominent Port. Liverpool did a lot of trading with Porthmadog Howard Lewis my Fathers step father was from there.

Many thanks for your assistance
regards Howard Weale


Howard,

Very interesting, it is a mystery about Knud, it sounds like a Norwegian name to me, it may well be the same person on the marriage certificate and on the Drina passenger list.

If he was a sailor he may well have had a brief relationship with your Grandmother, then she met up with Howard Lewis, and maybe was still married to the elusive Knud, and just lived with Howard outside of marriage as she was not free to again marry.

All very interesting Howard. Is it alright to add our correspondence to AHOY?

Best regards. 
Mac.

 

October 17, 2009

Hi Mac

Thanks for your assistance you may add our correspondence to AHOY. I have doubts that the Knud Jorgensen in the Drina is the same person as his occupation is as a merchant (did he mean merchant seaman?) what is interesting is the date he arrived in Liverpool being 26th May, my grandmother married on 30th May!! coinsidence? Another coinsidence is he arrived from Argentina, my step grandfather Howard Lewis was also a sailor and most of his service was in Argentinian vessels did he ever sail with Knud?? and knew of his fate?? and then went to meet my grandmother?? its all very interesting! hopefully I will get the answer someday!

Again many thanks your assistance regards Howard


Howard, 

Its all a bit of a tangle, but there do seem to be some coincidences there.

Perhaps one day you may sort it all out.

Best wishes, 
Mac.

 


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