Merchant Navy Non Commemorations

[Hywyn]

I see that the GRO Marine Index is available to subscribers of Findmypast (not the CD). As an Ancestry subscriber I cannot see myself subscribing to this one any time soon so I wonder if someone with a subscription could look up the following in order that I may further a CWGC non commemoration enquiry via their death certificates.

Julius Bank(s). Newspaper reports and family grave details suggest that he was killed as a result of enemy action in August 1918 aged 37 years.

Thomas Gilderdale. Is commemorated on local memorial. Newspaper reports all point towards him being Merchant Navy since onset of war. Last mention seen March 1917 but not all papers following that have been researched. He was 15 years old in 1901.

David J Hughes. Died on board the SS Patani off Sierra leone 7/3/1915 aged 22 years. Not yet known if this was an enemy action. Nil re sinking of a ship that name that date.

TIA

Hywyn

[Michael Lowrey]

Hywyn,

I don't see how Hughes could be a non commemoration if the details you give are correct. Given the date and location, both mines and U-boats would be a non-factor, leaving only German surface ships. There's no match there either.

Best wishes,

Michael

[Esskay]

No sign of Julius Bank - as you probably know already he was born in Wales in 1880 - registered

Julius Matthias Bank 1880 Jul-Aug-Sep Carnarvon Anglesey, Caernarvonshire (vol 11b page 485)

and married in 1916

Julius M Bank 1916 Jan-Feb-Mar Taylor West Derby Lancashire (vol 8b page 358)

Thomas Gilderdale is shown as a marine casualty - 1918 page 273 - he was 32 and aboard "War Island"

Miramar Ship Index gives this

Single Ship Report for "1142639"

IDNo: 1142639 Year: 1918

Name: WAR ISLAND Launch Date: 28.6.18

Type: Cargo ship Date of completion: 9.18

Flag: GBR Keel:

Tons: 3143 Link: 1542

DWT: Yard No: 200

Length overall: Ship Design:

LPP: 100.9 Country of build:

Beam: 14.3 Builder: Craig Taylor

Material of build: Location of yard: Stockton

Number of

screws/Mchy/

Speed(kn): 1T-11.5

Owner as Completed: The Shipping Controller, London

Naval or paramilitary marking :

A: *

End: 1943

Subsequent History:

19 COSMOS VOLGA - 20 TERRIFIC - 22 GOLDENWAY - 28 MOMOHA MARU

Disposal Data:

sm/t 00.02S/145.05E 15.3.43

So obviously not a WW1 sinking

Hughes appears to have been recorded as D I Hughes and 21 years - as you know "Patani" 1915 - page 86

Good Luck

Sue

[Hywyn]

Michael

I wasn't too sure about David Hughes as I know very little re Merchant activity. I appreciate what you are saying re enemy activity in that area of the world at the time. He is not on the local memorial and I would have expected him to be had he been killed by the enemy as opposed to an accident/dying. His Chapel noted his death in their yearbook but not on their memorial.

Sue

Thanks for the info re Gilderdale and Davies. Julius Bank(s) remains elusive! I have had a thread running on him some time ago when we came to the conclusion that the above index needed checking. It wasn't available then as it is now (I believe). Although born N Wales etc he became a naturalised American but then came back either just before or when war broke out, married a L'pool girl and was a Marine Engineer on the Elder Dempsey line. The info supplied to the newpaper etc clearly states that he was killed by enemy action. Even if he hadn't and it was an accident he would have been on the index? Unless it was because he was an American and he is on one of their indices?

Hywyn