S.S. Laertes

[Ludovica]

This is what I have on this ship..

"LAERTES (2) was built in 1904 by R & W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage of 4541grt, a length of 382ft 8in, a beam of 47ft 2 in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Priam she was built for Ocean Steam Ship Company and entered service in 1904. On 10th February 1915 she managed to survive a torpedo and gunfire attack by a U-boat when off the Dutch coast but on 1st August 1917 she was torpedoed and sunk of Prawle point with the loss of 14 lives."

Does anyone have further details at all? Maybe of other casualties?

My interest is the death of my 3rd cousin (x3 removed)

Name: CLASBY, STEPHEN CHARLES

Initials: S C

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Fireman

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 34

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Son of Stephen Charles and Jane Clasby; husband of Frances Clasby (nee Scorey), of 9, Charlotte St., Southampton. Born at Southampton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

(yes, he was the the brother of the one lost on the HMHS Glenart Castle)

"Laertes" seems to be an unlucky name, I've found lots of references to ships of this name being sunk!

[Arthur]

Hi

Some additional information:

Laertes was torpedoed and sunk by UB3 whilst enroute to Montreal from Southampton, she was in ballast.

I have a list of fourteen casualties including that of: Stephen Charles Clasby.

has been omitted from the list below. [They have been checked on the CWGC site]

Arthur

Name: AVARD

Initials: H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Storekeeper

Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 37

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Born at Tunbridge Wells.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead.

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: BROOMFIELD, GEORGE HENRY

Initials: G H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Able Seaman

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 20

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Son of George and Ellen Broomfield, of 88, Melbourne St., Southampton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: BURNS Initials: G

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Wireless Operator Regiment:

Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 19

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Born at Manchester.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: EDMONDS

Initials: W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Fireman

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 26

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Born at Southampton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: GOLDSMITH, FREDERICK WILLIAM

Initials: F W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Fireman

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 27

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Son of Joseph Henry John and Elizabeth Jane Goldsmith, of 17, Newtown Rd., Woolston, Southampton. Born at Landport, Hants.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: HOOPER, FRANK GEORGE

Initials: F G

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Fireman

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 20

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Son of Gillian Edward and Amelia Hooper, of 6, Guildhall Terrace, Millbank St., Northam, Southampton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: MAIDMENT, ALBERT

Initials: A Nationality:

United Kingdom

Rank: Greaser

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 18

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Son of Charles and Alice Maidment, of Holly Bank, Bagber Rd., Totton, Hants.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: McLANE, THOMAS

Initials: T

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Able Seaman

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 26 Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Born at St. Lucia, British West Indies.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: MEDLEY

Initials: W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Greaser

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 27

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Adopted son of Mrs Eleanor Ruth Medley, of 28, Lower Canal Walk, Southampton. Born in Hants.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: PROUDLEY, RICHARD CHARLES

Initials: R C

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Fireman

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 18

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Son of Richard and Frances Maud Alice Mary Proudley (nee Abbott), of 3, Elm Rd., Chapel, Southampton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: ROSE, LEONARD AUGUSTINE CONWAY

Initials: L A C

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Able Seaman

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 27

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Son of Arthur Augustine and the late Maly Rose; husband of Annie Margaret Rose (nee Gilbert), of 18, Melville Rd., Winton, Bournemouth. Born at Fitzpaine, Dorset.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: TILLING, PERCIVAL ARTHUR

Initials: P A

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Ship's Cook

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 39 Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Son of George John and Agnes Tilling; husband of Beatrice Tilling (nee Batchelor), of "Fitzroy", Oak Tree Rd., Bitterne Park, Southampton. Born at Southampton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Name: WILLIAMS, HARRY SIDNEY

Initials: H S

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Fireman

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: S.S. "Laertes" (Liverpool)

Age: 29

Date of Death: 01/08/1917

Additional information: Husband of Rose Amelia Hughes (formerly Williams, nee Soffe), of 54, Bridge St., Southampton. Born at Leeds.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

[Arthur]

Hi

An ammendment to the above reply:

Laertes was torpedoed and sunk by UB31 whilst enroute to Montreal from Southampton. Not UB3 as previously stated.

Arthur

[Ludovica]

Thank you so much Arthur! Stephen Charles Clasby's grandson only learned his grandfather's name last week (from yours truly) and is really excited to learn anything possible, so this extra information is especially welcome

[BEARDYCLEM]

My step-grandfather was Marconi Wireless Officer on the Laertes - CR Woodcock. His account ( He only spoke of it once to my father ) was that the ship went down very quickly and he and a wireless cadet ( presumably the young man on the memorial - G BURNS ) were attempting to send a distress call, with the cadet winding an accumul;ator of sorts to provide power. I understand that water reched the coaming of the wireless cabin and when my G.F and the cadet attempted to abandon ship the cadet got caught in the falls of a lifeboat davit and was taken down by the ship/ My G/F was caught in the suction and taken down so far and so fast it blew his eardrums and he was fairly profoundly deaf thereafter. He went on to take many sea cruises over the years and lived near the sea and would paddle - but he never went swimming again. He held himself responsible for the death of the cadet for the rest of his life.

A very kind gentleman has provided me with a dive sketch of her wreck and I have a couple of photos of the ship if anybody would like them - Please PM. If anybody has any further information I would be grateful to receive it.

Many thanks

[Guest]

My maternal grandfather, David William Jones, was Chief Officer on the SS Laertes (armed merchantman)  when she was sunk by the U-boat off Prawle Point.  Although somewhat injured he survived and was picked up to be landed at Plymouth.and taken to the Central Hotel there We have his original telegram (  1 August 1917)  sent  from Plymouth to my grandmother in Birkenhead to tell her that he was safe, although losses were heavy. As an officer with the Blue Funnel Line he had been seconded to the Royal Navy for the Dardanelles campaign, and served in the transport ship Moyune, landing stores on  the Anzac beaches and taking off the wounded.   SS Moyune had originally belonged to the China Shipping Company before it was taken over by Alfred Holt & Co some years earlier.  

This was the second time my grandfather had been torpedoed, but he survived the war and in 1919 was chief officer on the  'War Maid', later sold by the company.  He wrote letters from a number of his ships - notably the SS Ping Suey -  in different ports to my mother from the time she was a baby in 1908 (including one from the Dardanelles). These letters, of which I possess the originals, give some fascinating insights into the social and maritime conditions of the time between  1908-1920, and we also have records of his apprenticeship in sail and steam and earlier experiences at sea.  I am in the process of compiling a memoir from this material which I hope to put on the internet.,

 

 

[Guest]

My maternal grandfather was the storekeeper mentioned above. Harry Selby Avard was his name. I can't find any more information. I went to Liverpool maritime library and they said there had been a fire so the wage books had been destroyed. Does anyone have any further information.

Edited 12 November , 2020 by Pamela Newman

[sotonmate]

Pamela

 

Welcome to the Forum !

My local Central Library in Southampton holds some MN records which include cards,some with a photo of the seaman, and which also list the ships served on. I seem to remember that there are post-1917 cards available but that before then some were destroyed and some were given to the University of Newfoundland where some still exist (at least when I enquired a few years back !).

I see that some records are available on this link:

https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1762440

I also see that the National Archives have a records for LAERTES, here is one for a period of 1917 but this would need to be seen in situ there. Here the link:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10333545