Ship sunk, saved at Scarborough ...

[Guest j.gibson65]

... was the telegram message my grandad, Robert Reddie, sent to his mother on 17 August 1918.

He was in the merchant navy and the story in my family goes that he was the lookout on the ship, didn't see the submarine until it was too late, and the ship was torpedoed and sank. All the crew was saved except for the captain who went down with his ship. The crew were paraded through the streets of Scarborough afterwards.

My research throws up two strong possibilities for the ship: the Wallsend which was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Robin Hoods Bay on 14 August 1918 with no lives lost, or the Eros, torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Filey on the 17 August 1918 with seven lives including the Master lost. Perhaps the family story isn't completely accurate.

If anyone has access to the newspapers of the time and could find any clues which would help me decide which of these ships (if either) it was that my grandad was on, and/or any details of the parade through the town, I'd be eternally grateful!

Many thanks in anticipation.

Janice

[Wrecktec]

Hi Janice

John Souter was the master of the SS EROS which was sunk at 1507hrs on 17 August 1918, when she was torpedoed by SM UB 113, but other lives were lost too

Cheers Ron

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Welcome to the forum Janice,

I can't help with your specific enquiry, but a register of merchant seamen was kept after WW1. Here is a the UK National Archives research guide with details:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...?sLeafletID=128

If he applied for the Mercantile Marine War Medal, the index cards for these are off line, they are on microfiche at the UKNA at Kew, in BT 351.

[Wrecktec]

I have a list of all MM seaman who died in WW1, but there are no ships sunk in that area or crew lost over about a week except Wallsend and Eros, only Wallsend near Robin Hood's Bay;)

Cheers Ron

[Guest Tremic]

Hi Janice

My Grandfather's brother was killed on the SS Eros and on the back of his photo is written 'Torpedoed on 17 August 1918 - killed' but several others were lost that day. Have you checked this site out http://www.naval-history.net/WW1LossesBrMS1918.htm - I've just checked it and found this:

'WALLSEND, 2,697grt, defensively-armed, 14 August 1918, 1 mile SE from S Cheek, Robin Hood Bay, torpedoed without warning and sunk by submarine'

It appears from further research on http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?1815 that there were no casualties. This is also stated on http://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/6429.html - hope that this has been of some help. If I should come across any further information during my own research eg newspaper cuttings I will let you know.

Cynthia