Tower Hill Memorial, George Pickstock.

[Aigburth]

Can anyone on the forum tell me what is the routine for finding out the location on the Tower Hill Memorial of a family member named there?

Any guidance or help much appreciated.

Ray Lloyd.

[Seadog]

Ray use the CWGC search facility to find the person you are looking for, the memorial panel number will be detailed on the record.

CWGC SEARCH

Select Merchant Navy in the drop-down "Force" box

Norman

PS The panels are in alpha order by ships name.

[Seadog]

Ray, I see the problem, Pickstock has no panel number recorded on the CWGC. There is a search engine called Geoffs which will list the lost from the ship SS Polandia and hopefully one of those will have the panel number recorded. Unfortunately I am not a member of that particular facility but perhaps someone who is will look for you. If all this fails then ring Trinity House which is next to the memorial and ask if someone will find the panel number for you. I have done this and it works!.

Norman

[daggers]

I have tried Geoff's very useful search engine using Polandia as the only entry, but got a nil return. If Ray will post the name of the person he is researching I will try it that way round, and if there is a date of death that is another possibility.

EDIT too quick - I now see Pickstock in the header. I'll be back.

EDIT AGAIN -By entering the date of 10/03/1917 into Geoff's engine, several names of the Polonia's crew were returned, but none had the panel number shown, that I could find. Sorry. I'm sure there is someone on the Forum who can guide you better.

D

[Seadog]

Daggers thanks for that, I missed the header as well!

Norman

PS Trinity House MN Register Enquiries: Tel: 020 7481 6900.

[Seadog]

Daggers, I have copies of the following Tower Hill Registers:-

Surnames:

Cab-Coz

Rea-Scu

Sea-Sty

If any of the other names that you have found fall within the above please post and I will see if a panel number is recorded in the register.

Norman

[spithead]

Ray

Panel Number 14 gives 32 names for the Polandia

Regards John

[clive_hughes]

[clive_hughes]

[clive_hughes]

This link will give you a plan of the Tower Hill Memorial (both world wars):

http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_plans.aspx?cemetery=90002&mode=1

If you enter the Memorial from the end furthest from the Tower of London, Panel 14 is facing you on the second column on your right. The panels run from top to bottom of each column face, and ships are in alphabetical order.

I have an interest in L.Herdman who was killed on this vessel, as he was born in Holyhead.

LST_164

[daggers]

Good result!

D

[KevinBattle]

In addition to the good work done by others, may I add that the 3 RNR on board (Lieutenant RG Steele, Master, Ldg Seaman R Ahern and Seaman P Cronin are also commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

There is a Mercantile Marine website http://www.mercantil...x.php/t-35.html which has the following information:-

Polandia was originally the German Merchant ship SS Paul Woermann. In 1914 she was captured by HMS Cumberland in Douala and renamed Polandia and managed by Cunard SS Co. On the 11th March 1917 she had been sailing from Birkenhead to Cherbourg with a cargo of Government stores when she was sunk by a German U-boat killing 30 crewmen.

Although Lloyds Losses WW1 says POLANDIA was sunk by submarine, I could find no evidence from my own meagre resources to confirm this. I asked Michael Lowry who maintains the WW1 section at uboat.net. This is his reply.

"No idea. I looked into this one a few months ago.She's not attributed out by Spindler. She's not listed in "British Vessels Lost at Sea." There's no location listing in Lloyd's. The date of loss is given as either March 10 or 11, 1917. The sense I get is the ship simply disappeared between Birkenhead and Cherburg. Mines would always be a possibility, but without a location, it's hard to know for sure. "

SS Polandia is believed to have been discovered in theEnglish Channel, approx 25 miles from Littlehampton. Wreck is upright, bow separate.No more details than this.

Hope that helps

[Aigburth]

I wish to thank all of the helpful persons who have shown such an interest in my request of yesterday re.the above. I am overwhelmed by your generosity of time spent on my behalf, and I can assure you it is much appreciated and will save valuable time during the brief visit to this location. Thank you all again for your help.

Kindest regards,

Ray Lloyd.

[KevinBattle]

Aw, shucks! We don't do it for thanks, but to help where we can, and hope for the same in return when we have questions!

It is nice to be appreciated, though, so "Thanks" for the thanks!!

[Dr.Dan]

Interesting to dig up this old post ... George Pickstock was the brother of my great-grandfather Samuel Pickstock (8304, Cheshire Regiment), so I guess I'm related in Ray! :-)