Stratti Island

[alantwo]

No.1495 Acting Bombardier Donald Anthony Mead was attached to the 29th Division Ammunition Column and was one of the men drowned when the HMT Marquette was torpedoed on 23rd October 1915. He is named by CWGC on the Mikra Memorial with many of the other casualties. The De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour Volume 2, p223 has that he was buried on 'Stratti Island, north of Mudros.' Can anyone advise where Stratti Island is?

 

My thanks in advance.

 

Alan 

[Jeff Pickerd]

Alan,

 

The only island in the Aegean that seems to fit would be Statis Island, about 30 kilometres southwest of Lemnos, and northwest of Lesbos.

 

Jeff

[michaeldr]

Alan

 

I think that it is the island south (not north) of Lemnos 

see http://www.getamap.net/maps/greece/lesvos/_strati/

 

regards

Michael

[michaeldr]

 

[alantwo]

Jeff and Michael

 

Thank you for your early replies that must be the one, there appears to be a slight difference in spelling and direction! I have just looked up the island (with a magnifying glass) in my 1882 atlas and it has Agio Strati, got to be the right one. It also makes more sense as the ship was heading for Salonika from Alexandria.

 

It will be interesting to learn if others were also buried there after the sinking.

 

Thanks again, I really appreciate it.

 

Alan

[michaeldr]

There was a court of inquiry held and there is a file at the NA https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4114803

but it is unclear how much this will help with your question

[alantwo]

Thanks again Michael

 

I have a report by Lieutenant-Colonel F.J.S. Cleeve to the President of the Royal Naval Enquiry into the loss of the ship. Cleeve does refer to 94 casualties, although the 29th Division Ammunition Column War Diary has a total of 167 of which 107 were 29th Division; as you are aware a number of NZ medical staff including nurses lost their lives. The survivors where picked up by various ships, including French, and I was just intrigued as to whether others who had drowned had been buried on the island, A/Bombardier Mead is the first one I've come across. The CWGC doesn't appear to have a record of the burial or whether he was reinterred at the Mikra Memorial, or is he merely named on the memorial and his remains are still on the island? I really should be working, but found this somewhat distracting.

 

Kind regards

Alan

 

 

[michaeldr]

13 minutes ago, alantwo said:

I really should be working, but found this somewhat distracting.

Alan - Don't forget P.O.E.T.S and don't be too hard on yourself

[alantwo]

1 hour ago, michaeldr said:

Alan - Don't forget P.O.E.T.S and don't be too hard on yourself

Thanks Michael, I’m in lockdown, everyday is Saturday! Although I hope my wife doesn’t read this.

 

Best wishes
Alan

[Rockturner]

Alan,

Strati Island is triangular in shape with it's sharp end to the southward. It is 6 miles in extent north and south about 3 and a half miles in greatest breath, and 973 feet high. On it's west side, about 1 and a half miles from it's northern end, is a little bay and a village named Strati. The population (then) was about 1,000 people.

As has been stated it is located to the south and slightly west of Lemnos.

Source Mediterranean Pilot Vol IV 1916 page 371.

The current name is Agios Evstratos.  Long 25.00 and Lat 39.34.

Rockturner

Edited 2 May , 2020 by Rockturner
incorrect eight and omission of feet

[alantwo]

Rockturner 

 

Thanks for your help. I had looked on Google Earth but couldn’t find the island due to the different name, I think I only came up with a computer developer in California.

 

Regards

Alan