Cook Alfred Walkington, Mercantile Marine 12.12.17

[Guest Pete Wood]

I am really stumped with this one. The only information I can offer is from the CWGC:

Name: WALKINGTON, ALFRED

Initials: A

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Cook

Regiment: Mercantile Marine

Unit Text: Steam Trawler "John M. Smart" (North Shields)

Age: 41

Date of Death: 12/12/1917

Additional information: Son of George William Walkington and the late Isabella Walkington; husband of Annie Marion Walkington, of 7A, Howard St., North Shields. Born at Bridlington.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

This is a memorial that thousands of cars and visitors pass each day (probably without noticing), next to Tower Bridge, and is really worth visiting when you're 'in town.'

I wish I knew more about the Steam Trawler John M Smart. But I can't even find who John M Smart was. The only John Smart I know was a painter......

The only thing we do know is that those who are remembered at Tower Hill have no known grave. So it is highly likely that John M Smart sank on this day. The boat was registered in North Shields, and Walkington was a 'local' to that area.

Tyne and Shields is in the North East of England, where the locals are fondly known as 'Geordies' (pronounced jordees). The Geordies have a strong accent, and a language (it seems) all of their own. So, for example, instead of saying "Yes, of course," a Geordie will say "Why aye" (pronounced way eye). You can see more Geordie terms at Geordie Dictionary.

I will hazard a guess that Alfred Walkington was one of Britain's unsung heroes who fed the people who went out in all weathers to catch fish and keep the country's civilian population from starving (as meat was in short supply).

[Terry Denham]

Trawler John M Smart was sunk by gunfire from a German torpedo boat destroyer on 12.12.17

Trawler was 113 tons and went down 10 miles east of the Tyne.

4 killed including Alfred Walkington.

[Terry Denham]

Definition of a torpedo boat destroyer....

A larger, swifter, and more powerful armed type of torpedo boat, originally intended principally for the destruction of torpedo boats, but later used also as a more formidable torpedo boat.

[Alison Arnold]

From CWGC

Walkington, Alfred

United Kingdom

Cook

Mercantile Marine

Steam Trawler John M Smart ( North Shields)

41

12/12/1917

Son of George William Walkington and the late Isabella Walkington; husband of Annie Marion Walkington of 7a Howard Street North Shields. Born at Bridlington

Commonwealth War Dead

Tower Hill Memorial

London

UK

Location: The Tower Hill Memorial which commerorates men of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who have no known grave, stands on the south side of the garden of Trinity Square London, close to the Tower of London. The Memorial Register may be consulted at Trinity House Corporation, Trinity Square (Coopers Row Entrance) which will be found behind the memorial.

Historical Information:The Tower Hill Memorial commemorates men and women of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in both world wars and who have no known grave. It stands on the south side of the garden of Trinity Square, London, close to the Tower of London. In the First World War, the civilian navy's duty was to be the supply service of the Royal Navy, to transport troops and supplies to the armies, to transport raw materials to overseas munitions factories and munitions from those factories, to maintain, on a reduced scale, the ordinary import and export trade, to supply food to the home country and - in spite of greatly enlarged risks and responsibilities - to provide both personnel and ships to supplement the existing resources of the Royal Navy. Losses of vessels were high from the outset, but had peaked in 1917 when in January the German government announced the adoption of "unrestricted submarine warfare". The subsequent preventative measures introduced by the Ministry of Shipping - including the setting up of the convoy system where warships were used to escort merchant vessels - led to a decrease in losses but by the end of the war, 3,305 merchant ships had been lost with a total of 17,000 lives. In the Second World War, losses were again considerable in the early years, reaching a peak in 1942. The heaviest losses were suffered in the Atlantic, but convoys making their way to Russia around the North Cape, and those supplying Malta in the Mediterranean were also particularly vulnerable to attack. In all, 4,786 merchant ships were lost during the war with a total of 32,000 lives. More than one quarter of this total were lost in home waters. The First World War section of the Tower Hill Memorial commemorates almost 12, 000 Mercantile Marine casualties who have no grave but the sea. The memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick.

Alfred Walkington born in 1877 in Bridlington. Son of George William and Isabella Walkington. George Walkington married Isabella Featherstone in the June quarter of 1876 at Hull.

By the time of the 1881 census the family were residing at 10 Spratts Row Flat, Tottenham. The family consisted of George and Isabella, four year old Alfred, Harry 2 and baby Marion.

By 1901 the family were back in Bridlington with Alfred employed as a fish dealer.

Both Alfred and Harry still lived at home but Marion by this time had left home. Also living at the house was their 15 year old brother Randolph.

Alfreds mother Isabella died in the December quarter of 1901 aged 45.

I have not yet found anything out about the John M Smart but assume it was a fishing vessel.

Off to dig for more information

Ali

[Malcolm]

Port No SN111, ( North Shields) Trawler John M Smart, launched 1891 of 113 tons. Fishery Trawler used in Royal Naval Reserve Fishing Fleet, fishing in 20 boat groups with one fourth being armed. Boats were used under their owners control , whilst technically HM Ship, and the men paid by RNR Trawler Section 1 shilling per month plus 5% bonus from the fishing income. The John M Smart was sunk on 12th December 1917.

Aye

Malcolm

[Terry Denham]

I have merged Racing Teapots' thread with the new one from Ali as they were identical in nature but had different info.

I hope nobody minds.

[Alison Arnold]

Terry,

It brings it all under one roof. Another man remembered that prehaps had been forgotten over the years.

Amazing the amount of information that can be found in such a short space of time.

Ali

[Terry]

To all involved,

Thanks for these entries. A wonderful way to remember the casualties of so long ago.