SS."Boorara"

[Chad]

One of the men on my local memorial was a fireman on the above ship. He died on wednesday 20/03/18. Please could anybody help with further details regarding the ship or what happened on that particular day.

Thanks

Chad

[Terry Denham]

SS Boorara (6570 tons) was torpedoed by a submarine in the English Channel on 20.03.18 but managed to make Southampton. Five crew were killed.

An unlucky ship - exactly the same thing happened to her on 23.07.18 in the North Sea. She again made port but with no fatalities this time.

She was formerly the German ship 'Pfalz'. SS Boorara (a town in Western Australia) was a ship which was involved in the first shots of WW1.

See http://users.netconnect.com.au/~ianmac/coastal.html

Scroll down to 'First Shots of WW1'

[Chad]

Terry,

Thank you for this info. I am extremely grateful. Unfortunately, it looks like he was one of the five men killed that day.

Thanks

Chad

[mattgibbs]

We may be researching the same person. I'm doing some follow up research with a friend in the British Legion on the Summerbridge war memorial. On it, and curiously the neighbouring Pateley Bridge memorial is Albert Haithwaite who was killed in march 1918 in the incident involving SS Boorara.

Is it known which U boat claimed the torpedo hit off Beachy Head on that day?

I have tried to use a couple of online searches in the Merchant marine records for Albert Haithwaite but they turn up nil records?

I have found the ships official number is 139010 but the crew agreements for 1918 do not appear on the newfoundland search site and anyway I am unable to order from them because of their restrictions.

Is there any reason why I could not find him in the seamens central indexed register which is supposed to cover from 1913 to WW2? How would I find out if he emigrated to Australia and joined the HMAT SS Boorara from there? Ideas appreciated.

[Terence Munson]

Hi,

I think he probably signed on in the UK given the address in this record.

This from BoT records (I've added U-boat info):

Name:HAITHWAITE, Albert, Fireman

Date of death:20 March 1918

Age:28 Last Place of Abode: Smelthouses, Summerbridge, Harrogate

Place of death:At Sea - Ship Damaged when torpedoed by UB 31 (Wilhelm Braun) in the English Channel.

Place of birth:Harrogate

Ship's name: S.S. Boorara (London) O.N. 139010

Series:BT334 - Registers and Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea Box:0073 Page:15

Terry

[Wrecktec]

The five men killed were:

DRAKE, Ernest Alan Fireman MM SS Boorara (London) killed 20.3.18

DUFFY, Martin Donkeyman MM SS Boorara (London) killed 23.3.18

GRENNAN, John Fireman MM SS Boorara (London) killed 20.3.18

HAITHWAITE, Albert Fireman MM SS Boorara drowned 20.3.18

TREMLETT, Henry Edward Fireman MM SS Boorara (London) killed 20.3.18

Ron

[chrisharley9]

http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/H02292

[Michael Lowrey]

Matt,

Virtually all cases of ships sunk or damaged by U-boat have been attributed out. The Boorara hits were from UB 31 and UC 70, neither of which survived the war. More here.

Best wishes,

Michael

[mattgibbs]

Thanks everyone for the information. Much appreciated, I have viewed the U Boat pages now Michael, thanks. I didn't see the BoT info on my search, the address is his parents abode as in the 1911 census. cheers.

Would he have been entitled to mercantile Marine medal etc?

thanks

Matt

[Guest]

Hello all,

 

I realise this is an old thread but thought I would add something.

 

Today my mother took a cross to a family member's grave in Hollybrook cemetary, Southampton.  She noticed a grave situated next to the one that she was visiting and thought it was interesting.  Turns out, three of the firemen killed on the SS Boorara share this grave.  E.A. Drake, A. Haithwaite, H.E. Tremlett. 

 

[Guest]

The other two lost souls are at Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton - Martin Duffy and John Grennan.