ss Thames

[daggers]

Our church memorial records brothers Arthur Brew Rosser [cook] and Benjamin Rosser [mate] as having died aboard ss Thames on 14 August 1917. Their names are also on the Tower Hill Memorial. The date of death does not tally with incidents of three vessels with this name in 'British Vessels Lost at Sea'. CWGC adds 'Hull' after the name of the vessel, possibly meaning its port of registration.

Has anyone any ideas about this 'Thames', please? The brothers were from Liverpool.

Daggers

[spithead]

Hello Daggers

There were many 'Thames' ships, but the one I think you are after is not listed in 'British Vessels Lost at Sea'

SS Thames launched 1910, tons 403, built by Goole SB at Goole. Completed for E.P. Hutchinson, Hull.

Missing 14.8.17.

Regards John

[wightspirit]

Hi Daggers

I think the Thames you are looking for was a ship of 403 tons. She departed Middlesbrough for Fecamp with a cargo of pig iron on 14 August 1917. Nothing more was heard of her and she was posted as missing/untraced on 21 November 1917. The vessel is not further listed, as far as I can tell, as having been a victim of a mine or torpedo, and it is quite possible she succumbed to some other marine cause - such as foundering in a storm, collision or accident on board. I can find no reference to suggest a U-boat was to blame. She just disappeared.

Dave W

[daggers]

John & Dave

You seem to have come to the same conclusion, for which many thanks. Is there some Solent connection between you?

Daggers

[Michael Lowrey]

Actually, per the World Ship Society Starke Schell files, the presumption was that Thames was a war loss. As has been pointed out, at this time, no match has been found in any U-boat KTB that would account for the loss of Thames.Research is ongoing plus there's always the chance that the wreck will be found and identified.

Will have a closer look at this one in the coming weeks.

Best wishes,

Michael

[historydavid]

A total of 10 names are listed on the THM.

Best wishes

David

[daggers]

David

Thank you for the extra info - all good material.

Daggers

[Michael Lowrey]

OK, upon review of U-boat war diaries there's a match: Thames was sunk with all hands by gunnery from the German submarine UC 63 at 11:22pm (German time) at 53°42'N, 00°24'E.

Best wishes,

Michael

[daggers]

Michael

I never cease to be amazed at the depth of knowledge and the trouble people will go to, on this Forum. If only the rest of the world...

Many thanks

Daggers

[melliget]

Thanks to Geoff's search engine, here are 12 casualties (incl. two brothers and two men born in Spain):

s.s. Thames, 14/08/1917

CARLING, JOHN GATENBY, Master, Mercantile Marine, age 51

ERSKINE, JOHN CHARLES, First Engineer, Mercantile Marine, age 34

HUNTER, JAMES, Fireman, Mercantile Marine, age 51

MacLEAY, DONALD, Leading Seaman, Royal Naval Reserve, age 26

PESCOD, WILLIAM GEORGE, Fireman, Mercantile Marine, age 43

PICKERING, ERNEST GEORGE, Second Engineer, Mercantile Marine, age 32

PLASCOS, M, Able Seaman, Mercantile Marine, age 35

ROSSER, BENJAMIN, Mate, Mercantile Marine, age 26

ROSSER, ARTHUR BREW, Cook, Mercantile Marine, age 24

SIERRA, J, Able Seaman, Mercantile Marine

SIMPSON, RICHARD, Able Seaman, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, age 19

WRIGHT (aka MACDONALD), SAMUEL, Second Mate, Mercantile Marine, age 42

Here's mention of the loss, along with two other steamers, in The Times:

The Times, 22 Nov 1917

Missing Steamers Posted

At Lloyd's yesterday the British steamers

AYLEVAROO and THAMES, and the Greek steamer

FRIXOS, were posted as missing.

The AYLEVAROO, 908 tons, Tracey master, was re-

ported to have sailed from Liverpool for Tralee and

Limerick on October 7, with a general cargo, and was

last seen off the Skerries on the same morning by the

British steamer Conigbeg. The AYLEVAROO was built

at Newcastle in 1908 as the Lillie, and was owned

by the Limerick Steamship Company. The THAMES,

Carling master, was reported to have sailed from

Middlesborough for Fécamp on August 14, with a cargo

of pig-iron. She was of 403 tons, built at Goole in

1910, and owned by the Dale Coasters (Limited). The

FRIXOS, Fakis master, sailed from New York for Man-

chester on April 19, with a cargo of wheat. She

was a steamer of 3,531 tons, built at West Hartle-

pool in 1907, and managed by Embiricos Brothers.

regards,

Martin

[daggers]

Martin

My remarks above apply to you, too, many thanks.

My reading of the Thames's position puts it off the Humber, though I have only an atlas, not a chart. The brothers Rosser, the subject of my quest, had a sister whose husband was also lost to U-boat activity, a little further north, off Robin Hood's Bay, four months later. He commanded a coaster or collier Aigburth, torpedoed before the vessel had even been entered in Lloyd's Register, en route from the Tyne to Treport. Dangerous waters...

Daggers

[melliget]

Daggers.

Obviously the Rosser family was heavily hit by WW1. Yes, it is off the Humber Estuary. Google Earth is handy for pin-pointing coordinates. Plugged in those given by Michael and it's under 12 miles off the coast (see attached).

regards,

Martin

[daggers]

Martin

Very accurate. I must remember that technique, though my 'navigation' in the atlas was not far out. A popular area for U-boats, hunting slow coastal vessels, probably heavy laden.

Thanks again

Daggers