Wayne Saillard Posted 11 March , 2008 Share Posted 11 March , 2008 Able Seaman J/85973, Giovanni GAUCI was born in June 1899 to Antonio and Vincenza GAUCI. They resided at No. 81, Hamri Street in the village of Ghainsielem on the island of Gozo, Malta. He was one of just under a thousand Maltese nationals who had lost their lives while serving in the British Armed Forces during the Great War and were once commemorated by name on the Cenotaph located in the town of Floriana, just outside the capital city of Valletta. His vessel, H.M. Drifter FRIGATE BIRD, was sunk in a collision with the troop transport THESEUS off Marsaxlokk Harbour during the night of 11 March 1918. Both vessels were sailing without lights. Seven men, five of whom were Maltese, from a crew of nine on board FRIGATE BIRD lost their lives that night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Llewellyn Posted 11 March , 2008 Share Posted 11 March , 2008 Wayne, Thanks for the additional information on Giovanni. We will remenber. Llew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Saillard Posted 11 March , 2008 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2008 The other four Maltese nationals who lost their lives in this accident were : Seaman J/85974, Salvatore GRIMA - age 36 Son of Francesco and Teresa GRIMA. Husband of Angela GRIMA of No. 123 Wardia Street, Qala, Gozo Commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 27 Able Seaman J/85975, Salvatore SANT - age 21 Son of Giuseppe and Carmela SANT of No. 43 Hamri Street, Ghainsielem, Gozo Commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 27 Able Seaman K/50041, Carlo VIDOLICH - age 25 Son of Emmanuele and Maria VIDOLICH. Husband of Emmanuela VIDOLICH of No. 1 St Lawrence Street, Zabbar Commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 28 Able Seaman J/85976, Giuseppe XIBERRAS (served as SCIBERRAS) - age 38 Son of Giovanni and Rosa XIBERRAS. Husband of Maria XIBERRAS of 2, Gharus Street, Xewkija Commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 27 One of the other two casualties was : Ordinary Telegraphist London/Z/5297, Joseph Henry ARTHUR - age 22 Son of Joseph and Susan Emily ARTHUR of Cadgwith, Ruan Minor, Cornwall, United Kingdom Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Panel 31 Perhaps another Forum Member can supply the details of the missing casualty. WE WILL REMEMBER THEM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonelle Lisa Posted 9 November , 2009 Share Posted 9 November , 2009 Hi Wayne, I have just begun trying to research information on my Great Grandfather, Frederick George Hayhoe. I think he is the other Englishman who died in this collision, he was the skipper I believe. Do you have any more information on this vessel or what happened? I would love to hear from you. Jonelle (nz) Able Seaman J/85973, Giovanni GAUCI was born in June 1899 to Antonio and Vincenza GAUCI. They resided at No. 81, Hamri Street in the village of Ghainsielem on the island of Gozo, Malta. He was one of just under a thousand Maltese nationals who had lost their lives while serving in the British Armed Forces during the Great War and were once commemorated by name on the Cenotaph located in the town of Floriana, just outside the capital city of Valletta. His vessel, H.M. Drifter FRIGATE BIRD, was sunk in a collision with the troop transport THESEUS off Marsaxlokk Harbour during the night of 11 March 1918. Both vessels were sailing without lights. Seven men, five of whom were Maltese, from a crew of nine on board FRIGATE BIRD lost their lives that night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 9 November , 2009 Share Posted 9 November , 2009 Welcome, Jonelle. He was the skipper. His original RNR record card should be at the Fleet Air Arm Museum (research@fleetairarm.com), with microfiche copies held at the National Archives, Kew. Reports of the sinking are also at Kew in ADM 1/8496/190 and ADM 1/8518/83. None of these is available on-line. FRIGATE BIRD was a drifter, formerly based at Buckie, and she was working as a tender on the anti-submarine barrier nets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liverpool annie Posted 9 November , 2009 Share Posted 9 November , 2009 I'm not sure how many Gaucis there are in Malta but I found a father and son Gauci ... one in WW1 and one in WW2 .... I wonder if they are related to your Giovanni Wayne ? G. GAUCI, died 28th May 1917. He was a Fireman on the s.s. Antinoe, when his ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat about 150 miles off Bishop Rock. The Master and twenty men died Carmelo GAUCI, died 15th September 1941. He was a Cook on the Newbury, a merchant ship of around 5,200 tons. It was carrying a full cargo of coal when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat south-east of Cape Farewell, Greenland, in the North Atlantic, and sank with the loss of the total crew of 45 men In Memory of Fireman GEORGE GAUCI S.S. "Antinoe" (London), Mercantile Marine who died age 42 on 28 May 1917 Son of Regina Gauci and the late Carmeno Gauci; husband of Annie Gauci (nee Sampson), of 78, Adam St., Cardiff. Born in Malta. Remembered with honour TOWER HILL MEMORIAL In Memory of Cook CARMELO (CHARLES) GAUCI S.S. Newbury (London), Merchant Navy who died age 34 on 15 September 1941 Son of Carmelo and Anna Gauci; husband of Alice Mabel Gauci, of Grange Town, Cardiff. Remembered with honour TOWER HILL MEMORIAL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 9 November , 2009 Share Posted 9 November , 2009 From Giovanni's records in ADM 188 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liverpool annie Posted 9 November , 2009 Share Posted 9 November , 2009 Forget what I said before - there are many sailors with the name of Gauci ! and I just realised this is an old post ! I found this ... but this is probably what you already have .... Giovanni GAUCI, died 11th March 1918. He was an Able Seaman on the Drifter Frigate Bird. During darkness his ship collided with the troopship Theseus off Marsaxlokk and seven of the nine-man crew lost their lives. Aged 19 years, the son of Vincenza and Antonio Gauci, of Gozo Annie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonelle Lisa Posted 10 November , 2009 Share Posted 10 November , 2009 Hi, thank you very much for the info, I greatly appreciate it as we have virtually no information on him, I can not even find his name on any roll of honour. His wife, my great grandmother, sadly would not discuss him. I live in New Zealand, so its a bit sad those records are not online 8( ... but I'll get there one day! Thanks again Jonelle Welcome, Jonelle. He was the skipper. His original RNR record card should be at the Fleet Air Arm Museum (research@fleetairarm.com), with microfiche copies held at the National Archives, Kew. Reports of the sinking are also at Kew in ADM 1/8496/190 and ADM 1/8518/83. None of these is available on-line. FRIGATE BIRD was a drifter, formerly based at Buckie, and she was working as a tender on the anti-submarine barrier nets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 10 November , 2009 Share Posted 10 November , 2009 Welcome to the forum Jonelle A researcher would be able to look at the ADM 1 records for you. Contact the Fleet Air Arm Museum to see if they will send you a copy of the record. There are also microfilm copies of the service record at Kew in BT 377/7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonelle Lisa Posted 11 November , 2009 Share Posted 11 November , 2009 Ok thanks heaps I will do this now. Kind regards Jonelle Welcome to the forum Jonelle A researcher would be able to look at the ADM 1 records for you. Contact the Fleet Air Arm Museum to see if they will send you a copy of the record. There are also microfilm copies of the service record at Kew in BT 377/7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAW Posted 5 August , 2010 Share Posted 5 August , 2010 The other man to lose his life that night was Alexander Cowie, 2987ES, Engineman, Royal Naval Reserve. He was the Second Engineer. He was born in Buckie, Banffshire, Scotland c.1897 and is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. I would like to know something more about the survivors. Was one of these the Skipper Frederick George Hayhoe? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 31 December , 2017 Share Posted 31 December , 2017 (edited) This person is buried next to my mother in Gibraltar. However he died in 1919. Would this have been from wounds? Edited 31 December , 2017 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helpjpl Posted 31 December , 2017 Share Posted 31 December , 2017 46 minutes ago, RockApe1704 said: This person is buried next to my mother in Gibraltar. However he died in 1919. Would this have been from wounds? Wednesday, 21 May 1919 Bird, drifter HEALEY, Timothy, Deck Hand, RNR, DA 18829, illness http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1919aa.htm JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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