Amble and District Merchant Navy Losses, Tower Hill Memorial

Amble and District
Local History

1911

Address from the 1911 census

1911

Address from the 1911 census.

Amble and District Merchant Navy Losses
Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London

Click to enlarge

Listed here are the names of the Mercantile Marine and Merchant Navy men from Amble and District that died in the two World Wars and who have no known grave. All the missing of the United Kingdom are recorded on the Tower Hill Memorial in London, a total of over 36,000 names. Photographs of the memorial panels that record our local men are shown here.

Panel photo

Wreck site

S.S. Saxon Briton 6th February 1917

Donkeyman Henry Scott, aged 59, born Shilbottle and living at Cross Row East, Radcliffe. (1911 a coal miner, married with 4 children).

S.S. Saxon Briton: Built by the Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co., Newcastle 1883; 1337 tons, Owned by Kerse SS. Co. Ltd. (Walker & Bain), Grangemouth. 6th February 1917 sailed from Portishead to Calais with a cargo of petrol. Attacked and torpedoed by U-55, ship sunk without exploding, 2 fatal casualties. wreck lies 3 miles NNE of Gurnards Head. SS Saxon Briton on the Divernet site

S.S. Ottokar 11th December 1917

Able Seaman Gerome Feretti aged 45, born in Italy, lived 12 Marine Road Amble; Fireman Thomas Bain, aged 43, born in Warkworth. (1911, unmarried, a mariner, living with parents at 32 Marine Road). At time of death he was living in South Shields.

SS Ottokar: Built by Elbing in 1884; 957 ton. A German steamer seized by the Admiralty, August 1914. managed by Messrs. Everett and Newbiggin for the Admiralty. Sailed from Newcastle on the 11th December 1917 for London with a cargo of coal. Vessel listed as missing by Lloyds, with public notification published in 'The Times' 21st February 1918. It is believed this ship was sunk by UB-38 off Whitby. Precise location of the wreck is not known.

H.M.H.S. Llandovery Castle 27th June 1918

7th Engineer Robert Coulson aged 25, born in Amble, the son of John Edward and Annie Rebecca. At time of death living at Cooperative Terrace, Pegswood. Previously lived in Albert Street Amble (1911 Census)

H.M.H.S. Llandovery Castle: Union-Castle Mail S.S. Co.; 1914; 500.1 x 63.3 x 37.2; 11,423 tons; 1,135 n.h.p.; 13 knots; quadruple-expansion engines. Taken over by the Government Dec 1915 as a troop transport; converted to a hospital ship, September 1917. Sailed from Halifax Nova Scotia for Liverpool 20th June 1918 with 164 crew and 94 medical officers and nurses of the Canadian Medical Service. Torpedoed by U-86 (Capt Patzig) without warning 9.30pm on 27th June 1918, 114 miles SW of Fastnet. The ship sank in 10 minutes but conditions were good and the crew and medical staff took to the lifeboats, but the submarine surfaced and fired on them, only one boat escaping with 24 survivors. The submarine captain was tried for war crimes after the war.

S.S. Eston 28th January 1940 (Panel 48)

Steward Robert Robinson born Blyth in 1899. Husband of Janet Stephen Robinson, living at 13 Victoria Street, Amble.

SS. Eston: Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co.; 1919; 1,487 tons; Sailed from Hull for Blyth 26th January 1940, crew of 17. Reported off Blyth 28th January, nothing more heard after this until a ship's boat with one body washed ashore some days later. Wreck was identified 1970 lying 1½ miles east of Whitley Bay. See wreck site at Tyneside BSAC. It is assumed this ship struck a mine.

S.S. Coquet Mouth 4th July 1940

Deckhand Sydney Lockey, aged 35,the son of John George and Mary Hannah Lockey of Amble.

The Warkworth Harbour dredger the 'Coquet Mouth' struck a mine and sank on 4 July 1940, with the loss of three crew members.
German aircraft had dropped parachute mines in an attempt to stop the movement of coal from Amble Harbour. Minesweepers had swept the area without finding any mines. The dredger had just left harbour when it was hit by the mine. The boat turned turtle but the majority of the crew were saved by local fishing boats. Three men were trapped in the upturned hull. Two bodies were recovered and buried in Amble West Cemetery.

S.S. Hauxley 17th October 1940

Able Seaman William Cook Mossman, aged 20, of Amble.

S.S. Hauxley: Broomhill Steamships Ltd.; Built by Furness Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, 1925; 1595 tons; Sailed from London for Warkworth as part of convoy FN-311. Torpedoed 17 October 1940 by MTB S-18 (Christiansen), ship taken in tow but sank the following day 6 mile NNW of Smith's Knoll, off Norfolk.
William Cook Mossman was the son of Albert Scott Mossman and his wife Jessie of Amble. His twin brother Robert lost his life when the Togston sank the following year. They were born on 18 March 1920 and both are commemorated at Tower Hill.

M.V. Glenmoor 27th November 1940 (panel 52)

Second Engineer Officer James Linton Hastie aged 45, born Amble, son of William and Eliza and husband of Rena. He was living at 1 East Avenue, Monkseaton.

M.V. Glenmoor: Moor Line; Built 1928, W.Doxford & Sons; 4393 tons; 417 n.h.p. 375 x 52.6 x 25.7; Sailed from Cardiff for Alexandria, torpedoed and sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze) 167 miles northwest of Sylne Head, Ireland. 31 crew dead, 2 survivors.

M.V. Empire Statesman 5th December 1940 (panel 45)

Master James Brown, born in Amble, 1906, son of James and Annie Jane Brown. They were living at 45 Panhaven Road, Amble. James had also served on SS Amble. James’ father had lost his life in July of the same year, when the Dredger Coquet Mouth hit a mine; Third Officer James Brown, aged 20, son of James and Aileen Nora Brown, of Amble, Northumberland. Lived at 3 Gordon Street Amble; Able Seaman Thomas Davis, aged 31, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Davis; husband of Isabel Winifred Davis, of 14 Gordon Street Amble.

Ministry of Shipping (Runciman Shipping Co.) Built by G. Ansaldo & Co., 1920; 5306 tons; 379 x 51.5 x 28.3; 606 n.h.p. Sailed Freetown 19th November 1940 for Oban and Middlesbrough with part of convoy SLS 56, with a cargo of iron ore. Reported engine trouble two days later thus becoming a straggler. Vessel torpedoed and sunk by U-94, 53.40N 17.00W West of Ireland 32 lives lost.

S.S. Togston 8th March 1941

Able Seaman Charles Ernest Anderson, born in Amble 1909, the son of Charles and Rachel and husband of Alice Ann. They were living in Panhaven Road; Able Seaman John Robinson Armstrong, born in Newbiggin on 17 November 1919, son of Mr and Mrs J R Armstrong of George Street, Amble. He had previously served on the Hauxley;; Steward Robert Stephen Mossman, twin brother of William Mossman, lost in 1940 on the Hauxley. Son of Albert Scott Mossman, and his wife Jessie of Wellwood Street, Amble. Robert had also served on the Hauxley; Fireman and trimmer Robert Arthur Miller born Throckley on 19 January 1900, son of John and Lily and husband of Rachel May. They were living in Windsor Terrace, Amble; Donkeyman Mark Rutherford,born in Amble 1904, husband of Bessie Rutherford. They were living in Church Street, Amble; Able Seaman, Leslie Cadamy, , born in Wells, Norfolk, on 1 October 1914, son of Walter and Annie. He was living at the Dock Hotel, Amble and had previously served on the Chevington;

S.S. Togston: Broomhill Steamships Ltd.; Built by Furness Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., 1924; 1547 tons; 245.4 x 38.6 x 15.5; 166 n.h.p.; From Blyth to London with coal. Torpedoed and sunk by German MTB 8th March 1941 two miles from Smith's Knoll off Norfolk. 8 of the crew of 19 were lost.

S.S. Medjerda 17th March 1941 (panel 69)

Able Seaman John Stonehouse Brown, aged 20. Son of Benjamin Brown and Amy Brown, of Amble, Northumberland. Living at 109 Lanehouse Road, Thornaby.

SS Medjerda: Built by William Grey & Co. 1924; 4380 tons; 370 x 52 x 25.5; 340 n.h.p. Sailed with Convoy SL-68 from Pepel 7th March 1941, and Freetown 13th March for Middlesbrough with cargo of iron ore. Became a straggler and torpedoed by U-105 off Cape Verde Islands. Ship broken in two and sank in 30 seconds. All 54 onboard lost. (location 17°N, 21° W est.)

S.S. Embassage 27th August 1941

Apprentice Edward Goodfellow, aged 17. born 1924 in Alnwick, the son of Luke Weatheritt Goodfellow and Eva Goodfellow. Living at 20 Stott Street, Alnwick.

SS Embassage: Hall Bros Steamship Co.; Built by J.L. Thompson & Sons, 1935; 4954 tons; 409.2 x 57.6 x 24; 1,700 i.h.p. Sailed Leith for Pepel, in convoy OS-4. Torpedoed and sunk by U-557 100 miles west of Achill Head Co. Mayo, 38 men killed, the boatswain and two seamen were eventually rescued three and a half days later, being found clinging to an upturned boat. (location 54°N, 13° W approx)

S.S. Chevington 12th October 1941

Fireman Richard Albert Dixon, born in1905, the son of Adam and Grace Ann, and the husband of Margaret Mary. They were living at 27 Gordon Street, Amble; Fireman William Barrons Hedley, born in Radcliffe 1910, the husband of Mary. They were living at 11 Gordon Terrace, Broomhill; Able Seaman, Charles Hultgren, born in 1905, Amble. Son of the late Charles Gustav and Margaret Alice of 2 Dovecote Street, Amble. His father, a naturalised Swede, had been Master of the Bondicar, his mother, nee Mather, was a descendant of the Gair family; Steward James Blackett Murray, born in 1911, Amble. He was living at 51 Gordon Street, Amble; Second Engineer, Charles Robert Straker MM, born in Amble 1888, son of John and Helen, and husband of Ellen. They were living in 10 Scott Street, Amble;

Broomhill Steamships Ltd.; Built by Furness Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., 1923; 1537 tons; 244.8 x 38 x 17.5; 150 n.h.p.; Sailed London for Grangemouth with a cargo of cement. Convoy attacked by Nine E Boats of the 2nd German Flotilla off Cromer, Norfolk, Chevington torpedoed by S-105 (Howaldt) and sunk with the loss of 7 crew and 2 RN DEMS Gunners. (location 52° 59'N, 01° 52' E)

M.V. Clifton Hall 12th June 1942

Fourth Engineer Officer Alexander Lloyd Percy Shearer, born Radcliffe on 13 January 1913, son of Alexander and Selina and husband of Ivy. He had previously served on the Bondicar and the City of Bedford.

M.V. Clifton Hall, 5,063 tons; Torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-20 in the Red Sea ( 16° 25'S 40° 10'E)

S.S. Condylis 10th August 1942 (panel 31)

Galley Boy John Henry Kempster Tate aged 17, son of Henry Kempster Tate and Elizabeth Tate, of Amble.

SS Condylis: Built 1914 by the Antwerp Eng. Co.; 4439 tons 400 x 51.8 x 24.7; 480 n.h.p. Sailed in convoy from Sydney, Nova Scotia for London. Attacked south of Iceland and sunk by torpedoes from both U-660 and U-438. 9 of the compliment of 35 lost their lives. (57°N, 22°W )

S.S. Goolistan 23rd November 1942

Third Radio Officer John Lancelot Wilson, aged 18, born in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, the son of James and Blanche Wilson. Living at 1 St Lawrence Terrace, Warkworth.

S.S. Goolistan: Built by Short Bros; 1929; 5851 tons. Sailed in convoy QP-15 from Archangel, 17th November 1942, for Manchester with a cargo of timber. Torpedoed 23rd November 1942 south of Svalbard by U-625 (Benker). Crew abandoned ship but no survivors were found, all 52 lost.

S.S. British Venture 24th June 1943 (panel 21)

Chief Engineer Officer Robert Coulson, aged 37 Son of Edward and Mary Ann Coulson; husband of Rena Coulson, 27 Wellwood Street, Amble.

S.S. British Venture: British Tanker Co.; Built Lithgows 1930; 4,696 tons; 384.6 x 50.2 x 27.7; 430 n.h.p. Torpedoed by Japanese Submarine I-27 300 miles south of Reunion Island, Indian Ocean. 12 Europeans and 30 Indians killed.