The brass plaque can be found in the Chancel area of St. Cybi’s Church at Holyhead. It is a memorial to William Watson, Chairman and Managing Director of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company. He died in 1883 and was instrumental in building up the company, whose vessels provided the mail service to Ireland for over 70 years.

The company was formally wound up in 1924, being unable to continue following the loss of two of its ships, RMS Connaught (1917) and RMS Leinster (1918) during the Great War.

The plaque records the installation in 1897 of the East Window at St. Cybi, donated by William and Edward, the two sons of William Watson, in memory their father.

The local newspaper recorded at the unveiling that ‘William Watson was a generous employer of labour at Holyhead and was much respected’.

Original photograph of the window by Dr. Ken Roberts and published at http://www.victorianweb.org/art/stainedglass/kempe/14.html

RMS Leinster was an unfortunate victim of the ‘U-Boat War’ when Germany targeted the Allied trade routes bringing in food and war materials. During the four years of the Great War there were almost 1700 incidents involving U-boats on this important sea route. The image below indicates some of the 170 losses that occurred around the Welsh Coast.

The Holyhead Maritime Museum is participating, with others, in an important project covering the ‘U-boat War in the Irish Sea’. The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by a partnership between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, School of Ocean Sciences and the Nautical Archaeology Society.

Further information can be found here – https://rcahmw.gov.uk/commemorating-the-forgotten-u-boat-war-around-the-welsh-coast-1914-18/ and Twitter @LlongauUBoat

Image from The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.

The loss of RMS Leinster was discussed a number of times at Parliament after the armistice of 1918. Questions were asked about the lack of naval escort on the day. The government stuck by their reasoning that the Leinster’s speed was enough to protect her. They also cited the bad weather that would have reduced the ability of naval vessels to keep up with the ship. The government continued to refuse to have an official inquiry into the tragedy.

The extract below, from Hansard in June 1919, covers an exchange between Sir Aukland Geddes, President of the Board of Trade and Sir Owen Thomas, MP for Anglesey. Reference is made to the lack of proper compensation for Mrs Williams, widow of Head Stoker, Thomas Williams, of 18 St. Cybi Street, Holyhead.

Captain Redmond, MP for the City of Wexford, makes a comparison between the loss of the Lusitania and Leinster in respect of the need for an inquiry.

This is Evan Rowlands RNR. He was one of three naval Gunners on board RMS Leinster and the only one to survive the sinking. He was born at Newborough, Anglesey in 1868 and went to sea at age 14. Prior to the war he served as Quartermaster for the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company and lived with his family at 13 Well Street, Holyhead. During the early days of hostilities he served as a DEMS Gunner on ships carrying beef from Argentina for the war effort. He died in 1939.

These family notices printed in local newspapers 12 months after the tragedy confirm the extent of loss felt by bereaved families in Holyhead.

 

Engineer William Thomas Jones  survived the sinking of RMS Leinster. He was in the Stokehold when the first torpedo struck. He instructed the Firemen to leave and soon followed them when the Leinster was again torpedoed causing catastrophic damage. As the vessel was sinking Mr Jones jumped into the water and clung onto a raft with a number of others until rescued by a destroyer and taken to Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire).

The photograph above is of part of the Leinster display at the Holyhead Maritime Museum. It includes William Thomas Jones’ Mercantile Marine Medal and also two ‘Torpedo Badges’ issued to those surviving a submarine attack. Those shown are of gold thread and were issued to ship’s officers. Ordinary seamen would have received similar badges but coloured red.

The account of Mr. Jones’ experience was extracted from an article published in the Chronicle shortly after the tragedy.

This link will take you the latest update for the commemorations planned at Dun Laoghaire for October 2018. – Bulletin March 2018 Final

With thanks to Philip Lecane of the National Maritime Museum of Ireland.

Photo of the inside of the maritime museum by Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland.

In Remembrance

Many of those from Holyhead lost during the Great War are commemorated on memorial plaques at chapels where they and their families worshiped. This plaque is displayed at Hyfrydle Chapel, Holyhead and among others can be found the names of three crew members of RMS Leinster.

Hannah Owen – Stewardess. She was aged 36 and lived at Tower Gardens.

Edward Salisbury Moors – Engineer’s Steward. Aged 48, he lived at Edmund Street. He left behind a widow and nine children.

Robert Thomas – Storekeeper. He was aged 35 and lived at Rock Street. He left behind a widow and at least two children.

With thanks to Captain Glynne Pritchard for the photograph.

 

Outside the museum, a memorial dedicated to those lost at sea during world wars, include artefacts recovered from RMS Leinster, sunk by U-boat in 1918. The Bitts were used when mooring the vessel to the quayside. They were attached to a section of teak decking, used here as part of the information display.

Pictured outside Holyhead Maritime Museum are four museum volunteers with one thing in common. They all lost grandfathers on RMS Leinster in October 1918.

Norman Williams’ grandfather was Engineer’s Steward Edward Salisbury Moors. Cousins Carys Roberts and Peter Scott Roberts lost their grandfather – Fireman Richard Roberts. Lamp Trimmer Robert Anthony was the grandfather of Eric Anthony (holding the model of RMS Leinster). Another volunteer, Lorna Johnson, unable to be present for the photograph, is another granddaughter of Richard Roberts.

We are looking to locate and make contact with as many relatives as possible prior to the Centenary Commemoration planned for October 2018. You can make contact by referring to the ‘Are you a relative?’ page of this blog.