Duffill, George Harold

BORN HULL 1893. SON OF THOMAS WILLIAM GEORGE DUFFILL (MASTER MARINER) & ANN FRANCIS DUFFILL – “BESSBROOK” RYDE STREET, HULL. WAS A MERCHANT APPRENTICE AT ABOVE ADDRESS IN 1911 CENSUS. SERVED AS SECOND OFFICER ON THE STEAM SHIP ‘HYDRO’. HE WAS LOST AT SEA, ON 22/01/1915, AGED 22. HIS NAME IS LISTED ON THE WILSON LINE WW1 ROLL OF HONOUR. THERE ARE NO CWGC RECORDS OF HIS DEATH.
While on a voyage from Liverpool to Trondheim ON 22/01/1915, the British steamship Hydro took water during a gale and foundered 15 miles from Giant’s Causeway (BOT: 10-12 miles northwest from Rathlin Island). Yesterday news reached Belfast that the Wilson liner HYDRO, 1200 tons, on a voyage from Liverpool to Trondhjem, Norway, capsized twelve miles west of Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim, the cargo having shifted during the recent gale. Two men driven ashore in a small boat, nesr Castlerock, Co Derry, report that 18 others of the crew got away in a large bpat, and were probably picked up by a large steamer which happened to be in the vicinity, and there is every reason to believe they are safe. The HYDRO was built in 1911 by Earles Co Ltd, Hull. [Dundee Courier 23.1.1915] The mate and three of the crew of the British steamer HYDRO, previously reported capsized 15 miles off the Giant’s Causeway, have been landed at Dublin. two other seamen landed at Portrush. The balance of the crew, 14, including the captain, are supposed to have been drowned. A later telegram from Portrush says that the body of William Jones, of Barrow-in-Furness, one of the crew of the HYDRO, was washed ashore at Point Ballantrae on Sunday. [Aberdeen Daily Journal 26.1.1915] Neil Emanuel Anderson, one of the six survivors of the Wilson liner HYDRO, and carpenter on the vessel, interviewed at Fleetwood last night, stated that the vessel left Liverpool for Trondhjem on Monday, January 18, with a general cargo. All went well while proceeding down the Channel. Whilst off the Mersey, part of the deck cargo was washed overboard, and the vessel was turned round. The captain made for Fanhead, arriving on Wednesday. The hatches were made secure, and new tarpaulins put over. The journey was resumed at four o’clock on Thursday, despite adverse weather. heavy seas washed the decks every few minutes. About six o’clock on Friday morning, when the ship was 15 miles north-north-east of Inishtrahull and a gale blowing, Chief Officer W H Grace requested Anderson to fasten down the hatches, which had become loosened, but the task was impossible. Owing to the mountainous seas, the orders were given for lifeboats’ tarpaulins to be removed in readiness. Anderson kept watch over the hatches, and about eight o’clock orders were received to take to the boats, as the vessel was foundering. Whilst in the act of getting into the lifeboat, Anderson was swept overboard, and after swimming for twenty minutes was picked up by one of the vessel’s small boats, which then contained twelve other members of the crew, including Chief Officer Grace. The cries from four seamen among the wreckage were pitiful, but assistance was impossible. Nine members of the small boat, where Anderson was, perished from exposure, and were ashed overboard. After drifting for seven hours in the roaring sea, the small boat and four survivors were picked up by the West Hartlepool vessel NYNEGEN and landed at Kingstown. The captain of the HYDRO refused to leave the vessel, and perished with his ship. The others of the crew were eventually rescued, thus only six of the crew of twenty were saved. [Aberdeen Daily Journal 28.1.1915] Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?147285
Crew List for HYDRO held at the NMM Greenwich records the following as lost:
G SHARP, Master, age 44 born Grimsby.
G H DUFFILL, 2nd Mate, age 21 born Hull.
W JONES, Able Seaman, age 50 born Barrow-in-Furness.
John NORMAN, Seaman, age 40 born Nottinghamshire.
Oskar LUIKMAN, Seaman, age 21 born Sweden.
R ALEXANDER, Chief Engineer, age 52 born Glasgow.
T NEWDICK, 2nd Engineer, age 31 born Hull.
Carl LILIUS, Donkeyman, age 26 born Finland.
John INNIS, Fireman, age 40 born Auckland.
Rene EUDEN, Fireman, age 28 born France.
A J AUSTIN, Cook/Steward, age 22 born Toronto.
W BARTHOLOMEW, Assistant Steward, age 21 born Rotherham.
J CROSBIE, Mess Room Steward, age 18 born Liverpool.
Patrick RYAN, Fireman, age 27 born Liverpool.