BORN HULL 1893. SON OF JAMES & EMILY ANN BILLANY ABOVE ADDRESS (1911 CENSUS). ONE OF NINE CHILDREN. MARRIED ST PERTERS, CHURCH, LIVERPOOL, ON 06/08/1917. HIS WIFE BERTHA READE, CAME FROM WARRINGTON. EMPLOYED AS A FITTER APPRENTICE.HE WAS THIRD ENGINEER ON A SHIP FROM LIVERPOOL. DIED AT SEA, 14/10/1917, AGED 23. HE IS COMMEMORATED AT TOWER HILL NAVAL MEMORIAL, LONDON.
HIS BROTHER, ARCHIE BILLANY WAS LOST ON THE S/S ‘POLANDIA’ (LIVERPOOL), ON THE 10/03/1917, AGED 19.
SS Semantha, built by S. P. Austin & Son, Ltd., Sunderland in 1899 and owned at the time of her loss by Charles A. Batho, was a British steamer of 2.847 tons.On October 14th, 1917, Semantha, on a voyage from Liverpool, was sunk by the German submarine UC-74 (Wilhelm Marschall), 10 miles NW by N from Cape St. John (Ak. Ay. Ioannis), Kreta. 32 persons were lost.
