BORN HULL 1856. SON OF DAVID FOSTER BRITTON (1829-1901) AND MARY JANE WAKE (1831-1912). SERVED AS CHIEF ENGINEER ON THE STEAM SHIP “IBIS”. LOST AT SEA ON 12/05/1918, AGED 60. HE lEFT £440 IN HIS WILL TO HIS WIDOW ELIZABETH BRITTON, AT THIS PROBATE ADDRESS.
Ibis SS was built in 1898 by Neptun Ag, Rostock, Germany as the Hedwig SS a German cargo steamer for Flensburger Dg (h. Schuldt), Flensburg, Germany. In 1914 she was renamed Ibis SS when purchased by the Western Russian SS Co. On the 12th May 1918, while on voyage from Bilbao to Glasgow with a cargo of ore. Ibis was in collision with SS Whimbrel, 6 miles W of the Lizard, United Kingdom and sank. Read more at wrecksite: On the outbreak of war in 1914, the then SS Hedwig was in the Russian port of Archangel; it was confiscated, renamed Ibis and transferred to the West Russian Steamship Co, then later chartered by the UK Shipping Controller. At the time of its loss, the ship was operated by the Hull-based Ellerman-Wilson line. Crew lost included:
1. BREACKER, JAMES WILLIAM , Able Seaman (no. London/Z/3778), SS Ibis, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, †12/05/1918, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial 2. COOK, F , Master, SS Ibis, †12/05/1918 3. DAY, JOHN WILLIAM (JACK) , 2nd Officer, SS Ibis, †12/05/1918, His death was clearly a huge blow to his family; his name appears multiple times in the Hull Daily Mail In Memoriam column at least until 1930, Memorial: Roll Of Honour Ellerman-Wilsons Line Hull 4. LONGSTAFF, E.T , Second Engineer, SS Ibis, †12/05/1918, Taken from Hull Daily Mail In Memoriam column 12.5.1919 5. MATTHEWS, R , Chief Officer, SS Ibis, †12/05/1918, Left two young children Leslie & Doreen, Memorial: Roll Of Honour Ellerman-Wilsons Line Hull 6. ROBERTSON, J , Third Officer, SS Ibis, †12/05/1918, Memorial: Roll Of Honour Ellerman-Wilson’s Line Hull 7. SORENSEN , Leading Seaman (no. Wales Z/99), SS Ibis, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, †12/05/1918, Memorial: Helston (Porthleven) Cemetery Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?82356
