BORN BIRKENHEAD 1898. SON JAMES & RACHEL KENNEDY, OF 33 MERE LANES, EVERTON. LOST BY ENEMY ACTION. HULL MERCHANT NAVY RECORDS.
SS Middleton, built by W. Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool in 1895 and owned at the time of her loss by Alexander Shipping Co. Ltd. (Capper, Alexander & Co.), Hull, was a British steamer of 2506 tons. On November 30th, 1915, Middleton, on a voyage from Mudros to Alexandria with a cargo of sand bags, was sunk by the German submarine U-39 (Walter Forstmann), 75 miles SWxW of Gavdo Island. 4 persons were lost. Jan Lettens 22/01/2011 At 8.20 a.m. on the 30th November, 1915, the s.s. Middleton was shelled by a submarine while endeavouring to escape, one man being killed and several dangerously wounded. The crew took to the boats. The submarine ignored the boats, and returned no answer to an appeal for bandages for the wounded. It was not until ten hours afterwards that the boats were picked up, and in the meantime two of the wounded men had died. Another man died on board the ship which picked them up. There were three other wounded men, who survived. ref. used: [1] Internet Archive, http://www.archive.org [2] Ajax, The German Pirate: His Methods and Record Vleggeert Nico 18/07/2008 Torpedoed 75 miles SWxW of Gavdo Island by U-39. ref. used:www.uboat.net People on board People on board SS MIDDLETON123 1. CAMPBELL, THOMAS HUGH (16), Ordinary Seaman, SS Middleton, Mercantile Marine, †01/12/1915, Son of Leah Campbell, of 16, Mount Collyer Avenue, Belfast, and the late George Campbell, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 2. HOWELLS, HENRY (58), Able Seaman, SS Middleton, Mercantile Marine, †30/11/1915, Son of the late George and Sarah Howells. Born at Saundersfoot, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 3. KENNEDY, RICHARD HENRY (17), Mess Room Steward, SS Middleton, Mercantile Marine, †30/11/1915, Son of Rachael Gascoigne (formerly Kennedy, nee Gaynne), of 33, Mere Lanes, Everton, Liverpool, and the late James Nicholas Kennedy. Born at Birkenhead, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 4. MARKS, JAMES (65), Fireman and Trimmer, SS Middleton, Mercantile Marine, †30/11/1915, Born at Wallsend, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?58997
