BORN OSLO, NORWAY, 1865. SON OF LATE MR & MRS OAL MATSON – 15 GRANVILLE AVE, WEST DOCK ST., HULL. WIFE SARAH ABOVE. HULL MERCHANT NAVY RECORDS.
SS Gretaston, built by W. Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool in 1901 and owned at the time of her loss by Gretaston SS. Co. Ltd. (W. S. Miller & Co.), Glasgow, was a British steamer of 3395 tons. On April 15th, 1917, Gretaston, on a voyage from Huelva to Garston with a cargo of copper ore, was sunk by the German submarine UC-27 (Gerhard Schulz), off the Iberian coast. 29 persons were lost. Jan Lettens 03/03/2011 S/S GRETASTON; Owned by W. S. Miller & Co. and built in 1901 by W. Gray & Co.; 3,395 tons; 331×47.2×24.7 ft. ; 268 n.h.p.; triple expansion engines When the British cargo S/S Gretaston was sunk by the minelaying U-27 on April 30th, 1917, the captain and 28 of the crew were killed. She was on voyage from Huelva to Garston.
ALLEYNE, HENRY (22), Fireman and Trimmer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born in Barbados, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 2. COKER, JOHN (27), Ship’s Cook, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Husband of Grace Alice Coker (nee Jacks), of 57, Blanche St., Plaistow, West Ham, London. Born at Accra, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 3. COLLEDGE, JOHN (25), Third Engineer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of Annie Grey Colledge, of 19, Ripon Terrace, North Shields, and the late John Colledge. Born at Tynemouth, North Shields, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 4. DEANE, SIDNEY JAMES (16), Ordinary Seaman, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of Thomas Leonard and Alice Deane, of 14, Wadeson St., Cambridge Rd., Bethnal Green, London, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 5. DREINAR, AUGUST (44), Sailor, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born in Russia, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 6. FRASER, ROBERT COUTTS (31), First Mate, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of the late Peter and Ann Fraser (nee Coutts). Born in Shetland Isles, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 7. HARNEY, JAMES (28), Able Seaman, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of Michael and Bridget Harney; husband of Mary Ann Dooley (formerly Harney, nee Sheridan), of 15, Earle Place, Cardiff. Born at Passage East, Co. Waterford, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 8. HENSELUCK, OTTO GUSTAV ROBERT (17), Mess Room Steward, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, (Served as SMITH). Son of Otto Wilhelm and Paulina Henseluck (nee Breitenfeld), of 17, Wellclose Square, Whitechapel, London, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 9. HOUGH, JOHN (39), Able Seaman, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born in Co. Clare, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 10. JANSON, AUGUST FERDINAND (36), Fireman and Trimmer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of August Ferdinand Janson and the late Elizabeth Janson; husband of Alice Janson (nee Bancroft), of 50, Liscombe St., Newport, Mon. Born in Sweden, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 11. JONES, LEVY (19), Fireman and Trimmer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of Chatham C. Jones, of Crescent, Georgia, U.S.A. Born in U.S.A, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 12. KERSHAW, HARRY (25), Ordinary Seaman (no. Palace Z/3547), SS Gretaston, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, †11/04/1917, Son of Mrs. M. H. Taylor (formerly Kershaw), of 9, Grove St., Bolton Brow, Sowerby Bridge, Yorks, and the late Mr. Kershaw, Memorial: Plymouth Naval Memorial 13. KILCOYNE , Wireless Operator, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 14. MATSON, EMIL (52), Donkeyman, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Oal Matson; Husband of Sarah Matson (Ellis), of 4, Linder Grove, Arundel St., Hull. Born at Oslo, Norway, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 15. MCGOWAN, JOHN (58), Chief Boatswain, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of the late Daniel and Ann McGowan; husband of Rebecca McGowan, of 5, Somerville St., Clydebank, Dumbarton. Born at Ballymullen, Co. Antrim, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 16. MCKALL, THOMAS (34), Fireman and Trimmer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born in West Africa, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 17. MOORE (22), Fireman and Trimmer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born at Trinidad, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 18. MURRAY, JAMES (39), Leading Seaman (no. 2168D), SS Gretaston, Royal Naval Reserve, †11/04/1917, Son of Joseph Murray, of 22, Nicolson St., Wick; husband of Christina Murray, of 14, Bexley Terrace, Wick, Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial 19. NIVEN (61), Master, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of Peter Niven, of Nitshill, Renfrewshire; husband of Mary Niven, of Grange Lodge, Gate, Liverpool, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 20. NYGREN (25), Sailor, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born in Russia, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 21. OSBORNE, JAMES (25), Sailor, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born in Montserrat, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 22. ROZARIO , Steward, SS Gretaston, Indian Merchant Service, †11/04/1917, Memorial: Bombay 1914-1918 Memorial, Mumbai 23. RYTKA (27), Sailor and Carpenter, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of Mr. and Mrs. Rytka, of Wirchahti Kuskila 2, Finland. Born in Finland, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 24. STROUGHAIR, WILFRED WILSON (24), Second Engineer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of John William Herbert Stroughair, of 5, Waterville Place, North Shields, and the late Edith Florence Stroughair. Born at Ryton-on-Tyne, Co. Durham, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 25. TOWNS, EDWARD WILLIAM (31), Fourth Engineer Officer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of Emily Jane Towns, of 10, Avondale Rd., East Finchley, Middlesex, and the late William Wright Towns. Born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 26. WILLIAMS, EDWARD NATHANIEL (25), Fireman and Trimmer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Son of Edmund and Loretta Williams (nee Davis), of 18, Gatacre St., Port of Spain, Trinidad, British West Indies. Born at Trinidad, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 27. WILLIAMS, JAMES (24), Fireman and Trimmer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born at Sierra Leone, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 28. WRIGHT, JOHN (29), Able Seaman, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born in Canada, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 29. YOUNG, THOMAS (45), First Engineer, SS Gretaston, Mercantile Marine, †11/04/1917, Born at Blyth, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?31174
