BORN HULL 1882. SON OF THOMAS AND ELLEN WILSON. BEFORE THE WAR HE WORKED FOR MESSRS ROSE, DOWNS AND THOMPSON, AS AS A GENERAL LABOURER
HE ENLISTED HULL, AGED 16. SERVED AS A GUNNER, IN THE ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY. LOST ON THE TROOP SHIP, “MARQUETTE”. DIED AT SEA, ON 23/10/1915, AGED 17.
HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO GRACE LILLIAN WILSON, OF 10 CHESTNUT AVENUE, MONTROSE STREET, HULL (1911 CENSUS) AND 42, PERTH STREET, CHANTERLANDS AVENUE, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS).
HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL ON 24TH OCTOBER 1916, WITH HIS PHOTOGRAPH.*
Marquette, built by A. Stephen & Sons, Glasgow in 1898 and owned at the time of her loss by Atlantic Transport Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool, was a British troopship of 7057 tons. On October 23rd, 1915, Marquette, on a voyage from Alexandria to Salonica with troops and equipment, was sunk by the German submarine U-35 (Waldemar Kophamel), 36 miles south of Salonica, Aegean Sea. 167 persons were lost.
MARQUETTE SS was a British Troop transport, cargo steamship, 7,057/1898, Atlantic Transport Co, West Hartlepool (wd – Red Star Line, possibly chartered to), London-reg, sailing Alexandria for Salonica with 22 officers and 588 other ranks of the Royal Field Artillery, 36 Nz Stationary Hospital nurses, government stores, ammunition and 541 animals, including horses. (me – 28th) – Torpedoed and badly damaged by U.35, when 30 miles short of anti-submarine nets, later sank 36 miles from Salonica Bay, Greece (L/un/wd – 36 miles S of); 169 lives lost – 2 military officers, 10 nurses, 128 other ranks and 29 crew (me – 20 crew; ge – 29 crew, 10 nurses, 128 troops = 167; un – total of 167; wd – 29 crew, 11 nurses, 88 troops = 128), survivors rescued by British and French patrol boats. Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?98470
