Monday, August 20, 2012

Bertie L Hill

This one is a bit tenuous, I will be looking for more information to confirm it...

There are no records of a Bertie L Hill so I assumed his name was Bert, Albert, Robert, Hubert, Herbert or Bertram. Using these names and the middle inital L to narrow it down I came up with one person who I can link to Liverpool but not (yet!) to the Parish of St James.

Herbert Lloyd Hill

click here to view the CWGC entry for Herbert Lloyd Hill

Herbert Lloyd Hill was born in Liverpool in 1881 to parents Herbert William and Mary Ann

Census records show that the family lived at 51 Phoebe Ann St in 1891, 1901 and 1911 and presumably for all the years in between.
Herbert's father was a tailor, born in Welshpool. His mother was from Liverpool, Herbert and his 7 siblings were born in Liverpool.

I can find no other information about Herbert Lloyd Hill until his death which is commemorated on the Tower Hill Merchant Navy Memorial.

His entry in the CWGC files shows that he was a Pantry Steward and was killed on 19th August 1915 aged 34 when the White Star Line Steamer SS Arabic was sunk. Additional information states  Son of William Herbert and Mary Ann Hill, of 51, Phoebe Anne St., Everton, Lancs.


The SS Arabic, photograph from a webpage with more information about the ship. Click here to visit.

There was plenty of press coverage of this sinking, despite the relatively low casualty numbers, as it happened within 50 miles of where the Lusitania had been sunk 3 months previously and in similar circumstances.  It was the outrage caused by the sinking of these two ships which prompted American intervention. This lead to a change in German U-boat regulations requiring warning to be given to passenger ships and all passengers and crew to be removed before sinking of the ships (compensation was paid to America for the sinking of the Lusitania and the Arabic)


These sites have more information on the sinking:
http://www.genealogybuff.com/misc/misc-arabic-shipwreck.htm

http://www.merseysiderollofhonour.co.uk/obits/ships/arabicss.htm

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