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The Whitgift was a single screw steamer built in 1901 by Northumberland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. on the Tyne and launched on June 15, 1901. She was 381' long and registered at 4,397 gross tons. She was owned by the Whitgift Steamship Company, but may have been managed by Houlder, Middleton & Company Ltd. of London. In 1915 the ship was sold to Westminster Shipping Company of London, but retained the same name. About a year later on Apr. 12, 1916 Whitgift sailed from Almeria, Spain with a load of iron ore bound for the Tyne, probably to produce more ships, but the ore would never arrive. She passed Gibraltar on Apr. 13 and sailed into the North Atlantic and set course for home sailing alone. Between Gibraltar and the Channel SMS U-67 lay in wait. The ship was located by Oberleutnant zur See Hans Nieland on April 20, 1916 about 63 miles southwest of the Ile d' Ouessant (Ushant), France, at the mouth of English Channel. He fired one torpedo at the ship which hit her causing great damage. Nieland, who had some trouble keeping the boat trimmed, finally regained periscope depth and surfaced four minutes later, he found no sign of the ship and only one survivor, which he identified as Japanese. This may have been an error of nationality as most of the crew were Chinese. He pulled the man out of the water and questioned him. Somehow, even with the language barrier which must have existed, Nieland learned the name of the ship and her destination. The British knew nothing of the fate of the ship, only that she never arrived. Weeks went by and no word was received. Wreckage finally began to wash up in the Bay of Biscay in mid May. In June the body of the Master washed up on the coast of France, his was the only body ever found. It was not until Aug. 17, almost four months after the sinking, that the British learned the fate of the ship. Word was received from that the survivor was in Holzminden internment camp in Germany that the ship had been torpedoed and he was the only survivor. |
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Roll of Honor |
In memory of those who lost their lives in SS Whitgift "As long as we embrace them in our memory, their spirit will always be with us" |
Name |
Rate |
Notes |
|
Aharez, Gregorio |
Steward |
Costa Rican national |
|
Cheng, Kai |
Fireman |
Chinese national |
|
Cheong, Chee |
Fireman and Trimmer |
Chinese national |
|
Cheong, Chin |
Donkeyman |
Chinese national |
|
Chow, Hing |
Fireman and Trimmer |
Chinese national |
|
Chung, Tak |
Fireman and Trimmer |
Chinese national |
|
Coltar, George |
Master |
||
Currie, John T. |
Engineer |
||
Fook |
Seaman |
Chinese national |
|
Fook, Chang |
Fireman and Trimmer |
Chinese national |
|
Ho, Chow |
Carpenter |
Chinese national |
|
Jenkins, Owen |
Mate |
||
Kee, Chu |
Boatswain |
Chinese national |
|
Kee, Kong |
Seaman |
Chinese national |
|
Kum, Chang |
Seaman |
Chinese national |
|
Kwai, Kow |
Fireman and Trimmer |
Chinese national |
|
Lee, Loo |
Fireman and Trimmer |
Chinese national |
|
Lo, Men |
Seaman |
Chinese national |
|
Nam, Cheong |
Fireman |
Chinese national |
|
Pong, Kong |
Second Fireman |
Chinese national |
|
Pow |
Cook |
Chinese national |
|
Sang, He |
Quartermaster |
Chinese national |
|
Sing, Long |
Steward |
Chinese national |
|
Tai, Chong |
Quartermaster |
Chinese national |
|
Tui, Sheng |
Cook |
Chinese national |
|
Walker, David |
3rd Engineer |
||
Wan, Cheung |
Fireman |
Chinese national |
|
Webbe, Josiah A. |
2nd Mate |
||
Wilkins, Edmund C. |
2nd Engineer |
||
Woo |
Quartermaster |
Chinese national |
|
Yao |
2nd Steward |
Chinese national |
|
Yao, Low |
Fireman and Trimmer |
Chinese national |
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