Swansea and WWI

2018 marks the centenary anniversary of the Armistice of the First World War, November 1918. Here Charles looks at the life of marine engineer William John Johnstone and the steamer S.S. Kingsley

 The steamer S.S. Kingsley was constructed in 1881, by T. & W. Smith, of North Shields; it weighed in at 633 tons. By 1918, it was managed by Harries Bros. & Co, Swansea, of Cambrian Street.

The S.S. Kingsley was attacked and damaged on the morning of the 2 January 1918, by U-95, 3 miles east of Rundelstone Buoy, Cornwall.

A few days after the centenary anniversary of the confrontation, Mrs Lisa Johnstone-Davies contacted me, with a tale of her great-grandfather, William John Johnstone. I carried out some research using various sources, and can now paint a picture of what occurred on that fateful morning.

During the 1911 Census, William John Johnstone, (age 27), who filled in the census and called himself William Alexander, is living at 22 Calland Street, Landore, his occupation is listed at Marine Engineer. He is living with his wife, Mary Hannah, (age 29) and their one son, William Alexander, (age 6).

At the time of the events of January, William, now William John, is serving with the Mercantile Marine; he is the Chief Engineer on board the S.S. Kingsley. His merchant card has survived, listing all the boats that he served on during his career at sea.

On the morning of 2 January 1918, the S.S. Kingsley, was sailing back from Honfleur, France to Swansea laden with ballast, when it neared Cornwall. Meanwhile, at 3.45 a.m. the U-95, captained by Athalwin Prinz, has torpedoed and sunk the S.S. Gallier without warning – all the crew survived. I assume around about this time that the U-95 has surfaced and attacked and damaged the S.S. Kingsley as it was only about 300 yards away by gunfire. Most of the engine crew not including William, panicked abandoning their posts and running onto the deck, where 5 men were killed by shrapnel and 4 were injured. After the attack, the U-95 slipped below the waves, to attack and sink the nearby Italian steamer Christos Markettos. The U-95 itself was shrouded in mystery, when the captain A. Prinz, died on the 7 January at W. Ireland and the U-boat was sunk, by unknown causes off the coast of Hardelot, France on 16 January 1918 with all 36 hands lost.

William, now single handedly manned the engines and the S.S. Kingsley limped into the port of Penzance, where 4 men Harry Baile, Mate, Martin Erzeneek, Donkeyman, R. D. Hydera, Fireman, George McGoverin, Second Engineer are buried at Penzance Cemetery, and J. Emery, Stewart, is buried at St. Illtyd Churchyard, Pembrey, Carmarthenshire.

The captain, Mr E. Evans was awarded the D.S.O. (Distinguished Service Order) and William was awarded the D.S.C. (Distinguished Service Cross) for his actions on board S.S. Kingsley on that fateful morning. Lisa stated that when William was waiting for a train in London to travel back to Swansea after attending a medal ceremony at Buckingham Palace, a woman presented him with a white feather because he was not in uniform!

It wasn’t long before William was back at sea, when he served on the S.S. Bruno. William served for 39 years at sea with the Mercantile Marines, from where he worked at Swansea Docks. Lisa’s aunt, Mrs Elaine Guppy cared for William later in life till his death in 1967 aged 82.

Copyright – The Bay Magazine – March 2018