Thomas Smith
A Boatswain with Steam Trawler Andromache. Thomas died on 12th of April 1917 at the age of 38.
Thomas was born at Lowestoft in 1880, a son of William Henry and Mary Smith. In 1881 his family lived at at 1881 3 Clement Square, and by 1891 at 4 Albany Cottages, Carlton Road, which was still their home in 1901. By 1911 they were living at 2 Birds Lane, Kirkley.
Thomas worked as a fisherman (possibly with the trawler Cecilia in 1901 or the trawler Elizabeth Swan).
Thomas married Emily Atkinson, at Hull, in 1907. In 1911 they lived at 38 Rugby Street, Hull, and later at 4 Burns Grove, Rugby Street, Hull.
In April 1917 the trawler Andromache was fishing off Iceland. The trawler was stopped by German submarine U-78 and the Skipper taken prisoner. The rest of the crew were forced to take to the lifeboats and the trawler was scuttled. None of the crewmen were ever seen again. Note that some sources state that this happened on 14 April 1917.
Thomas Smith
2
Birds Lane
Kirkley
United Kingdom
52.465249851697, 1.7297454331352
Comments
My Great, Great Father John…
My Great, Great Father John Cutsforth was the Skipper of the Andromache. I have been told that when he went down into the submarine he heard gunfire. When coming back from the prison of war camp after the war he was never the same. Some of the crew had fished with him for some time. The trawler owners sent his wife a bird at Christmas every year but when the ship was sank they never sent another.
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