Honouring the Men who gave their lives whilst serving in the Merchant Navy
and whose names are on the Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll
and whose names are on the Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll
S.S. LUSITANIA (Liverpool)
WW1
WW1
S.S. Lusitania was sunk on 7 May 1915 by torpedo fired by German submarine U-20, approximately 15 nautical miles South of the Old Head of Kinsale. She was en route from New York to Liverpool. 1399 Lives Lost
West Wimmera Mail & Natimuk Advertiser (Victoria) 14-5-1915
THE LUSITANIA
The Iist of barbarities committed by Germany has been added too by an unforgivable horror in the form of the sinking of the great Canard liner, Lusitania. The vessel, which was of 30,396 tons was on Friday last on a voyage from New York to Liverpool. There was 2,160 people on board, and of this number 1399 were drowned. The liner was off the Old Head of Kindsale, on the Irish coast, when a torpedo struck it, no warning being given. The vessel listed heavily, but no panic occurred; and the feeling that the vessel could not sink was the cause of a great number of deaths amongst the first class passengers, who remained below. The liner went down so quickly that many boats could not be launched, while others were so crowded that they capsized and sank. Harrowing sights were witnessed at Queenstown, where 30 babies were among the dead laid out at a temporary morgue. The newspapers of the United States are scathing in their condemnation of Germany, but no announcement is made as to the American Government's attitude,except that it is understood that she demands a pledge from Germany that she will abandon these methods of warfare which are contrary to modern civilisation. The Kaiser is now described as "William the Murderer, and at, the inquest on one of the victims a verdict of wilful wholesale murder was recorded against the Kaiser, the Ger man Government and the crew of the submarine. By such acts, even more so than in the use of poisonous gases, in which women and children and neutral subjects are killed, Germany is destroying any sympathy neutrals may have for her and is placing before the public the fact that this is a war, not only of soldiers, but one in which every unit must put forth supreme efforts to overthrow this nation, which is a menace to humanity.
The German admiralty has been congratulated by the mass of the people on its " success," and the school children were given a holiday to mark the occasion. That the murder of innocent women and children should be made the occasion of national rejoicing places the nation as worse than savages.
THE LUSITANIA
The Iist of barbarities committed by Germany has been added too by an unforgivable horror in the form of the sinking of the great Canard liner, Lusitania. The vessel, which was of 30,396 tons was on Friday last on a voyage from New York to Liverpool. There was 2,160 people on board, and of this number 1399 were drowned. The liner was off the Old Head of Kindsale, on the Irish coast, when a torpedo struck it, no warning being given. The vessel listed heavily, but no panic occurred; and the feeling that the vessel could not sink was the cause of a great number of deaths amongst the first class passengers, who remained below. The liner went down so quickly that many boats could not be launched, while others were so crowded that they capsized and sank. Harrowing sights were witnessed at Queenstown, where 30 babies were among the dead laid out at a temporary morgue. The newspapers of the United States are scathing in their condemnation of Germany, but no announcement is made as to the American Government's attitude,except that it is understood that she demands a pledge from Germany that she will abandon these methods of warfare which are contrary to modern civilisation. The Kaiser is now described as "William the Murderer, and at, the inquest on one of the victims a verdict of wilful wholesale murder was recorded against the Kaiser, the Ger man Government and the crew of the submarine. By such acts, even more so than in the use of poisonous gases, in which women and children and neutral subjects are killed, Germany is destroying any sympathy neutrals may have for her and is placing before the public the fact that this is a war, not only of soldiers, but one in which every unit must put forth supreme efforts to overthrow this nation, which is a menace to humanity.
The German admiralty has been congratulated by the mass of the people on its " success," and the school children were given a holiday to mark the occasion. That the murder of innocent women and children should be made the occasion of national rejoicing places the nation as worse than savages.
1st Class Waiter Robert Nepture WILLIAMS
Born: Australia Mercantile Marine Killed in Action 7-5-1915, aged 50years Son of the late Thomas and Annie Blood Williams Husband of Edith Williams (nee Harding), of 4, Littledale Rd., Egremont, Cheshire. Honoured: Tower Hill Memorial, London, England Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll |