17 replies to this topic

[M. Jones]

I have a hand written account of the "Berrwick Law"s voyage from New Port News, Va. Monday, Sept. 18th, 1917, until it's sinking late in the night of Dec. 2, 1917, west of Algiers. It is written by my Great Great Uncle, Kenneth Rowland. He identifies the Captain as a Cpt. Henderson, a Scotsman, as well as various crew mates by name. He describes the ships cargo. This was a British Transport ship hit by German torpedo. The Cpt. was taken prisoner, the other fellows, incl. my Uncle, were let go. One man from China remaining on board was shot. My Uncle's life boat landed at "El Marzo", east coast of Africa. Does anyone know more about this, or could someone point me in the right direction to learn more? Would thgis 19 page account be of any interest, or use, to anyone else? Thanks for any input.
                                                                                                   M. Jones

[IanA]

Can't help on this query, but are you sure you have spelling right? I would have thought it might have been the 'Berwick Law'.

Ian

[M. Jones]

Can't help on this query, but are you sure you have spelling right? I would have thought it might have been the 'Berwick Law'.

Ian

My Uncle's spelling is Berrwick Law, but I don't know that that is correct. It is repeated as such throughout the journal.

[Michael Lowrey]

For the basics, see  http://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/778.html

Best wishes,
Michael

[Martin Elliget]

Would thgis 19 page account be of any interest, or use, to anyone else?

Hi.

Yes, I'm sure that would be of interest to someone with a connection to the Berwick Law. First hand accounts often provide fascinating insights and details missed elsewhere.

Regarding the ship's master, here's his death notice in The Times:

The Times, Friday, Mar 15, 1918
HENDERSON.- On the 30th Jan., at Karlsruhe,
in Baden, in his 61st year, of pneumonia, the result
of exposure during 15 days in a German submarine,
British Prisoner of War OSCAR HILLMORE HENDERSON,
of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Findhorn, Elginshire,
Commander H.M. Transport Berwick Law. Buried
will full military honours at Karlsruhe on the 2nd
Feb., 1918. Canadian, Australian, and American
papers, please copy.

His CWGC entry:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=903557


I wonder what his connection with Australia was?

regards,
Martin

[historydavid]

On 2nd December 1917 the SS (da) Berwick Law, built 1911, 4,680 grt, was torpedoed and sunk by U 34, 22 miles W from Cape Tenez, Algeria, Mediterranean Sea, with 1 casualty and the captain taken prisoner.

Best wishes,
David

[Kath]

M. Jones,

www.collectionscanada.gc.ca
have in Archives - "a file on SS Berwick Law: Enemy internment of the Captain."

This link may work, otherwise use Search.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac...p;Sources=mikan

Kath.

[Kath]

SS Berwick Law: Official No.129541

Crew Lists for 1916:  E2  (— Eng 1. Agreement and account of crew of a foreign-going ship. No official log present.)
& 1917: E1 (— Eng 1. Agreement and account of crew of a foreign-going ship. Official log present.)
in the Maritime History Archive of the Memorial University of Newfoundland.
This probably covers the trip before the attack as presumably the ship's papers would be lost then.

http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/viewcrews.p...icial_No=129541

Kath.

[M. Jones]

I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this search. I am a beginner at this sort of thing and would not know how to proceed with out the generous help. I hope to post my progress. Thanks,
                                                                                                                           M. Jones

[M. Jones]

Hi.

Yes, I'm sure that would be of interest to someone with a connection to the Berwick Law. First hand accounts often provide fascinating insights and details missed elsewhere.

Regarding the ship's master, here's his death notice in The Times:

The Times, Friday, Mar 15, 1918
HENDERSON.- On the 30th Jan., at Karlsruhe,
in Baden, in his 61st year, of pneumonia, the result
of exposure during 15 days in a German submarine,
British Prisoner of War OSCAR HILLMORE HENDERSON,
of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Findhorn, Elginshire,
Commander H.M. Transport Berwick Law. Buried
will full military honours at Karlsruhe on the 2nd
Feb., 1918. Canadian, Australian, and American
papers, please copy.

His CWGC entry:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=903557


I wonder what his connection with Australia was?

regards,
Martin

Thank you for the obit. Fascinating to read, along with my uncles version of Hendersons last words to his crew, as follows;
          "Good bye boys", and he requested the Mate to deliver a message to his wife and daughters in Glascow Scotland, {his spelling}, that if he lived until the end of the war he would welcome them with joy! My uncle goes on to say they looked away with lumps in their throats.

[Mike McCarthy]

Hi,
I have just seen your post from last January regarding the above vessel.
I am researching fremasons who were killed in action in the Great War and Captain Oscar Hilmore Henderson is on my database.
Would it be possible to see the handwritten account of the vessels sinking and his capture?
Thanks & best regards
Mike McCarthy

[Silent Warrior]

According to my database Captain Oscar Hilmore Henderson was drowned

Cheers Ron

[Mike McCarthy]

Thanks Ron but I'm prety confident he died after capture as stated in the Times Obituary. He rests at Niederzwehren Cemetery in deepest Germany.

[ph0ebus]

Mike and Ron,

Well, perhaps he was captured, he was ordered to stand on deck and then they ordered the u-boat to crash dive.  Wouldn't have been the first time...

Seriously, perhaps there is some detailed account of his cause of death somewhere?

-Daniel

[Doug Johnson]

Just to add a little to this, I am currently transcribing a diary of a PoW and there is a short entry for the 30th Jan 1918, writen at Karlsruhe, which states:- Capt Henderson died in hospital.  Oddly there is an entry for 2nd Feb 1918 which states:- Capt Anderson's funeral (see pic postcards).  If there is any more info on the postcards I will let you know.  I would assume that the second entry just got his name wrong.

[Silent Warrior]

Double checked my records and he died in a German hospital and was buried at Niederzwehren Cemetery, Cassel.

Cheers Ron

[Doug Johnson]

There is an account of Henderson's funeral in this book (with a photograph)

Doug

NB the hospital he died in was probably the camp hospital rather than an external one.

[Kath]

Thanks, Doug.
Very interesting.

Kath.