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spoons
Joined: 02 Oct 2007
Posts: 1789
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
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 Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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Name: THOMSON, WILLIAM MARTIN
Initials: W M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Lincolnshire Regiment
Unit Text: 6th Bn.
Age: 36
Date of Death: 24/07/1944
Service No: 14598041
Additional information: Son of Robert and Jessie Thomson; husband of Gertrude Thomson, of Louth, Lincolnshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: X. A. 15.
Cemetery: BARI WAR CEMETERY
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kenmorrison
Joined: 05 Oct 2008
Posts: 747
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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Re the post for JOHN PRIMROSE, interesting to note that this was a War Death:
The SS Kow Shing, built in 1883, was a Jardine, Matheson ship which, in 1894, was chartered to Chinese Government for trooping and sunk by Japanese cruiser Naniwa.
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spoons
Joined: 02 Oct 2007
Posts: 1789
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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I wonder if he worked with Admiral McClure/MacClure (Kirkcudbright Old Churchyard)
\Paul
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Adam Brown
Joined: 21 Sep 2007
Posts: 714
Location: Edinburgh
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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| spoons wrote: | | I wonder if he worked with Admiral McClure/MacClure (Kirkcudbright Old Churchyard)\Paul |
I would say yes. McClure was a former master of the "Kow Shing" before becoming an Admiral. In fact he had sailed it round to the China Seas from Barrow.
It was a British Registered ship carrying Chinese troops and although the ship was sunk by the Japanese it was likely that Seaman Primrose was killed by the Chinese troops after the British crew tried to swim away to safety.
See more here:
http://www.barrowbuiltships.co.uk/page125.html
Cheers
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Adam Brown
Joined: 21 Sep 2007
Posts: 714
Location: Edinburgh
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Adam Brown wrote: | | It was a British Registered ship carrying Chinese troops and although the ship was sunk by the Japanese it was likely that Seaman Primrose was killed by the Chinese troops after the British crew tried to swim away to safety. |
From the "The Times" from 1894, more about the sinking of the "Kow Shing" or "Kowshing"
Extract from Telegram sent on 2nd August 1894 published Friday, Aug 03, 1894
"Kowshing. - Officers - Galsworthy, Tamplin, Welch, Wake. Engineers - Gordon, Halley, Primrose. Passengers - Hanneken and two Germans, names unknown. Hanneken saved. Galsworthy, Tamplin reported saved"
Galsworthy was Captain of the "Kow Shing", Lewes H. Tamplin was Chieff Officer. Hanneken was Captain von Hanneken who supervised the building of the Chinese Forts at Wei-hei-wei (soon to be a British possesion). Another article on the 6th of August mentions that a third crewmember not mentioned above, Quartermaster Evangelista, was also saved.
Later articles give more details. In total 43 crew and over 900 Chinese soldiers died in the sinking. It was a British registered ship but I'm assuming that only the officers mentioned above were British and the rest of the crew were Lascars or Chinese.
The German gunboat "Iltis" rescued 150 Chinese soldiers. The French Gunboat "Le Lion" rescued 43 Chinese soldiers. The Royal Navy Torpedo Cruiser "Porpoise" also rescued troops but I don't know the number. None rescued any Europeans.
An interview with First Officer Tamlin on October 25th 1894 gives more detail of the sinking. I'll summarise.
The Japanese Cruiser "Naniwa" tried to torpedo the "Kow Shing" but missed and then fired a broadside which sunk the "Kow Shing". As the ship was sinking Tamlin escaped from his Chinese bodyguards and jumped overboard. He states Third Officer Wake couldn't swim and went down with the ship.
When he was in the water he saw Captain Hanneken and they were both shot at by Chinese troops from the sinking "Kow Shing". (They had already been quite excitable before the action started).
They swam for the Japanese warship and were picked up by its boats along with the Captain and Quartermaster. On the way back to the Cruiser the Japaneses boats sank two of "Kow Shing's" lifeboats crowded with Chinese Troops. There are conflicting reports of these troops shooting at the Japansese and that is perhaps why the boats were sunk. Hanneken also gave his statement just after the event and he stated that the Japanese shot at troops in the water too.
The Japanese cruiser left the area soon after without rescuing any more Europeans or any Chinese. There is no mention of Primrose in later articles so there is no way of knowing if he died in the shelling, was killed by the Chinese on the boat or in the water, or drowned.
Adam |
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