Walter Edward Thorp | Merchant Navy
photograph of Walter Edward Thorp Merchant Navy
photograph of Walter Edward Thorp at the Bisley ranges
Born Chelsea March 1895. 1st Class wireless Telegraphist for Marconi. Served in merchant Navy, round the world 3 times supplying the army during 1914 - 1918 on the SS Messaba, the last ship to signal the Titanic. His ship was torpedoed during WW1.
Serving aboard the Cawdor Castle - white star line - the ship was torpedoed with Walter onboard. Walter sent the SOS signal. Later on the City of Corinth they were torpedoed by a German U Boat. W/O sent out the SOS. A Colleague took a photo of ship sinking.
At one time Walter spent time floating on wreckage with his talking budgie. He was rescued and returned home and considered the budgie was a means of staying alive, keeping both alive for the 8 hours in water before rescue in freezing rough seas. He left again for the sea, but the budgie stayed in Chelsea with his mother. The budgie never talked again until Walter returned.
Another of his rescues may have been by an American ship. He was suffering from hypothermia when rescued.
Walter was a great shot, shooting at the Bisley ranges. Whilst cleaning his revolver below decks on a ship after one of his rescues, the revolver discharged and the bullet went through the ceiling above and up through the bass drum of a band playing above. Is this how you repay us? was the question from the crew of the rescue ship!
CONTRIBUTOR
jeremy Stuhmeier
DATE
1914 - 1918
LANGUAGE
eng
ITEMS
1
INSTITUTION
Europeana 1914-1918
PROGRESS
METADATA
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Wexford men in the Merchant Navy
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“My father Michael Kennedy was in the merchant navy and his ship was torpedoed. He was from Slade, Co. Wexford, Ireland and they would all have been seafaring people. According to my brother, my father was taken prisoner after his ship was torpedoed and he probably didn’t make it back from Germany until after the war was over. We think he was probably around 19 or 20 years old when he joined up. I have his war medals and also his merchant navy lapel badge. There’s a ‘For Loyal Service’ badge as well. I also have some medals belonging to Thomas Mason, my father’s brother-in-law and childhood neighbour. Thomas’s ship was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean and he spent 53 days adrift on a life raft. He died of yellow fever and is buried in India, in Bombay or Calcutta, I’m not sure which. I also have a British War Medal belonging to Mathew Ronan who was in the Royal Engineers (Service No. 270918). It was with my father’s medals but I don’t know if Mathew Ronan was a relative or one of my father’s friends. After the war my father and mother (Annie Berney Kennedy) went to Liverpool and lived there until shortly before his death in 1943.” || Images: Some of Michael Kennedy’s and Thomas Mason’s medals; a medal belonging to Mathew Ronan; photo of Michael Kennedy and Annie Berney; wedding photo; photo with memory card; || || Michael and Annie Kennedy || My father and mother, Michael and Annie (née Berney) Kennedy || Photograph || || Michael Kennedy's and Thomas Mason's Mercantile Marine and British War medals. Top left is a Merchant Navy badge and top right a 'For Loyal Service' lapel badge. || British War Medals and Mercantile Marine Medals, with lapel badges || Medal || Michael Kennedy's and Thomas Mason's medals || || Medal || British War Medal of Mathew Ronan, Royal Engineers, # 270918 || Remembrance || Mathew Ronan's British War Medal || || Remembrance || Photograph || Michael and Annie (Berney) Kennedy || My parents on their wedding day || || Michael Kennedy's memory card and photograph || Michael Kennedy || Memorabilia
