Lockwood, H (Henry)
Withey, C H (Charles Henry), Watson, R (Robert), Shaw, G (George), Powney, T E J (Thomas Edward John), Pawley, J T (John Thomas), Lockwood, H (Henry)
Trimmer Henry Lockwood was the son of Joseph and Frances Lockwood of 12 Clevedon Street, Liverpool. He served on S.S. Boniface.[1]
S.S. Boniface was on its requisitioning voyage from New York to Clyde when it got separated from the main convoy.
Just after 6 pm on the 23rd of August 1917 the German submarine U53[2] was spotted. Within two minutes the U-Boat had fired a torpedo which the ship was unable to avoid.
The torpedo struck the ship starboard side,[3] amidship,[4] stopping the engines. A crewman called John Foster[5] was instantly killed when it struck, and Henry Lockwood was wounded. The engine room began instantly filling with water. U53 had disappeared under the water when the crew abandoned ship.
Soon afterwards the submarine surfaced again and fired another torpedo, this time sinking S.S. Boniface.
Henry Lockwood died from wounds that he had sustained in that incident on the lifeboats. Forty-six other sailors survived and rowed to Bunbeg.[6]
Date of Death: 23/08/1917 (Aged 21)
Service: Trimmer, Mercantile Marine, S.S. “Boniface”
Service Number: N/A
Burial Location: Londonderry (or Derry), City Cemetery, G. Mil. 1.
[1] SS Boniface was a British Passenger/Cargo Steamer launched during 1904.
[2] German submarine SM U53 survived the war and surrendered December 1918. In her career, it sank almost 90 ships.
[3] Starboard is the right-hand side of a ship when facing forward.
[4] Amidship is the center or middle of the ship.
[5] Fireman and Donkeyman John Foster was the son of James Foster, of 4, Upper Stanhope St. Cottages, Liverpool, and the late Mary Foster. He in remembered on the Tower Hill memorial, London.
[6] Bunbeg is a small village located on the north-west coast of Donegal.
