Lives of the First World War

known 24th January 1918

Following upon Mr. Houston's questions in the House of Commons, we are now permitted by the Censor to publish the account of the sinking by a mine in the mouth of the Mersey of a pilot boat on the 28th December last. The pilot boat, as related by a survivor, had taken up her position on the station about three o'clock in the morning of the day named when a loud explosion occurred, holing the vessel amidships in the forward part of the engine-room and she began to sink very rapidly. There were very few of the forty-three men on board out of their bunks at the time, and those in the engine-room were either killed outright by the force of the explosion or badly injured. About five men managed to grasp lifebelts and jump into the water, and of these three were picked up, after an interval of about twenty minutes, by the small boats of another pilot boat which had been attracted to the spot by the noise of the explosion. The pilot boat sank in less than two minutes, stem foremost, and without having heeled over either to one side or the other. There was no opportunity for the wireless apparatus to be used as the engines were put out of action immediately, and an interval, almost of seconds only, occurred between the explosion and the foundering. Three men were picked up - Alfred Davies (20), Denton-drive, Liscard (apprentice); John R. Sweetman (19), 32, Alton-road, Tue brook (apprentice); and Edward Beckett (18), 61 Cecil-road, West Croydon, London (Marconi operator). The men were found by the small boats of the other pilot vessel and were taken on to Liverpool, where they were landed and admitted to hospital. Here it was found that Davies was dead, but the others rallied after the skilful treatment they received on the rescuing ship and at the hospital. The vessel was under the command of Captain John Lewis. LIST OF PILOTS. The names of the pilots are: John Lewis, first master; Frederick Rogers, second master; James Wookey, Henry Rawson, Jas. Birchall, and H. M. Tibbells, first-class pilots; James H. Cross, and J. F. J. Cameron, second-class pilots; E. S. Freeman, third-class pilot. Charles H. Barnard, first-class pilot and examining officer; Albert E. Ankers and Albert J. Lever, first-class pilots; Norman W. Climo, second-class pilot. Frederick W. T. Penney, James F. Jones, Robert J. Durrant, Robert Taggart, and Alfred A. M. Knowler, first-class pilots; and William Brodie, third-class pilot. Other men on board included Captain Charles Poole (late Moss Line), examining officer, R.N.R.; Lieutenant R. Williams, examining officer, R.N.R.; J. Yates Price, boathand; Charles J. Prior, John R. Green, Alfred Davies, boat-hand; Thomas K. Pughe, donkey-man; Alexander Donaldson, F. Foulkes, boathand; Joseph Hawkins, boathand; W. Turner, engineer; Cubbin, engineer; Alfred A. Heatt, boathand; Eric C. Harries, boathand. BODIES RECOVERED. The bodies so far recovered are Joseph Hawkins, Hale-road, Liscard; John Price, Carisbrooke-road; Frank Foulkes, Rosalyn street; John Callister, Brenton-street; Alfred Malley, Geneva-road, Seacombe. The first-named three were boathands, Malley was a cook, and Callister was a donkeyman. Alfred Davies, who died in hospital, was the only son of Mr. William Davies of Denton-drive, Liscard, a retired pilot with twenty-seven years' service in the White Star Line.

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