The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

DelBoy

Catterline, St Phillips Episcopal church

UKIWM No: Unlisted

Couldn't find him on SNWM or CWGC?

apanderson · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:37 pm Post subject:

Found the following - but wrong parents/wrong date of death?

A bit of a co-incidence though - especially as this man's address was the Coast Guard Station?

CWGC:
Name: STEPHEN, WILLIAM
Initials: W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Northumberland Fusiliers
Unit Text: 24th (Tyneside Irish) Bn.
Age: 32
Date of Death: 09/04/1917
Service No: 37662
Additional information: Son of Alexander and Mary Stephen, of 2, Coast Guard Station, Catterline, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: III. B. 18.
Cemetery: ROCLINCOURT VALLEY CEMETERY

SNWM:
Surname STEPHEN
Firstname William
Service Number 37662
Date Death 09/04/1917
Decoration
Place of birth Catterline Kinreff Kincardineshire
Other 24th Bn. (Tyneside Irish).
SNWM roll SCOTTISH CASUALTIES EXTRACTED FROM ENGLISH REGIMENTS
Rank Pte
Theatre of death F.& F.

*Edited later

Sorry, I've just read the post on the War Graves Forum and noticed that the above man is listed on a Family Gravestone there.

Anne

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

The correct William Stephen, 99310 2nd Eng. died in London on 2nd January 1917 age 30.
I am checking to see if he was eligible for CWGC commemoration. It may be that the reference to " active service " on the plaque is misleading.

Will provide more info later.
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

DelBoy · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 9:28 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your efforts anyway Anne Smile

Keep me posted Kinnethmont, cheers.

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

Derek

I had the feeling that " on Active Service " was a bit of a red herring when I found he died in Greenwich Hospital, London. He died of illness - Meningitis & Hypostatic Pneumonia.

Stephen was a crewman of the SS Seang Choon, a British merchant ship registered in Rangoon. She was requsitioned for war service and became His Majesty's Australian Transport ( HMAT) A49. She had ferried AIF troops and cargo since early in the war and was torpedoed and sunk off Ireland on 10 June 1917.

As civilians, Mercantile Marine men were never on Active Service in the proper sense as they were not military personnel.
War grave status is only granted to military personnel plus certain Recognised Civilian Organisations (RCOs), under various additional qualifications, as 'honorary military'. These specific organisations operated under the control of, or by authority of, the military in war zones, but remained civilians.

The Mercantile Marine was one of the RCOs which can qualify for war grave status , but only under certain additional conditions. They had to die "due to the increased risks due to war conditions". Dying of illness would not qualify. William could only have qualified if he had died as a consequence of enemy action.
The 19 men who were lost, no doubt those who funded the tablet at Catterline, when the ship was sunk would have qualified and will be recorded by CWGC.

Other RCOs were the Red Cross, YMCA, St Johns, VADs etc.

Update

One crewman was a local man is buried at nearby Fetteresso.

Name: DUNBAR, ROBERT M. M.
Initials: R M M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Third Officer
Regiment/Service: Mercantile Marine
Unit Text: SS. "Seang Choon." (Rangoon)
Age: 23
Date of Death: 10/07/1917
Additional information: Son of Mrs Elizabeth Rendall, of 1, Bank St., Aberdeen. Born at Stonehaven.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: L. 246.
Cemetery: FETTERESSO CEMETERY, STONEHAVEN

Another is buried in Co. Cork, Ireland.

Name: McGREGOR, ANGUS BARTLETT CLARENCE
Initials: A B C
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Senior Wireless Operator
Regiment/Service: Mercantile Marine
Unit Text: S.S. "Seang Choon" (Rangoon)
Age: 23
Date of Death: 10/07/1917
Additional information: Son of Mrs. A. McGregor, of 23, Molesworth St., Armadale, Australia. Born at Goulburn, New South Wales.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: North-East part.
Cemetery: CASTLETOWN BEREHAVEN (ST. FINIAN'S) CEMETERY

Those who rest in the deep are commemorated on The Tower Hill Memorial.

Name: BHAMGARA
Initials: K J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Surgeon
Regiment/Service: Mercantile Marine
Unit Text: S.S. "Seang Choon" (Rangoon)
Age: 38
Date of Death: 10/07/1917
Additional information: Son of Jehangir S. Bhamgara, of Wadia House, Wadia St., Tardeo, Bombay. Born at Bombay.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

DelBoy · Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:17 pm Post subject:

Ahh,

Thanks Jim, Most enlightening.

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

SEANG CHOON / CHESHIRE
5,708 g.t., 445.5ft x 49.1ft, twin screw passenger ship, speed 14 knots, accommodation for 100-1st class passengers. Built 1891 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast as the CHESHIRE for Bibby Line, Liverpool.
1900 Boer War troopship.
1910 sold to Lim Chin Tsong, Rangoon renamed SEANG CHOON.
1915 became British army troopship and took part in the Dardanelles campaign the India - UK service.
Mar.1917 taken over under the Liner Requisition Scheme.
10th Jul.1917 torpedoed and sunk by U.87 off Fastnet on voyage Sydney to London. Nineteen lives lost.
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

anne park

A native of Catterline 2nd Officer William Stephen was the son of Mr & Mrs David Stephen. Born in Cattlerine. Age 31. Educated Mackie Academy. Served his Apprenticeship at Aberdeen and Dumbarton. Occupied in Rangoon by Glasgow Shipping Company. Served in Dardanelles.
Aberdeen Daily Jounral 17 Feb 1917. Page 6.
_________________
Researching WWI info from Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire & Morayshire.

stuartn · Joined: 13 Dec 2016 Posts: 2551

WMR 78746