New to this forum and am hoping someone can help or point me in the right direction; I am searching for details of a troopship that was torpedoed on it's way to the Egyptian theatre carrying my Great Great Grandfather Private SS/20170 William Adams Garlick of the Army Service Corps. He embarked for Egypt on 15/11/1915 (according to his medal card) and the family story goes that he was torpedoed en-route, survived and was discharged through illness in august 1916. He was awarded the 1915 Star, VM and BWM as well as a SWB. I have trawled the internet and other forums and whilst there appears to detail on Australian and Canadian troop ships readily available, I am struggling to find details of British troopships torpedoed/sunk in late 1915 on the way to Egypt? Can any members of this forum help in any way - it would be much appreciated. Thanks, Ant
Hi Ant, I have been looking around and I think I might have something. The ship in Question is the SS Minneapolis a British Passenger Steamer on route to Alexandria and was torpedoed on 23 march 1916, 195 miles of E1/2N Malta here is the linkhttp://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?157891 Hope this helps Regards Keith [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
Hi Ant, Have looked at the records for British Ships sunk during 1915 and can't find one troopship amongst them. Mainly ships carrying general cargo were attacked heading for either Alexandria or Malta. You can check the name of the ships on www.uboat.net Hope this helps Sniper
Keith/Sniper, thanks both. Yes I also drew a blank when looking at troopships sunk during late 1915. There could be several explanations: 1. The date of qualification for the Egyptian theatre on his MIC (November 1915) including some training time/travel time. He had only enlisted in October 1915 so to go abroad within 1 month seems strange? 2. He was aboard a cargo ship bound for Alexandria which was torpedoed? 3. It was an over-exaggeration by William but being he was discharged due to illness by August 1916 and the story of being torpedoed has stuck with the family, there must be a element of truth in it - why would he make it up and be awarded a silver war badge? I will explore the SS Minneapolis line first - the answer must be out there some where! Thanks again both, Ant
Ant, Where he was posted was a training depot so he would of done some basic training and then would of been sent out there so a month would probably been about right. I agree that he was probably on a cargo ship that was torpedoed but without his full record you may never find out for sure. Who told you it was the SS Minneapolis? I don't believe that he lied and what you were told is the truth, just be aware of how stories get bigger as time goes on. Sniper
Hi Mike, The SS Minneapolis was the only one that I could find that was on route to Alexandria and was torpedo, thought it might be an angle to look down. Keith
I think the search needs to go no further that the 15th November 1915 - this was when he qualified as being in the Egyptian theatre - presumably when he landed. Another angle to take may be to locate another service record or MIC of an ASC soldier who qualified as being in the Egyptian theatre on the same date? I'll give it a go on ancestry! Thanks both, Ant
