Post by Administrator on Jan 8, 2023 23:20:52 GMT
VIA: The Old Head of Kinsale Signal Tower at Old Head of Kinsale.
Kinsale, Ireland: Lusitania Rescue Efforts.
One of the first to arrive at the scene of the Lusitania sinking was the naval sloop Bluebell captained by John Thompson. The following is an account written by Captain John Thompson of his experience, kindly shared with us by his Grandson. Also featured are photographs of Captain Thompson, Bluebell and the final stanzas of ‘The Lusitania’ - a poem written by Captain Thompson.
‘There was a few of the Lusitania boats making for land when we got there. The Indian Empire picked up a good number of the boats but we went out to the place where the ship went down. We lowered our small boat as soon as we got there and our crew picked up a few survivors off a raft and also a boat off the Lusitania… We picked up forty nine alive and eleven dead. We got into Queenstown about ten o’clock and the rest of the ships came in all the night with survivors from the Lusitania. Captain Turner and Lady Rhondda and Mr Bowering and a millionaire named Mr Kessler was some of the distinguished guests on the Bluebell. We had no wine or spirits to give them but we made plenty of tea and as one of the survivors [said] it seemed to be the best cup of tea she ever tasted. She lost her baby at that time. We did not know the names of the others but they thanked us [very] much for our kindness and help to them.
After putting them all ashore we went to anchor till the morning and made a report to the Patrol Office and received instructions to go out and search for any bodies drifting about. As there was two hundred pound prize for the body of Mr Vanderbilt, the American millionaire, we kept a strict watch but I don’t think it was ever found. That millionaire that was picked up by us was very much bruised about the legs and I bandaged them for [him] which he thanked me [for] in his letter and sent a cheque of £20, ten pounds for me and the other ten to be shared among the crew. There was a few sent small gifts of money to the crew for being attentive to them but we did not get anything from Lady Rhondda whom we thought would have thanked us more than any of the rest as she was attended to more than the others, but we were only doing our duty and not for reward. I also received an invitation from Mr Kessler to come to his residence in the south of England. I did not accept the invitation as I thought I was not too refined being used to the ordinary routine of life.’
To learn more about the Lusitania rescue operations, be sure to visit us when we reopen in March 💙 The Old Head of Kinsale Signal Tower.
Kinsale, Ireland: Lusitania Rescue Efforts.
One of the first to arrive at the scene of the Lusitania sinking was the naval sloop Bluebell captained by John Thompson. The following is an account written by Captain John Thompson of his experience, kindly shared with us by his Grandson. Also featured are photographs of Captain Thompson, Bluebell and the final stanzas of ‘The Lusitania’ - a poem written by Captain Thompson.
‘There was a few of the Lusitania boats making for land when we got there. The Indian Empire picked up a good number of the boats but we went out to the place where the ship went down. We lowered our small boat as soon as we got there and our crew picked up a few survivors off a raft and also a boat off the Lusitania… We picked up forty nine alive and eleven dead. We got into Queenstown about ten o’clock and the rest of the ships came in all the night with survivors from the Lusitania. Captain Turner and Lady Rhondda and Mr Bowering and a millionaire named Mr Kessler was some of the distinguished guests on the Bluebell. We had no wine or spirits to give them but we made plenty of tea and as one of the survivors [said] it seemed to be the best cup of tea she ever tasted. She lost her baby at that time. We did not know the names of the others but they thanked us [very] much for our kindness and help to them.
After putting them all ashore we went to anchor till the morning and made a report to the Patrol Office and received instructions to go out and search for any bodies drifting about. As there was two hundred pound prize for the body of Mr Vanderbilt, the American millionaire, we kept a strict watch but I don’t think it was ever found. That millionaire that was picked up by us was very much bruised about the legs and I bandaged them for [him] which he thanked me [for] in his letter and sent a cheque of £20, ten pounds for me and the other ten to be shared among the crew. There was a few sent small gifts of money to the crew for being attentive to them but we did not get anything from Lady Rhondda whom we thought would have thanked us more than any of the rest as she was attended to more than the others, but we were only doing our duty and not for reward. I also received an invitation from Mr Kessler to come to his residence in the south of England. I did not accept the invitation as I thought I was not too refined being used to the ordinary routine of life.’
To learn more about the Lusitania rescue operations, be sure to visit us when we reopen in March 💙 The Old Head of Kinsale Signal Tower.