MERCHANTILE MARINE & ARMY TRIO
(Dual Service)
To: Cook WILLIAM JOHN CARTER
S.S. ARAB (Shanghai)
Age 55
Killed in Action 7th January 1918.
Torpedoed by German Submarine UB 50
A MAN WITH A MOST INTERESTING CAREER WORTHY OF MUCH FURTHER RESEARCH !
William J. Carter started his military career late when he joined the army as a cook in the ESSEX Regiment in 1916 as Pte 277075. He was about 53 years of age . He then transfered to the Royal Irish Regt as Pte 16219. Then to the Royal Inniskilling Fusilliers as Pte 44234 and amazingly back to the Royal Irish as Pte.18838 (MIC confirms) .Presumably his cooking skills were highly sought after !.....At age 55 he is seen serving in the Merchant Navy aboard the SS ARAB which was a "Shanghai" registered ship of 4191 tons belonging to A. R. Burkill & Sons, Shanghai. The ship had a crew of 22 all of whom were lost at sea when ARAB was torpedoed by U.B.50 18 miles off the Tunisian Coast N by E from Cape Serrat. The ship was defensively armed and was on its way from Cardiff (Wales) to Messina . At least one of the crew , a young apprentice called Wilfred C.D. Walton (16) was washed ashore and is buried at Bizerta Cemetery. Most of the crew were either Welsh or North African. We have traced a further four crew members who are in addition to William Carter commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial London.
£395.00