Daniel Vernon Jones. A Life and Death at Sea

I have been researching the lives of Joe Vernon Smith and his wife, Sarah Banks Rich (my husband's grandparents). Sarah's brother Tom died at Gallipoli in August 1915. But this was not the first death to the war in the family. Joe had three brothers. Two - Duncan and Haward - had emigrated to the USA just before the War. His other brother Daniel, had been workinig on the ships in Liverpool. He was destined to work, and die, at sea. One of thousands of men and women who lived in that port and made a living from the sea,  Dan had previously worked on the Lusitania but died on another ship, two months before it was torpedoed. 

Dan is almost certainly in the picture which was inscribed "the cooks of the Lusitania"

I can't spot him though!

Daniel was born on 26th May 1888, one of four sons born to Joseph McDougall Smith and Fanny Vernon (more of their interesting story in another blog!). Unlike two of his brothers, Daniel stayed in Liverpool but unlike Joe, he did not work for his father's varnish making company. He was a cook, who progressed to "chief cook" by the time of the 1911 census. 

Dan in 1910. He looks a very confident young man!

We have a wonderful "silk" postcard sent to Joe from his brother

It is headed "New York March 26 1910"

"Dear Joe, thanks for photo. Hope you are quite well, like myself.

I will be back on the 5th April"

Daniel married Dorothy Alice Leigh on 4th December 1910 in Liverpool. At some time in early 1915, Daniel joined the ship the SS Bayano. Here he is in his merchant marine uniform, looking every inch a smart sailor - quite a contrast to his previous photo!

There is a full and graphic  account of the sinking of the Bayano here

https://www.scottishshipwrecks.com/bayano/

 

"At 4:50am on 11^th March 1915 she was a few miles north of Corsewall Point, Galloway. Two thirds of the crew were asleep, leaving the third watch in charge of the vessel as she steamed through the night. A single torpedo was fired which struck the Bayano on the forward quarter and exploded. 

Aboard the Bayano the huge explosion flung most of the sleeping men from their hammocks and killed many instantly in and around the engine room where the torpedo actually struck. The survivors later told many stories of heroism aboard the sinking ship. The wireless operators who remained at their posts broadcasting SOS messages as the ship sank or the sailor who handed out lifejackets to his frightened colleagues as the sea rose around his ankles or the captain who went down with his ship after organising the evacuation of as many of the crew as possible."

 

I was pleased to discover that there is a photograph of  Mrs McNaught who was Matron at Breeze Hill Auxiliary Military Hospital in Bootle and who was asked to lay a wreath on the War Memorial in Bootle. Dan is remembered on this memorial. Bootle War Memorial was unveiled in King’s Gardens on Sunday 15th October 1922; thousands of people attended the ceremony to honour the fallen

Dan was one of over 200 men who died that night. His widow lived to be 99. She never remarried.