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Alice Smith

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Alice & Edna Smith (Dundee Advertiser 10.02.1917)

Personal Information

  • Date of Birth:
  • Place of Birth:
  • Address: 12 Balgay Ave, Dundee
  • Occupation:
  • Mother:

    Mrs R. J. Anderson, 12 Balgay Ave, Dundee

  • Father:
  • Siblings:
  • Spouse:
  • Children:

    Edna

  • Age at Death: 25
  • Date of Death: 07.02.1917
  • Place of Death: Lost at Sea, 40 miles southwest of the Fastnet Lighthouse in the Western Approaches
  • Burial Country:
  • Cemetery: Lost at Sea

More about Alice Smith

Mrs Alice Smith was the daughter of Mrs R J Anderson of 12 Balgay Avenue, Dundee and mother of Edna Smithwho also died on the California. The SS California was torpedoed by the German submarine U-85 whilst on passage from New York to Glasgow. the ship was sunk about 40 miles southwest of the Fastnet Lighthouse in the Western Approaches and over 40 passengers and crew were lost out of a total of 215 people onboard. The Courier has an article and photographs in the 10 February 1917 edition.

The S.S. CALIFORNIA; Owned by the Anchor Line and built in 1907 by D. & W. Henderson & Co.; 8,662 tons; 470×58.3×34 ft.; 827 n.h.p.; 15 knots; triple-expansion engine.

On February 7th, 1917, S/S California with 205 crew and passengers on board, was ending her voyage from New York to Glasgow, when she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-85, 38 miles W by S of Fastnet.

The torpedo hit her stern and she sank in 7 minutes. Most of the 43 who died were killed in the explosion and some drowned as their lifeboat capsized. The captain went down with his ship but miraculously managed to gain the surface and was rescued.

The sinking of the California came just one week after Germany lifted her ban on unrestricted submarine warfare on 1 February 1917.

Information courtesy of Dundee Seaman’s Roll of Honour. Images courtesy of Gary Thomson.

Further information supplied by Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie

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