Ambrose James's Story.
Birkenhead News 15 May 1915
HIS FIRST VOYAGE.
Another Birkenhead Victim.
Another victim of the Lusitania disaster was Mr. Ambrose Iveson, who was a steward. Mr. Iveson who was only 21 years of age, was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. W Iveson, of 27, Warwick Street, Birkenhead. This was Iveson’s first voyage, and it has unfortunately proved to be his last. Before joining the ship he was employed as a window cleaner, but being dissatisfied with that calling, and having been rejected after trying to join the Army, he signed on the Lusitania at Liverpool. He was well-known in the town, and was an “old boy” of St. Paul’s School, Rock Ferry. All hope that he has been saved has now been given up, and his parents are deeply sympathised with by their friends and neighbours.
RMS Lusitania
On 1st May 1915 the RMS Lusitania left New York bound for Liverpool. By 7th May she was approximately 11 miles off the coast of Kinsale Ireland when she was torpedoed by a German U-Boat. Within 18 minutes the ship had sunk with a loss of 1198 passengers and crew, including 128 American civilians. Because the ship was listing the crew were only able to launch 6 of the 48 lifeboats. Most of the casualties were due to drowning or hypothermia. In the hours after the sinking acts of heroism among the survivors and local Irish people who had heard word of the distress signals and came to help the rescue brought the survivor count to 764 – 3 died later. Most of the people saved were brought to Cobh County Cork. The funerals of many of the victims took place in local cemeteries in Ireland. Of the 289 bodies that were recovered, 169 were buried in Cobh Old Church Cemetery -144 in 3 common graves and 25 bodies buried in 20 private graves (85 males and 84 females – 45 of whom were unidentified). A monument to commemorate those who died in the tragedy was erected in the town centre in Cobh.