Looking for information on a ship sunk during WWI either in, or returning from, the Dardanelles.

by KneedeepNTheDustbowl

Hi there!

I've found a newspaper article concerning my great-grandfather, who was killed in WWI. It had an interesting tidbit of information attached which I have never come across in my research and I'm hoping that you awesome folks can help me figure this one out. :)

The text of the article is as follows:

"DIED OF WOUNDS - Gunner Albert George Fricker, Royal Field Artillery, son of Mrs. G. Fricker, Castle-lane, Wookey, and brother of Mrs. Prosser, Southover, Wells, has died of wounds. He went through the South African campaign, and joined up at the outbreak of the present war. He fought at the Dardanelles, as well as France. The transport on which he left the Dardanelles was torpedoed, and he was one of only three men who were saved."

I'm looking for the torpedoed transport ship! Does anyone recognise a ship that might fit this description? The information above is all the information in the article, so I don't know exactly when or where the ship was torpedoed. I'm also not entirely convinced that the number of survivors was accurate.

What I know about his WWI Military Service:

  • 26 Sep 14 - Joined up. RFA.
  • Unknown 14 - Temporarily attached from RFA to 2 Aus Div H.Q. (Part II. Orders No. 3)
  • 29 March 15 -Qualified for Victory, British, 15 Star. Theatre of War "(3) Egypt".
  • 23 Nov 15 - Transfered to 5th Infantry Brigade (Unclear if UK or ANZAC, sorry. Information is in his ANZAC records. He was from the UK, though.)
  • 4 Oct 18 - Died of Wounds. RFA "A" Bty. 113th Bde. RFA.
The_Alaskan

You've certainly got a tricky pickle. I spent about 30 minutes looking for anything obvious, but I didn't have any luck.

If that "5th Infantry Brigade" is accurate, it'd have to be the Australian brigade of that name. The UK 5th Infantry Brigade, according to my records, in November 1915 would've been part of the 2nd Infantry Division and in Flanders at that time. According to my records, the 5th Australian Brigade was evacuated from Gallipoli in December 1915 and taken back to Egypt.

The best source for British WWI shipping losses is a publication called British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-1918, but it's not really complete, and some of the details don't add up. There's a project going on to verify some of the information in it, and you can check out the listings here.

I suspect the "three men who were saved" is inaccurate, but if it is, he would have had to have been on a separate detachment or on a very small ship, as there were no large transports sunk during the period December 1915-January 1916 between Gallipoli and Alexandria.

Good luck with your search!