Family :

Education & Career :

Seaman (1893).
Steward (1898).

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Royal Navy had blockaded Germany at the start of World War I. Having completed her voyage to New York on 24 April, the Lusitania left the Cunard berth at Pier 54 just after midday on 1 May 1915 on the return voyage to Liverpool. When RMS Lusitania left New York for Britain, German submarine warfare was intensifying in the Atlantic. Germany had declared the seas around the United Kingdom a war zone, and the German embassy in the United States had placed a newspaper advertisement warning people of the dangers of sailing on Lusitania.

Six days later, on the afternoon of 7 May the German U-boat U-20, captained by Kapitaenleutnant Walther Schwieger torpedoed Lusitania, 11 mi (18 km) off the southern coast of Ireland and inside the declared war zone. A second, unexplained, internal explosion sent her to the seabed in 18 minutes, with the deaths of 1,198 passengers, including almost a hundred children, and crew.

Because the Germans sank, without warning, what was officially a non-military ship, many accused them of breaching the internationally recognised Cruiser Rules. It was no longer possible for submarines to give warning due to the British introduction of Q-ships in 1915 with concealed deck guns. (Lusitania had been fitted with 6-inch gun mounts in 1913, although she was unarmed at the time of her sinking.) [Wikipedia]

Detail :

He engaged as a second cabin bedroom steward in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool on 12 April 1915 at a monthly wage of £61s 0d. It was not his first voyage on the vessel. He reported for duty on the morning that the liner left the Liverpool Pier Head for the last time.

Having completed her voyage to New York on 24 April, the Lusitania left the Cunard berth at Pier 54 just after midday on 1 May 1915 on the return voyage to Liverpool.

He was mentioned by one of the ship's barbers Jonathan Denton, in an interview published in 'The Birkenhead News and Advertiser' on 12 May 1915:

"Referring to the death of the chief (sic) second-cabin steward (Mr. Handlin), Mr. Denton said his life was sacrificed for others. Mr. Handlin had got into the boat, and being of the opinion that the Lusitania would not go down, went back. He was controlling the remaining few and assisting them in every possible way when the huge liner took her last plunge." .

Wages owing to him from 17 April to 8 May, 24 hours after the Cunarder went down, were paid to his widow in August 1915. She had been granted administration of his estate on 6 July 1915, as he had died intestate. His effects amounted to £45 12s 6d. [Liverpool Museums].

Masonic :

"Drowned in the Lusitania". Two other Freemasons from Kirkdale died in the same action, GOULD and ROSS, but more from other Lodges also perished.

Bedroom Steward Handlin is also commemorated on a bronze roll of honour dedicated to freemasons who were killed in the First World War, at the Masonic Hall in Hope Street, Liverpool.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley