Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Tower Hill Memorial | London | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.119 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 29B GQS | |
| 4. Memorial: | Liverpool Masonic Hall War Memorial | Col.1. Hope St. | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
The majority of this legend is courtesy of Geoff Cuthill of the Province of West Lancashire, to whom the project is grateful.John was born on 18 May 1891 to Edward and Jane Corder (nee Crosthwaite Armstrong) and baptised at St Peters Church on 18 August 1891. His father was a shipping clerk and the family resided at Seaforth. The first census return John appears is for 1901, with the family resident at 16 Palmerston Drive, Litherland. This shows John having an elder brother, Thomas Edward age 12, and four younger siblings, Florence May Corder 8, William Frederick 7, David Armstrong Corder 3 and Lawrence Dickenson Corder 3 month. Brother in Law Peter D Moore and a boarder Peter Forshaw are also shown.
1911 sees a much expanded family residing at 24 Daulby Street. Married for 23 years, John’s parents have had ten children, six of whom are still alive. Showing Thomas, John, Florence, David and Lawrence, new arrivals are Harry 8, Leonard Charles 4, Grace Eleanor 2 and her twin sister Jean Barclay Corder. Peter Charles Forshaw is still boarding there, as is Peter Dickenson Moore. His father Edward died the following year, 1912.
In 1915 it is known from surviving crew lists that John is serving aboard the “Persic” of the White Star Line, which was hired by the Australian Government as a troop transport between 1914 and 1917, when she was then commandeered by the British. The next time John is found is he is shown as part of the crew aboard “Dwinsk” arriving at New York on 28 April 1819 from Barry (South Wales). He is described as Barber and Waiter, had come aboard at Barry, was English with a height of 5 foot 5 inch and weighing 129 pound.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: SS Dwinsk |
The "S.S. Dwinsk", formerly the "S.S C.F. Tietgen" of 8137 gross ton, had been built in 1897 and sailed out of Rotterdam, but was later bought, renamed, and registered in London, for the Russian East Asiatic steamship Co. under the management of Cunard Shipping Co. Ltd. Not long after the outbreak of hostilities she had been commandeered by the Government, turned into an armed merchant cruiser and was sailing under the orders of The Shipping Controller. |
| Action : Naval Campaign |
Naval Campaign is defined as to include all sea operations where attrition rates are in ones and twos and which do not fall within specific naval battles such as Jutland, Coronel, Falklands etc. This includes Merchant Navy losses.
Detail :
On leaving New York, under the command of Captain H. Nelson, with John aboard, the "Dwinsk" had sailed to Europe and was on a return voyage to the USA from Brest when she was spotted around 630 miles east of New York by the German submarine U151. It was Tuesday, 18th June, 1918, and her position is believed to have been 39.10N by 63.10W, in the Atlantic Ocean, which is 400 miles NE by N¾N from Bermuda.
The submarine attacked at 9.20 p.m, with her torpedo hitting No.4 hold on the port side, whence seven lifeboats on Dwinsk were successfully launched, with all the crew embarked safely. This was the signal for U151 to surface, and she carried on her attack, firing 19 shells from the heavy calibre gun mounted on her deck, there was only going to be one outcome to the engagement, the "Dwinsk" sinking within two hours of the first attack.
While this was happening, an unknown steamer arrived on the scene and promptly fired five shots at the submarine, which quickly submerged. The steamer carried on, not stopping to pick up the men from the "Dwinsk", for very good reason. If it had stopped, it would have been, in all probability, the submarines next victim, and maybe with great loss of life, as the submarine would view the steamer as the protagonist. With the steamer gone the U151 resurfaced and interrogated the Chief Officer, who had taken charge of one of the lifeboats, before moving off in an easterly direction.
The lifeboats became separated during the night and lost touch with each other, drifting further a field during the next few days. The weather, which had been fair, deteriorated into a raging gale with high seas, and it is presumed that this is when one, lifeboat 3, was lost with John and others aboard. The six remaining boats were all eventually rescued with the loss of only one person who had been washed overboard.
The attacking submarine U151, originally a merchant cargo submarine, was built in 1916 to run the British blockade, but converted to give long distance patrol and attack capabilities. She was very large, but slow, only having a dived speed of 5.4 knots, compared to her surface travel at 12.4 knots. The U151 carried a crew of 56, and was armed with two frontal torpedo tubes of 20ins. She was the first U-boat to operate in American waters in WW1 and this proved have been successful for her. In her career she sunk 34 vessels damaging another 7, of these14 were registered to the USA.
The index to probate and wills has - Corder, John Armstrong of 71 Sandy road, Seaforth Lancashire, ships barber died 18th June at sea. Probate Liverpool 27th August to Jane Crosthwaite Corder widow. Effects £150. He was 27 years of age.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Kirkdale No. 1756 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
24th September 1913 | 25th March 1914 | 26th August 1914 |
John was accepted as a candidate into Kirkdale Lodge No 1756 on 27 August 1913, proposed by Bro W.L. Reiners, seconded by W.Bro D.Williams. He was initiated on 24th September, 1913, and was registered as No.890, in the lodge Declaration Book. Described as being of 22 years, a Ships Hairdresser of 7, Hapswood Road, Linacre, Bootle. He was passed to the Second Degree on 25th March, 1914, and raised to the degree of Master Mason on 26 August 1914, with his Grand Lodge Certificate being issued 21 December 1914. The contribution record shows that he "Drowned July 18."
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