Mariner HANSEN lost on SS Royal Edward 1915
KathThe Royal Edward serving as a troopship was torpedoed in the Aegean Sea 13th August 1915. HANSEN, D. age 21, born in Norway was among those of her Crew who were lost . He is remembered on the Tower Hill War Memorial in London, and with these few facts from the C.W.G.C. register. I am researching the loss of the Royal Edward, and would be grateful if anyone can tell me more about the Sailor, D.HANSEN. Kath
Denise HansenHello Kath - I can't believe this! I too am researching D.Hansen. He may be my great Uncle David Hansen(born in Norway but living in Canada in 1915). I cannot confirm D.Hansen's full first name from the data I have found. One family story says he went missing in the war and this is the only D.Hansen I can find as a Canadian death in WWI which could fit. Are you the lady in the UK I have already made contact with? - With a website detailing the loss of the Royal Edward as it related to the death of your great-uncle Teddy? Please post a reply either way as soon as possible. We can talk! Thanks Denise Hansen
KathRe. R.Ed. website, no, not me. Pauline Dodd. Sorry, this is all I have on Hansen, from the CWGC site: http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/search.aspx HANSEN, Sailor, D, S.S. "Royal Edward" (Toronto). Mercantile Marine. Presumed drowned 13th August 1915. Age 21. Born in Norway. Your great-uncle sounds a possibility. Did he emigrate to Canada? Have you tried passenger lists? But he may have worked his way to Canada. Kath
KathDenise, I have crew lists for Roy.Ed.for: Feb.1911; Apr. 1912; Mar. 1913; June 1915. Hansen is not in these. You could try other years, or RMS Royal George. Are you in Canada? I'm in U.K. It was my Grandfather who died. Kath.
Denise HansenHi Kath - Thanks for the quick reply. What was your grandfather's name? I checked crew lists for 1914 (accessed through the Maritime Museum Memorial University in St.John's, Newfoundland)- no D.Hansen. I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Are there any crew lists for July, 1915? I was not able to confirm this. My great uncle (David Valdemar Hansen - father Olaf a first mate on a Norwegian merchant vessel, mother a Canadian named Elizabeth) was born in Tune, Norway (the 1900 Norwegian census says his birth year was 1898 - so if this lost sailor was David the census birth date was wrong or he lied about this age to get into the merchant navy. This is entirely possible since his younger brother Hjalmer (Elmer) Hansen served in the Canadian Army in WW1, joining at a reported 18 when the Norwegian census records indicate he was only 16. In any event, I know my great-uncle David came to Canada (New Brunswick) in 1907 after his father died in Norway. He was raised by another family so we know very little about him. Two of my uncles heard he went missing in the war but recently another story has emerged suggesting instead he may have drowned by falling through the ice in New Brunswick when he was 13 or 14. Canadian merchant marine records are not housed in Canada as you know for WWI so my search for the truth has been very frustrating. Before it was a troop ship, the Royal Edward sailed from Montreal, Halifax , Nova Scotia and I think Saint John, New Brunswick (?) so I thought it seemed possible that great-uncle David joined when the ship was in his area. Do you know anything about the Toronto connection? Were there other sailors listed with this reference? I was also thinking of contacting a source in Norway that may have information on Norwegian sailors lost during WWI but I am not too hopeful. I can't believe we can't find out his first name. D. is not a common initial for a Norwegian male's first name. Any thoughts on where to go from here? I have already been in contact with Ricahrd Oliff who wrote a book on the ship but no new info. Thanks - so great to find you! Denise