George Edward LAWRENCE 1916 – 1940

Third Officer George Edward Lawrence, Merchant Navy “SS Barbara Marie” died 12 June 1940 aged 23.  He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London and West Auckland War Memorial.[1]

Family Details

George Edward Lawrence was born 1916 at Stafford, Staffordshire.[2]  George Edward Lawrence was married to Bessie and lived at 4 East View, West Auckland.[3]

Service Details

The merchant navy career of Third Officer George Edward Lawrence has not been researched.  The Death Card of Merchant Seamen records the following: [4]

• Ship: S.S. Barbara Marie
• Official No: 149464
• Port of Registry: Newcastle
• Cause of Death: Enemy action, presumed drowned, having been sunk by enemy action on the 12/6/1940.

SS Barbara Marie was a cargo ship [built 1928] which as part of convoy SL34 was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean at position 44˚16’N 13˚54’W by U-46 Kriegsmarine with the loss of 32 of her 37 crew.  The survivors were rescued by HMS Leith [RN] and Swedru [UK MN].[5]

SS Barbara Marie was owned by the Morrison Steamship Company, John Morrison & Son, Newcastle which commenced operations in 1871 but lost all ships due to enemy action in World War One.  It re-entered shipping in 1922, trading mainly from Sweden to South Africa and homewards via West Africa on charter to United Africa Co. By 1939, ten ships were owned but all were lost during the Second World War and after the loss of the “Glenlea”, the company was wound up.[6]

Commemoration [7]

Third Officer George Edward Lawrence is commemorated at Panel 13, Tower Hill Memorial, London which commemorates more than 35,800 merchant seaman who have no known grave.  More than 50,700 Commonwealth merchant seamen lost their lives in the two world wars.  Third Officer George Edward Lawrence is also commemorated on the West Auckland War Memorial.

REFERENCES

[1] Commonwealth War Graves Commission

[2] England Birth Index 1837-2017

[3] UK Merchant Seamen Deaths 1939-1953

[4] UK Merchant Seaman Deaths 1939-1953

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks_in_June_1940#12_June

[6] http://mariners-list.com/site_pages.php?section=Shipping+Companies&category=English&page_name=Morrison+S.S+Co

[7] CWGC