| Leo Thompson Able-Bodied Seaman Saved |
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 image credit: Michael Poirier/National Archives |
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| Born | Leonard Henry Thompson 3 May 1890 Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 1962 (age 73) Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
| Age on Lusitania | 25 |
| Lifeboat | Unknown |
| Rescued by | Unknown |
| Citizenship | British (English) |
Leonard Henry Thompson (1890 – 1962), 25, was a British able-bodied seaman from Liverpool, England, aboard the Lusitania‘s last voyage. He survived the Lusitania sinking.
Biography
Leonard Henry Thompson was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, on 3 May 1890. He was a professional seaman in the mercantile marine and lived at 103, Citt Street, Liverpool.
On 12 April 1915, he engaged as an able seaman in the Deck Department on board the Lusitania, at a monthly rate of pay of £5-10s-0d., (£5.50p.). He reported for duty on board the liner at 7 a.m. on 17 April before she left The River Mersey for the very last time. He had served on the vessel before.
Having completed her voyage to New York, the Lusitania began her return to Liverpool on 1st May 1915. Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May 1915, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 within twelve miles off the coast of Ireland and only 250 miles away from her home port.
Able Seaman Thompson survived the sinking and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown from where he eventually made it back to Liverpool. Some time after that, he was officially discharged from the Lusitania’s final voyage and paid the sum of £5-2s-6d., (£5.12½p.), which was the balance of pay owing to him in respect of his service on the liner from 17 April 1915 to 8 May 1915, 24 hours after the Lusitania had gone down.
Leo Thompson died in Liverpool in 1962, aged 73 years.
Links of interest
Leonard Henry Thompson at the Merseyside Maritime Museum
Contributors
Peter Kelly, Ireland
Ellie Moffat, UK
Michael Poirier, USA
References
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths
Cunard Records
PRO BT 100/345
PRO BT 350
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