Percy Draper (1885 – 1953), 29, was the second purser aboard the Lusitania’s last voyage. When the ship was torpedoed and sunk on 7 May 1915, Draper went down with the ship but came up to the surface and survived. He was picked up by lifeboat 15, which was rescued by the Wanderer (Peel 11). After Lusitania, Draper and continued to serve in the British Mercantile Marine.
This biography is made possible by Peter Kelly and a collaboration with the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
Biography
Percy Draper was born in Bootle, Lancashire, England on the 17 October 1885, the son of Alfred and Christina Scott Draper. Alfred Draper was a bookkeeper, and later a cargo superintendent, which suggest he worked for shipping companies.
On the 14 October 1913, he married Annie Elizabeth Zinck in Liverpool, and in 1915 they resided at 4 Bedford Road, Liscard, Wallasey, Cheshire.
Percy signed on board the Lusitania in the Deck Department, as Second Purser, at Liverpool on 16 April 1915 for what would be the Cunarder’s final voyage, at a monthly rate of pay of £5-1-s-0d (£5.50). He reported for duty the following day at 7 am and was on board when the Lusitania left the River Mersey for the last time ever. His previous ship had been the Cunarder Ascania.
He survived the sinking although he suffered in the ordeal. Second Cabin passenger Mrs. Ellen Hogg in an interview published in The St. Helens Reporter in the edition of 11 May 1915, related:
“At last we got away from it all and then we came across a boat in which were two men, one of whom was bailing the water out. Some of us got into the boat. I was the first to be put into it and the assistant purser got in with us. Blood and froth were pouring out of his mouth, and he told me he had gone under with the Lusitania and come up again by the greatest of fortune.”
It is most likely that Mrs Hogg was referring to Second Purser Draper in view of the fact that Assistant Purser William Harkness is known to have jumped into a lifeboat with an infant survivor, without touching the sea. However, as Mrs. Hogg was in lifeboat 15, her account would place both surviving pursers in the same lifeboat before being picked up by the Wanderer (Peel 11).
Draper was one of only two officers from the pursers section to survive, the other being Assistant Purser William Harkness. The Purser, James McCubbin, his other Assistant Purser, Arthur Howell Burden, and his three Junior Assistant Pursers, George Beesley, Alfred Harrod and Leonard Sloane were all killed.
Percy continued to serve as a purser in the mercantile for many years after his ordeal and he died in Liverpool in 1953, aged 68 years.
Links of interest
Percy Draper at the Merseyside Maritime Museum
Contributors
Peter Kelly, Ireland
Ellie Moffat, UK
References
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths
1891 Census of England and Wales
1901 Census of England and Wales
Cunard Records
St. Helens Reporter
Wallasey News
PRO BT 350
Percy Draper was my grandfather. It is fascinating to learn about his last moments on the Lusitania.
Hi Linda,
Do you have any photos of Mr. Draper?
Yes I have several family photos of him and one on a sort of postcard of him in his uniform. He always said that he had been sucked down as the ship sank and then blown out by the funnel. What do you know of him?
Hi Linda,
I have his crew record photograph from around 1919. I can email that to you. I have to dig out what else I have. I know I have a few accounts that mention him. I also run the Lusitania Relatives Association on Facebook. If you are on fb, we’d love to have you join. We have about 230 relatives.
My email is Lusitaniasinking@yahoo.com
I would love to get his crew photo and any other information you have. Thank you very much. My email address is ; brilin@shaw.ca. Yes, I am on facebook, I will look up the Lusitania Relatives Association and join (if I can figure out how to, I’m no computer expert!) Thank you again. Best wishes, Linda