Framfield Gallery

Edinburgh Evening News – November 30^th, 1915
LOWESTOFT LIFEBOAT TO THE RESCUE. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution reports that the Lowestoft lifeboat has saved 24 men of the crew the steamship Framfield, of London, which went ashore on the Newcombe Sands last night.

Manchester Evening News – April 14^th, 1915
THE WAYFARER. Interview with Quartermaster. Henry Ashcroft, of Liverpool, quartermaster board the liner Wayfarer, which arrived at Queenstown yesterday, stated during an interview that on Sunday, whilst asleep, was awakened by a loud explosion. He rushed on deck and found that a hole had been driven through the afterpart of the hull, and long flame shot up from the hay aboard. The flame was quickly extinguished by the inrush of water. The afterpart of the steamer rapidly settled, and the captain ordered the lifeboats to be launched. The force of the explosion buckled up the upper deck and severed the wireless telegraph apparatus. All the men quickly got into the boats.
Whilst his boat was sliding from the davits the fall became jammed, but Mr. Ashcroft caught hold of the fall and climbed aboard the steamer, saving his life, but injuring his hand. The steamers Newlyn and Framfield came to their assistance and took off nearly all the men with the exception of a fireman who was drowned. The captain of the Wayfarer appealed for volunteers to endeavour to save the ship, and the pumps were quickly manned. While the Framfield was towing the Wayfarer towards Queenstown the Queenstown tugs arrived, and the steamer was towed alongside the deepwater quay. The three after holds were filled with water, and pumping is proceeding night and day.—Central News. Another Queenstown telegram says that five men and two firemen lost their lives on the Wayfarer, while one man was injured.

Newcastle Journal – June 10^th, 1916
£3,200 SALVAGE AWARD. ADMIRALTY CHARTERED STEAMER. In the Admiralty Court, yesterday, Justice Bargrave Deane awarded £3,200 for salvage services rendered to the steamship Wayfarer, which either struck a mine was hit by a torpedo in April, 1915, in the Irish Sea. At the time the Wayfarer was under charter to the Admiralty, and had a number of troops and horses on board. The matter came up on a claim by the Woodfield Steam Shipping Company as owners of the steamship Framfield, which fell in with the Wayfarer, and a claim the London tug Warrior, which assisted in towing the Wayfarer into Queenstown. Justice Bargrave Deane, giving his reserved judgment, awarded ,£3,000 to the Framfield, of which £2,300 would go the owners, £175 to the master, and £525 to the crew. To the Warrior he awarded £200.

In this section you will find information, photographs and stories relating to more than 260 Hartlepool seamen who lost their lives during during the First World War, and of the ships they served on.
To find a particular crewman, simply type his Surname in the Search Box at the top of the page.