Ernest Edward's Story.
Birkenhead News 31 January 1917
Rock Ferry Sub Lieutenant Perishes
By the loss of the auxiliary cruiser “Laurentic” a well-known Rock Ferry family have been bereaved. Mr. and Mrs. Midgley, of 16, Buxton Road, on Sunday received a telegram from the Admiralty conveying the lamentable news that their son, Sub Lieut. Engineer Edward Ernest Midgley had lost his life in the sinking of the cruiser which was sunk off the Irish coast by a German submarine or a mine late on the 25th January.
Sub Lieut. Midgley was the third son of a large family of brothers, all of whom are very well known and respected in the Borough. Edward had made many friends by his genial disposition, which endeared him to all. Previous to taking up the sea as a profession he served his apprenticeship at Messrs. Cammell Laird and Co’s, and when war broke out, he was in the Elder Dempster line. He was quickly transferred to one of his Majesty’s ships, and afterwards to the “Laurentic”. Having made three trips with her he was home up to Wednesday last, and many of his friends will be grieved to hear that his life has been cut off so early. He was a prominent member of the Bedford Mission, where all the family are worshippers. He was also an enthusiastic Freemason, being a member of the “Evening Star” Lodge, Liscard. The deepest sympathy will be accorded to his family in the loss they have sustained.
H.M.S. Laurentic
Built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast and owned by the White Star Line the S.S. Laurentic made her maiden voyage in 1909.
In 1914 she was commissioned by the Admiralty for the war effort and converted to a merchant cruiser and put in to service. With this commission came the title of H.M.S. Laurentic.
Towards the end of December 1916 H.M.S. Laurentic was recalled to Liverpool to prepare for what was to be her last voyage and to undertake a mission of the utmost secrecy. The captain was under orders to sail to Nova Scotia, Canada to deliver an important cargo - which was payment to America and Canada who were supplying Britain with munitions for the war. This secret cargo was actually 43 tonnes of bullion, worth £5 million, and consisting of 3,211 gold bars – worth more than £300 million today.
The ship left Liverpool for Canada on 23rd January but Captain Norton made an unplanned stop on the north coast of Ireland to drop off some men who had become ill and were showing signs of yellow fever. She set sail again but at the entrance to Lough Swilly in County Donegal the ship struck 2 mines which had been left by a German U boat.
The Laurentic with its bullion cargo was sunk. Of the 475 men on board 354 lives were lost. 121 men managed to get to shore in lifeboats or were rescued by local fishing trawlers. Some bodies were washed up on local beaches. A mass grave in the churchyard at St Muras, Upper Fahan, holds many of the bodies while others are buried in graveyards in Lough Swilly and beyond.