Peter's Story.
Birkenhead News 31 January 1917
On the “Laurentic”
A DOUBLE BEREAVEMENT
Briardale Road Family’s Sorrow
Another known victim of the Laurentic disaster Sub Lieut. Engineer Peter Caton, 35, Briardale Road, Birkenhead. His wife received a telegram on Sunday from the Admiralty stating that he was amongst those lost by the sinking of the cruiser, and on Monday the further news came from the Admiralty that his body had been picked up on the Irish coast. With the assistance of friends who knew and greatly respected Sub Lieut. Caton, and who deeply sympathise with his wife, arrangements have been made for having the body brought to Birkenhead, and the interment will take place at Woodchurch, in the family grave.
The loss sustained by Mrs Caton, who is left with five children, is rendered infinitely more grievous owing to the fact that her eldest daughter, who was 19 years of age, died after a very brief illness only three weeks ago.
Mr. Caton, who was about 43 years of age had been with the White Star Co. for many years, voyaging in different vessels on their Atlantic service. He belonged to an old and well-known Oxton family, and was a member of the Combermere (No. 605) Lodge of Freemasons.
Peter Caton is remebered on the family grave in Woodchurch graveyard. Although the newspaper article states that arrangements have been made to bring Peter Caton’s body back to Birkenhead he is in fact buried in St Mura’s Church of Ireland churchyard, Co Donegal Ireland.
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.
Information, photograph of Peter Caton, and grave photograph by Chris Booth