Although the name, A. Genanselm, appears on the third-class passenger lists as a “Distressed British Seaman”, it is most likely that the correct name of the man was Adolfo G. Molino, who was born in Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain, in 1895.
He was a professional seaman in the British Mercantile Marine and had sailed to United States of America on the S.S. Gileston, having joined the vessel in Gibraltar on the 26th February 1915. Fellow Spaniard, Manuel Dominguez, signed on as a crew member at the same time.
When the Gileston arrived in Key West, Florida, in the United States of America, on the 23rd March 1915, both men were discharged from the vessel, and were described as being sick when they were discharged. They made their way to New York City, where they probably sought assistance to return to Europe.
On the 1st May 1915, both men boarded the Lusitania, then berthed at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York, as ‘Distressed British Seamen’, to be taken to Liverpool, presumably on the first part of their journey to their native Spain.
The liner was scheduled to leave New York on her regular May sailing, at 10.00 a.m., but had to wait until cargo, passengers and crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia had been loaded. The Cameronia had been requisitioned for use as a troop ship by the British Admiralty at the end of April.
It is not known whether or not Adolfo Molino might have might have been taken on as a crew member, if he was well enough to work, as when the liner left port just after mid-day, she was short-handed!
He lost his life, however, when the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 on the afternoon of 7th May, whilst steaming off The Old Head of Kinsale on the coast of southern Ireland. As his body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. His countryman, Manuel Dominguez also perished.
There were three persons described as ‘Distressed British Seamen’ on board the final sailing of the Lusitania, H. Slight being the third, and all three lost their lives as a result of the sinking.
Cunard Records, NMM RSS/CL/1915/3516, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Peter Engberg-Klarström, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.