Cyril Wickings-Smith was born in Blackheath, Kent, England, on 16th April 1888, the third son, of Basil and Agnes Ingham Wickings-Smith (née Keen), later of 11, Church Terrace, Lee, Kent, England. His sister, the eldest of the family, was named Agnes, and his four brothers were called Basil Guildford, Claude, Frederick, and George. Part of his education was undertaken from 1903 until 1905 at School House, Eastbourne College, Eastbourne, Sussex, probably as a boarder.
His eldest brother, Guildford, had gone to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in May 1910, in the hope of making his fortune, and Cyril followed him in January 1911. On the 28th August 1912, he married Phyllis Bailey Fenn in St. Mark’s Church, Vancouver, British Columbia. Phyllis was the sister of Guildford’s wife Beatrice, and had not initially intended to go to Canada, but probably left England specifically to marry Cyril! Sometime after their marriage, Cyril and Phyllis moved to the town of Victoria, where Cyril opened a post office and grocery store - Willow Park Grocery. A daughter, Nancy Eileen Fenn known as ‘Nan’, was born to them on 4th September 1914. Guildford and his family had also moved to Victoria at this time.
After the outbreak of war, Cyril decided to sell his business and return to England to obtain a commission in the British Army - one account states that he intended to join The Inns Of Court Officer Training Corps in which his brother Guildford had served whilst at University. Guildford at that time was a Lance Corporal in the 48th Battalion, Canadian Infantry and decided to accompany him, with the same intention. Both families decided to return to England together, but illness prevented Guildford’s wife and daughter from travelling with them. As a result, the two brothers, together with Phyllis and Nan booked as second cabin passengers from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on the Lusitania’s final voyage across the Atlantic.
Arriving at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York on the morning of 1st May 1915 for the liner’s scheduled 10.00 a.m. departure, the party had to wait for her to sail until the early afternoon, as she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from Anchor Liner the Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work as a troop ship, at the end of April.
Six days out of New York and within sight of the coast of southern Ireland, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20, only hours away from her Liverpool destination. When the liner was sinking, Phyllis Wickings-Smith and baby Nan were put into one of the lifeboats, believed to have been Lifeboat No. 11, which was lowered into the sea and as the ship went down, Cyril dived overboard and was able to swim to the same lifeboat and clamber into it with them. No trace, dead or
alive, was ever found of his brother Guildford.
The Eastbourne College Roll of Honour 1914 -1918, published in 1921 states: -
Cyril Wickings-Smith ..... went down in the Lusitania in 1915, after bravely attempting to save the lives of others.
Presumably, they were confusing him with Guildford!
Once the three survivors had been landed at Queenstown, they made for England and Phyllis’ mother, who was then living at ‘Grovelly’, Winchester Road, Walton, Surrey.
Despite surviving the Lusitania disaster, further tragedy struck the family in January 1920, when Phyllis Wickings-Smith died, aged only 29 years, from multiple sclerosis, which may well have been as a result of the trauma she had experienced during the sinking.
On the 25th September 1936, Cyril married Miss Dorothy Vallat in Bedford, Bedfordshire, and they made their home at ‘The Moorings’ 2, St Michael’s Road, Bedford. They had no children.
Throughout and after the Second World War, they were both heavily involved in civic duties and voluntary work and held responsible positions in the A.R.P., the W.V.S., the Red Cross, and The Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society. Cyril also entered local politics, becoming an Alderman and being elected Mayor of Bedford in 1952. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1958 for services to civil defence.
He died on the 3rd April 1965 at 2, Oaklands Road, Bedford, aged 77 years, and following cremation, his remains were interred in Bedford Cemetery. He left his estate of £308 to his wife.
His second wife, Dorothy, died in September 1969, and was buried beside him in Bedford Cemetery.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, British Columbia Canada Marriage Index 1872 – 1935, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of Canada, 1939 Register, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Eastbourne College Roll of War Service, National Archives of Canada, New Colonist, Surrey Advertiser, UniLiv D92/2/417, Graham Maddocks, Paul Wickings, Mary Wickings-Smith, Jane Woods, Richard Woods, Bronwen Woods, Trevor Richards, James Maggs, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.