Friedrich Wilhelm August Schwarte, known as August Schwarte, was born in Solingen, Germany, on the 1st March 1871, the son of August and Anna Schwarte. Nothing is known of his early life or family, but in the late 1890’s he immigrated to England.
He was a commercial traveller for Messrs. Thomas Adams Limited, lace manufacturers, and in 1899, he married Annie Facon in Nottingham. The couple established their home in Nottingham, where they had three children – Hope Anna, born in 1905, Faith Ellen, born in 1908, and Walter Augustus, born in 1910. In July 1911, August Schwarte became a British subject.
From at least 1903, August Schwarte travelled annually to Havana, Cuba, on behalf of his employers, and in October 1914, had left England to visit Cuba yet again. He left Liverpool on the 2nd October on board the Lusitania, and after arriving in New York City, he boarded another liner for Havana.
On the 29th April 1915, he returned to New York City, having sailed from Havana, and was booked as a saloon passage ticket to Liverpool on the sailing of the Lusitania on the 1st May. His ticket was booked through Thomas Adams Ltd, of 396 Broadway, New York, which was the U.S. office of his company.
He arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York, with ticket number 46122, in time for the liner’s scheduled 10 o’clock departure and having boarded the vessel, he was escorted to his accommodation in room A11, which was the personal responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward Edward Bond, who came from Anfield, a suburb of Liverpool.
The steamer’s sailing was then delayed until the early afternoon as she had to take on board passengers, crew and cargo from Anchor Liner the Cameronia which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service at the end of April. Then six days out of New York, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 off the southern coast of Ireland, only hours away from her Liverpool destination.
August Schwarte was one of just over one hundred saloon passengers who managed to survive this action. Having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown, and taken to the local military hospital, suffering from injuries to his head and limbs. By 10th May, however, he had recovered sufficiently to be discharged and was then accommodated at The Queens Hotel in the town, which was then probably the best hotel there. The Queens Hotel is still standing in Queenstown today - now having reverted to its original name of Cobh - but it has also been renamed and is now The Commodore Hotel! He was aged 44 years at the time of the sinking.
Bedroom Steward Edward Bond who had looked after August Schwarte in room A11, also survived the sinking and eventually made it home to Anfield.
On the evening of Tuesday, 11th May, August Schwarte managed to return to his home in Nottingham, which at that time was at 26. Mapperley Road, and was immediately confined to his bed to continue his recovery from his injuries. Whilst there, he was interviewed by a correspondent from the Nottingham Daily Express and his account was published in the newspaper on Thursday, 13th May: -
… “He stated that whilst he was in the dining-room people came running in from the promenade deck shouting “Torpedo, torpedo,” they having seen the wake of the missile. “As soon as I got to the door of the room,” said Mr. Schwarte, “I heard a terrible explosion. Everyone made a rush – the same as I did – for their cabins. In a trice I had fixed on a lifejacket. I met a friend of mine, Mr. Battersby, of Stockport, who had a cabin close to me, and he also put on a lifejacket. We rushed together to the boat deck, where the people had congregated, and even as we went we could perceptibly feel the vessel sinking. The captain refused to let any of the boats down for awhile, probably thinking the Lusitania might be kept afloat, or judging it would be too risky to lower them owing to the momentum of the ship.
An Awful List.
When the boats were lowered, as far as I could see, only six or so got off safely. The ship had an awful list. I helped as many women as I could into one boat, and as it was lowered I sprang into it myself. Some of the women
could not be persuaded to get in, and one who was with her husband refused to leave him, and would not move, even when told there was room for them both. After events showed it was just as well, for when our boat got into the water a bow in the bow could not get the tackle loose – I don’t know whether the man who saw to things on deck could not free us, or was thrown over, but the boat remained fast to the ship. A passenger drew out a knife and had cut all the ropes that held us save one when there was a lurch, and we were all thrown into the sea. I sank, and when I came to the surface again the ship was gone.
Cries and Curses.
The cries and curses of the people who were swimming and struggling in the water were terrible. I don’t want another 20 minutes like the first 20 minutes I had after coming to the surface. I caught hold of an oar and a piece of mast, and by their aid managed to keep afloat. Then I lost consciousness, and awakened on one of the destroyers. I soon swooned off again, and the next time I came round I was in the Royal Naval Hospital at Queenstown.” …
August Schwarte appears to have made a good and quick recovery from his injuries as he next crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the 23rd October 1915, when he boarded the s.s. Rotterdam at Falmouth, and on safely arriving in New York harbour, he continued on to Mexico and Cuba, no doubt to conduct further business on behalf of his employers, although on this occasion he travelled under the name of August Scott! He probably changed his name due to the anti-German sentiment prevalent in the United Kingdom and North America as a result of reported German atrocities on land and sea as the War progressed. His business trip was short, as he boarded the s.s. Saratoga in Havana on the 27th November 1915 on the first leg of his journey to his home in Nottingham.
In February 1916, August and his wife and three children emigrated to the United States of America, and settled in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where they resided at Spring Avenue. By now, the entire family had changed their names to “Scott”.
On the 6th February 1940, August Scott, otherwise August Schwarte, died in Lakewood, Ohio, aged 68 years. His wife, Annie, had died in New Jersey in 1928.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Ohio U.S. Death Records 1938 – 2018, 1911 Census of England & Wales, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, UK Naturalisation Certificates and Declarations 1870 – 1916, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers 1751 – 1921, Nottingham Daily Express, Nottingham Evening Post, Nottingham Journal, PRO 22/71, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv.D92/1/8-10, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.