Harold Grindley Nixon was born in Chester, Cheshire, England, in 1876, the son of George Henry and Ellen Jane Nixon (née Gillard). His father was a Detective Sergeant in Liverpool City Police, and whereas his father was born in Chester, and resided there
with his family at the time of Harold’s birth, the family later moved to the Everton area of Liverpool. Harold was one of nine children in the family.
Harold first found employment as an errand boy, before progressing to being a steward at a medical club. In late 1898, he married Maude Madeline Allbrow in Birmingham, Warwickshire, and by 1915, the couple lived at 36, Clifton Road, Tuebrook, Liverpool, Lancashire. They had no children.
Harold became a full-time mariner in the British Mercantile Marine and engaged as Storekeeper in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915, at a monthly rate of pay of £7-10s.-0d. (£7.50p.), and reported for duty at 7 a.m. five days later. That was the morning that the Cunarder left the Mersey for the last time ever.
Having completed the liner’s crossing to New York without mishap, Harold Nixon was still serving on board on the early afternoon of the 1st May, as the Lusitania left New York on the start of her return voyage to Liverpool. Then, six days into the voyage, on the afternoon of the 7th May, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland. At that time, she was only about fourteen hours steaming time away from the safety of her home port.
Having survived this action, and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown and eventually made his way back to Liverpool, where he was officially discharged from the Lusitania and paid the balance of wages owing to him, which amounted to £6-19s.-4d. (£6.97p.).
He returned to the sea after the Lusitania disaster and continued to serve with The Cunard Steam Ship Company. However, on the 27th March 1917, he was serving as Chief Steward on board the S.S. Thracia. The Thracia of 2,891 gross tonnage, was built in 1898 as the S.S. Oroño, and on that date, she was carrying a cargo of iron ore from Bilbao in Spain to Ardrossan in Scotland. When she was 12 miles north of Belle Ille, at 47.32 north, 03.19 west, in the Bay of Biscay, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UC 69.
Thirty-six crew members lost their lives in the sinking and this time Harold Nixon’s luck had run out, for he was counted amongst this number.
No trace of his body was ever found and identified afterwards and as a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial to the Missing at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 38 years of age at the time of the Lusitania sinking and 41, when he met his death.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Cheshire Diocese of Chester Parish Baptisms 1538 – 1911, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, British Merchant Ships Sunk by U-Boats, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/104908, Graham Maddocks, Peter Threlfall, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 26th January 2025.