Nikola Waperalia was born in Persia, (now called Iran) in 1882. Some time before the Great War, he emigrated to the United States of America and settled in Chicago, Illinois, where there was a thriving Persian community. He found work as a labourer and resided at 713. North Clark Street, Chicago.
By the spring of 1915, however, he and some of his fellow Persian nationals in Chicago had heard rumours that the Turkish rulers in Persia had massacred many of their relatives and they consequently decided to return home to investigate. Accordingly, at the end of April 1915, nine of them travelled to New York, where they had booked third cabin passage on the Lusitania for England, on the first part of their journey back to Persia.
The others were Benjamin Ameraiof, Abraham Baba, Frank Baba, George Baba, John Jacob Baba, Aziz Ohanis, Envin Yohan and Ala Vard Yohan. Other Persian nationals also travelled to New York from different American cities.
The all joined the liner on the morning of 1st May 1915 for her scheduled May sailing, which was late leaving the Cunard berth at Pier 54in New York, because she had to embark passengers, cargo and some of the crew, from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned for war work by the British Admiralty at the end of April.
The Lusitania eventually got under way just after mid-day and just six days later; she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 just off the coast of southern Ireland. At that time, she was only 250 miles away from her Liverpool destination.
Out of the nine Chicago Persians, only Frank and John Baba and Ala Vard Yohan survived, the rest, including Nikola Waperalia, were killed. As his body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 33 years.
After the tragedy, a leader of the Persian community, a Mr. Malik Hatam said of the loss: -
It is a terrible blow to the Persians in Chicago, for on those lost, we depended for news of the wives, mothers and sweethearts imperilled at home.
The official passenger manifest, and many other sources record his names as Kaperalia, however, Persian source state that his correct name was Waperalia.
Cunard Records, Tragedy of the Lusitania, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Stuart Williamson, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.