Charles Gunn is believed to have been born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1867, the son of Michael and Annie Gunn (née Oddy). Nothing is known of his childhood or family, except he had a brother named John, who resided at 24. Plender Street, Melbourne.
After completing his education, Charles Gunn became a professional seaman, qualifying as an able-bodied seaman, but nothing is known of his career or when he came to Great Britain.
In April 1915, he signed on board the Lusitania as an able seaman in the Deck Department and was on board when the great liner departed from Liverpool on the 17th April, bound for New York City. He was still on board, in the same capacity, when she started on her return voyage to Liverpool on the 1st May.
When the Lusitania sank on the afternoon of the 7th May while steaming off the southern coast of Ireland, he survived and later gave evidence at the official enquiry
conducted into the sinking, chaired by Lord Mersey, in June and July 1915. A photograph of him and five other crew member survivors appeared in the national press at the time.
On the 7th November 1917, Charles Gunn enlisted in the British Army. As WR/314695 Sapper Charles Gunn, Royal Engineers, he was assigned to the Inland Waterways and Docks Section where he worked on cross channel services. He was discharged as being medically unfit on the 15th October 1918.
On being discharged from the Royal Engineers, he gave his future address as being 9. Bath Street, Liverpool, but by 1923, he was residing at the South Grove Workhouse in Whitechapel, London.
Nothing further is known about him.
Australia Birth Index 1788 – 1922, Cunard Records, UK British Army World War I Service Records 1914 – 1920, Daily Mirror, Daily News, Dundee Peoples Journal, Reynold’s Newspaper, Western Mail, PRO BT 348, PRO BT 349, PRO BT 351/1/55661, Graham Maddocks, Roy Makinson, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 27th December 2023.