Frederick Hugh O’Neill was born in Plymouth, Devon, England, on the 20th January 1863, the son of William and Mary Jane O’Neill (née Sanders). His father was a foreman of a coal store, and Frederick was one of five children in the family.
He was a professional seaman, having joined the Royal Navy in 1877 as a boy sailor. He lied about his age, stating he was born in 1860, and on what was his seventeenth birthday, he signed on for ten years as an ordinary seaman. When he was discharged from the service in 1891, he had attained the rank of Petty Officer, 2nd Class.
After his service in the Royal Navy, he returned to Plymouth and lived with his parents in Devon. He worked for a time as a general labourer before joining the British Mercantile Marine as an able-bodied seaman. He lodged at 77, Highfield Street, Liverpool, Lancashire, when between voyages out of the Port of Liverpool.
On the 12th April 1915, he engaged as an able seaman in the Deck Department on board the Lusitania, at Liverpool, at a monthly rate of pay of £5-10s.-0d. (£5.50p.), and reported for duty on board the liner at 7 a.m. five days later before she left Liverpool for the very last time. It was not his first voyage on the vessel.
Having completed her voyage to New York, the Lusitania began her return on the 1st May 1915, and six days later, on the afternoon of the 7th May 1915, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 within sight of the southern coast of Ireland and only 250 miles away from her home port.
Able Seaman O’Neill survived the sinking and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown from where he eventually made it back to Liverpool. Some time after that, he was officially discharged from the Lusitania's final voyage and received the sum of £5-10s.-8d., (£5.53p.), which was the balance of pay owing to him in respect of his service on the liner from the 17th April 1915, until 8th May, 24 hours after the liner had been sunk.
Fellow able seaman Edward Heighway who also survived the sinking also lived at 77 Highfield Street.
On the 17th June 1915, the third day of Lord Mersey’s enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the Lusitania, Frederick O’Neill was called upon to give evidence. In his testimony, he stated that he was with the boatswain, John Davis, and a number of other crew members in the baggage room when the torpedo struck, and they ascended to the deck by way of the baggage lift. On reaching the deck, he observed a torpedo pass astern of the vessel, travelling from port to starboard. He was assigned to
Lifeboat No. 14, which was on the port side of the Lusitania, but due to the listing of the vessel, was unable to launch it. He then went to the corresponding lifeboat on the starboard side, and managed to successfully launch this lifeboat with survivors. This was lifeboat No. 13. After successfully launching this lifeboat, he and those on board, rescued a number of people from the water and all were eventually taken on board HMS Stormcock.
The boatswain, John Davies, also survived the sinking.
Frederick O’Neill continued to serve in the Mercantile Marine for many years before retiring. He never married, and resided with his married sister, Mrs. Sarah Reeve, and her family in Plymouth.
Frederick Hugh O’Neill died in Plymouth, Devon, on the 5th October 1944, aged 81 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1871 Census of England, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, UK Royal Navy Register of Seamen’s Services 1848 – 1939, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 351/1/106318, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 29th January 2025.