Charles Ernest Gunther was born in London, England, in 1893, the son of Adolph and Mary Gunther (née Fink). His father had been born in Germany, and his mother in France, of German parents. While Charles was still an infant, his father, who was a fur skin dyer, died, and sometime later, his mother married another German, Frederick John Diebelius. Charles was one of five children, however, only an older sister, Caroline, and a younger sister, Annie, survived infancy.
In 1911, Charles married Julia Hannah Geary in London. The couple had four children. At the time of his marriage, Charles was a cabinet maker, but sometime after, he became a fireman in the Mercantile Marine. His wife’s brother was also a fireman and perhaps he influenced Charles to become one.
He served as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, signing on at New York on the 30th April 1915, just in time for her fateful, final voyage. His monthly rate of pay was £6-10s.-0d.
On the afternoon of the 7th May, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 off The Old Head of Kinsale, only about twelve to fourteen hours away from the safety of her home port.
Charles Gunther survived this action; however, and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown, from where he eventually made it back to Liverpool. Once there, at the offices of Cunard in Water Street, he was paid the balance of wages owed to him in respect of his service on board the liner, which was reckoned from the 30th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the great ship had foundered.
Charles Gunther returned to the sea, continuing his service in the Mercantile Marine. Having survived the dangers of the First World War, he was still serving when war broke out again in 1939.
On the 15th January 1941, he was serving as a storekeeper on board the Blue Star Lines, S.S. Almeda Star, when she departed from Liverpool, bound for the Buenos Aires, in Argentina, on her regular route. As well as her cargo, she had 166 crew and 194 passengers, 142 of whom were officers and ratings of the Fleet Air Arm, bound for Trinidad where they were to join their squadrons at the Royal Naval Air Station at Piarco.
At approximately 7.45am on the 17th January, when the vessel was positioned about 32 miles north west of Rockall, a little island off the north west coast of Ireland, she was attacked by the German submarine, U-96. She was struck by four torpedoes and also fifteen incendiary shells from the 88mm deck gun of the submarine before she sank at approximately 10am. Seven Royal Navy destroyers responded to her calls for assistance; however, on reaching her last known location, no wreckage or survivors were found. All 360 people on board, including Charles Gunther were lost and declared presumed drowned. As his remains were never recovered, his name is inscribed on the Merchant Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 51 years. His residence at the time of his death was 23. Cyprus Road, Aylestone, Leicester, Leicestershire.
Charles’ wife, Julia, only outlived him by over a year, dying in London in late 1942.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, London England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1923, London England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1938, UK Merchant Seamen Deaths 1939 – 1953, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Cunard Records, Leicester Daily Mercury, UniLiv. D92/6/1, PRO BT 349, PRO BT 334, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 28th December 2023.