James “Jim” Lea was born in Runcorn, Cheshire, England, in 1887, the son of James and Julia Lea (née Abram) of Greenway Road, Runcorn. His father was a glass and china dealer, and later the proprietor of a temperance hotel in Runcorn. Jim was the eldest of four children in the family.
In the summer of 1911, he married to Maud Deakin in Runcorn, and they lived at 54, Egerton Road, Runcorn.
He served his time as a marine engineer and afterwards worked for a local firm, Castner-Kelners, on land. However, according to an article in the Widnes Weekly News for the 14th May 1915, when the Cunarder Aquitania was taken from trade by the Admiralty to serve as an armed merchant cruiser, he "secured a commission as sub-lieutenant".
This happened in August 1914, and she was only retained for a month in the armed merchant cruiser role before being docked at the end of September 1914, to be converted to a hospital ship. When this happened, James Lea transferred to the Lusitania and was appointed her Senior Seventh Engineer.
He engaged for service once more on what became the Lusitania’s last voyage on the 12th April 1915 at Liverpool, once more as Senior Seventh Engineer at a monthly rate of pay of £10-0s.-0d. He reported for duty in time for her last ever voyage out of the River Mersey on the 17th April 1915 and having made the crossing to New York, he was still serving on board when she was sunk by the German submarine U-20, on the afternoon of the 7th May.
At that time, she was within sight of the southern Irish coast and only about fourteen hours away from the safety of her home port. Jim Lea was killed as a result of this action and as no identifiable trace of his body was ever recovered afterwards, he has no known grave. As a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine War Memorial at Tower Hill in London. He was aged 27 years.
His name was also engraved on a brass plaque belonging to The Liverpool Branch of The Marine Engineers’ Association which used to be in The Britannia Rooms in The Cunard Building in Liverpool. Underneath the badge of the association was engraved: -
ROLL OF HONOUR
LIVERPOOL BRANCH
A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF
THE MEMBERS, WHO LOST THEIR LIVES
THROUGH ENEMY ACTION IN THE
GREAT WAR. 1914 - 1919
and then followed the names of the 226 former members.
The memorial is not in the building today, however and its present whereabouts, if it has survived, are not known.
Although the Widnes Weekly News states that he served on the Aquitania as a sub-lieutenant, which supposes service in the Royal Naval Reserve or the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, he does not appear in casualty records for either of these branches of the Royal Navy.
When his will was proven on the 29th June 1915, administration was granted to his widow and his effects amounted to £264-5s.-10d. (£264. 29p). In August of the same year, she was also paid the balance of wages owed to him in respect of the Lusitania’s last voyage, which was reckoned to be from the 17th April until the 8th May 1915, 24 hours after the great liner had gone down.
The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted her an annual
pension to compensate her for the loss of her husband. This amounted to £44-11s.-8d. (£44.58½p.) which was payable at the rate of £3-14s.-4d. (£3.71½p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Widnes Weekly News, 14/05/1915 (Photo), Ships of the Royal Navy Volume 2, Probate Records, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/80540, Graham Maddocks, George Donnison, David Irving, Robert O'Brien, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 24th February 2024.