Philippe Joseph Jung (recorded as "Yung" on the passenger manifest) was born in Antwerp, Belgium, on the 12th December 1882, the son of Mr. & Mrs. John Yung/Jung. In 1915, his father resided at Rue Dambrugge 38, Antwerp, but nothing else is known about his family.
It is not known when he came to England, but by 1914, he was engaged as a “woolman” for Messrs. Hufnagel and Co., of Cheapside, Bradford, Yorkshire, and his home in 1915 was at 72. Southfield Square, Bradford. He was married to Maria Hendryka Nyssen, who was also born in Belgium, but it is not known when or where they married. By 1915, they had three sons.
In November 1914, he had first travelled to the United States of America to conduct business on behalf of his employer, and returned to England a month later. Then, at the end of January 1915, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean again to conduct business in New York City and Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
For his return journey home; he travelled to New York to take saloon passage on the Lusitania from there to Liverpool. He had booked his ticket, numbered 46066, through the firm of Robert Reford and Company of Montreal, Quebec, before he departed from Montreal.
He arrived at the liner’s berth at Pier 54 in New York on the morning of 1st May 1915 and once on board, he was escorted to his accommodation, room D42 which was in the charge of First Class Bedroom Steward William Barnes. Barnes came from Wallasey, Cheshire, on the opposite bank of the River Mersey from Liverpool.
The liner’s sailing was delayed until the afternoon as she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the
British Admiralty as a troopship at the end of April. She finally left the port just after mid-day and just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May; she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that point, she was twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and only 250 miles hours away from her destination.
Philippe Jung was fortunate enough to survive the liner’s sinking and having been rescued from the sea he was landed at Queenstown from where he eventually made his way back to Bradford.
Philippe Yung gave an interview to the Bradford Weekly Telegraph on his return to Bradford: -
Shortly before the vessel was struck, he says, I was on deck smoking and reading. Looking up I noticed a kind of white track in the water, and said to two or three other gentleman near me, “That seems to be a torpedo.” Another gentleman said, “It is a torpedo.” We jumped back involuntarily, and directly afterwards the ship was struck in the middle on the starboard side. I ran down to my cabin put on a coat, and put into my pockets a number of business papers. In my haste I did not get a lifebelt; I really did not think about it. When I got back to the boat deck some gentlemen were putting ladies and children into a boat, but unfortunately when the boat was lowered it was smashed to pieces and the people were thrown into the water. Women and children were crying out and screaming pitifully.
Determined to take his chance, Mr. Yung jumped into the water and got hold of a spar. Two ladies who were also holding on to it gave in through exhaustion and sank before his eyes, but after he had been in the water two hours he was picked up by one of the lifeboats of the Lusitania.
Bedroom Steward Barnes, who had looked after him in room D42, was also saved and he eventually made it back to his Wallasey home.
On the 8th July 1915, Mr. Yung received correspondence from a Mrs. Prichard, whose son, Richard Preston Prichard, was a second cabin passenger on the Lusitania, and of whom nothing was known about following the sinking. Mrs. Prichard wrote to all the survivors she could trace, seeking any information about her son. Philippe Yung replied: -
Hufnagel, Plottier & Co.
Importers - Exporters
Cheapside Chambers
Bradford, 10th July 1915
Mrs. Prichard,
Parkstone.
Dear Madam,
I received your letter of 8th inst. I am very sorry indeed that I am unable to give you any information about your dear son Mr. Richard Preston Prichard.
I travelled in first class, and I knew only a few passengers. At the time of the disaster I did not notice anything like panic. Everybody behaved himself cool and calm. As regard myself I jumped overboard without
lifebelt and was lucky enough to get hold of a spar. I was picked up about one and a half hours in a pretty bad state by one of the lifeboats of the “Lusitania”.
I think that the best way for you to do, is to ask the Cunard Line to send you a list of the survivors of 2nd class cabin and perhaps you may get amongst them somebody who was acquainted with your son.
Expressing you my deepest sympathy, I remain, Dear Madam,
Yours v. truly
Philip J. Yung
Mr. Prichard’s body was never recovered or identified and no trace of him was ever found.
Later in 1915, Phillippe and Maria Jung welcomed a daughter, Maria, who unfortunately died in infancy in Novermber 1915.
By 1920, the family was living in Belgium and by 1921, they were resident in Montevideo, Uruguay. Phillippe Jung travelled frequenmtly for many years between Uruguay, Argentina, North America, and Great Britain, in the course of his work as a wool exporter.
Phillippe and Maria had twin boys, Paul and Pierre, who were born in 1923.
Phillippe Jung died at his home in Montevideo, Uruguay, on the 25th April 1972, aged 89 years.
UK Outgoing Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, New Orleans Passenger Lists 1813 – 1963, Cunard Records, IWM GB62, Bradford Weekly Telegraph, PRO 22/71, Graham Maddocks, Andrés Jung, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.