Desmond Francis Cox was born on 21st November 1913 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the son of Samuel Joseph and Margaret Elizabeth Cox (née Robinson). His father was an accountant, and both his parents had emigrated from Ireland in 1912.
He was not a healthy child and as the family had originated in Ireland, his mother was advised by the local doctor to take him back to Ireland, where he might improve his health, away from the fierce heat of a Winnipeg summer. This was in the spring of 1915 and at that time, it was his father’s intention to enlist in The Fort Garry Horse, to take part in the war against Germany, whilst his wife and child returned to her native Dublin.
Consequently, Desmond Cox was only seventeen months old when he and his mother arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York to take second cabin passage on the
Lusitania bound for Liverpool.
Mother and child had a fairly uneventful crossing and were both actually in the second class dining room just after 2 p.m., on the 7th May, when the
Lusitania was struck by a single torpedo fired by the German submarine
U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and a mere fourteen hours steaming time from her home port. It was quite unusual for mothers with young babies to dine with them, as the
Lusitania boasted excellent nursery facilities, but this probably saved baby Desmond’s life!
When the liner was hit, Desmond was on his mother’s knee and Margaret Cox was able to struggle with him up onto the boat deck, where she dropped him in all the mêlée on the rapidly sloping deck. Deftly recovering him once more on her hands and knees, mother and son were able to get into one of the few lifeboats which were successfully launched. Having been narrowly missed by the liner’s funnels as she took her death plunge and having been rescued from the sea, they were both eventually landed at Queenstown.
Margaret Cox gave an interview to the press while in Queenstown which was published in the 10th May edition of the
Daily Express. The report stated: -
Mrs. Cox, Winnipeg, who is a native of Dublin, was coming with her seventeen month old baby son on a visit to her friend, Mrs. Hobcroft, Dalkey, has been saved and gave an account of her dreadful experience to our representative last evening. She said:-
‘I was at lunch when there was an explosion right under us, and everyone jumped to their feet. We made for the door, but the steward told me to go back – that there was only a panic and that there was plenty of time. I went back, but when I saw the staircase crowded with people I went to another steward and asked him what was I to do, that I had to get my baby away, and he said I had better go on deck.
I was at the high side of the ship, where men were working at the boats. A man named Mr. Ward of Bundoran, who was coming from Pittsburgh – I don’t thin k he has been saved – gave me a hand to a boat that was on the deck. Where I was standing there was a crowd of others. I was holding up a delicate lady, who had two children, with one arm whilst I held my baby in the other. We were told to go to the lower side of the ship, that the boats on the high side could not be worked, and I was parted from the lady I was holding. Owing to the fearful list, I was unable to hold my feet, and the baby was knocked out of my arms several times.
There was a young man of about twenty-three years – I hope he has been saved – every time I lost the baby he got it back for me, and he led me to where the men were working at the boats on the lower side. I was turned away from the first boat, because I think there were too many in it, and I was sent to a second boat. They told me there to go back to the first, bit I said I would not go. I said “You will have to take the baby, and I will be all right”. Then somebody took the baby and put it into the boat.
A Mrs. Wilson, who was also saved, caught the baby. I don’t know how I got in. I think I was thrown in. The boat was swinging from the davits, and the men had to cut the ropes to get it away. I think that the first boat was broken up. When we got away, our boat went right in under the funnels, and we were afraid of being drawn in by the suction.
There were 85 people in our boat and she was near turning over, when two or three people jumped into the water. One lady was drawn down the funnel, and she was shot up and was saved. The men worked hard with the oars to get away from the ship. I saw water closing over her. It was terrible.
Though there was some excitement, I did not hear much crying. My baby then became hysterical. We were rowed to a small boat, which contained only one man, and some of the people in our boat were transferred into it.
Mrs. Burdon of Newcastle told me that she saw the submarine, and a man on it hoisting a flag, and that the submarine cruised about among the boats. The women were wonderful, they were so calm. They kept their heads; I could never have believed it; it was a credit to them.
The only thing I can not forget is the piteous cry of the people in the water appealing to be taken into our boat, which was over-crowded. I had to place my hands on my ears. Some Americans told me that the Germans would never torpedo a ship in which they were. They know differently now’.
Margaret Cox was given a rail ticket to her native Dublin and the sum of £0-5s-0d., (£0.25p.), expenses for herself and Desmond, by Cunard, when leaving Queenstown. She eventually arrived at the home of her friend, Mrs. Hobcroft, who resided at 102. Sorrento Road, Dalkey, County Dublin.
One year later, in Dublin, during the Republican Easter Rising of 1916, Margaret and Desmond escaped death once more, when a burst of rebel machine-gun fire missed them both, but killed a man who was trying to shield them!
After the sinking, his mother applied from Dublin, to The Lusitania Relief Fund for financial help. The committee of the fund, set up by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local dignitaries immediately after the sinking to help victims and relatives of second and third class passengers, awarded her an immediate grant of £5-0s-0d., promising to look further into her circumstances.
Margaret Cox later moved to 8. Catherine Place, in Limerick city, where she gave birth to her second child, a daughter, named Jean Elizabeth, on the 4th August 1917. Her husband was by this time serving as a Lieutenant with the Fort Garry Horse on the Western Front.
Following the end of the War, on the 29th May 1919, Desmond, his parents, and his little sister, arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on board the
Carmania, and returned to their home in Winnipeg.
On returning to Canada, his parents lodged a claim with the Canadian Commission established to decide on compensation for injuries, losses and damages suffered by Canadian citizens as a result of German actions during the War. The ruling in the case of Desmond’s claim makes interesting, and somewhat amusing, reading: -
… The boy was so badly jostled, knocked about and shocked when they were getting off the ship that he did not know his own mother. She had him attended by a doctor in Dublin soon after who certifies to the boy’s nervous system having received a great shock and that he was in a very delicate state of health through his experience on board the ship on that occasion. The same physician examined him again in May, 1919, and certifies the boy was then nervous, easily excited and frightened and troubled with a slight impediment in his speech.
The Winnipeg physician certifies that he examined the boy who was a backward child in some respects, taking a long time to talk and having an impediment in his speech.
The boy stammers a little. Before the disaster he was bright and active. His mother says that he was a prize baby as an infant and then learning to talk. After the disaster they did not think that he would ever speak properly. The mother had a pretty hard time on account of the boy’s state of health and on account of her own condition.
I think, after considering the record, that the boy will get over it all in time.
The Commission awarded him the sum of $3,000.00 in compensation.
Obviously, Desmond Cox did get over it all sufficiently to be able to complete his education and found the insurance broking firm of Desmond F. Cox, Limited. In 1947, he married his wife, Joyce, and the couple had two children, Michael D. born in 1949, and Jennifer M. born in 1951.
In a letter to Graham Maddocks in January 1997, he said of his Lusitania
experiences: -
I was 17 months at the time of the sinking, one of eight out of 39 under two years who were saved, thanks to the grace of God and the extreme bravery of my mother.
As you can imagine, at 17 months, I have no recall of those terrible days, but the shock suffered by my mother Margaret, who died in March 1978 at the age of 90, was evident throughout her life.
His mother Margaret died on 28th March 1978, at Winnipeg, aged 90 years, and his father died the following year, aged 93 years. Both were buried in St. John's Cathedral Anglican Cemetery, Winnipeg.
Desmond Cox himself died in Winnipeg on the 15th September 2000, aged 87 years, and he was also buried in St. John's Cathedral Anglican Cemetery.
Manitoba Canada Birth Index 1870 – 1917, Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency, 1921 Census of Canada, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Cunard Records, Canadian Claims Case No. 861, Daily Express, Winnipeg Tribune, Liverpool Record Office, Seven Days to Disaster, UniLiv.D921/1/1, Thom’s Official Directory 1920 Edition, Graham Maddocks, Desmond Cox, Ray White, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.