Duncan Arthur Walpole Hanes was born in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada, on the 13th September 1882, the son of Frederic Alonzo and Sarah Rachel Martha Hanes (née Quaife). His father was a farmer, and his mother died when he was aged six years. He was the eldest of four children.
Duncan became an accountant, and on the 28th October 1908, he married Eva Mary Kidd in Nelson, British Columbia, and they established their home in the nearby city of Cranbrook. The couple had two children – a son named Earle, and a daughter named Yvonne. They later moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where Duncan Hanes was the credit manager for the well-known J. H. Ashdown Hardware Company.
In the spring of 1915, he was required to travel to England in connection with company business, and consequently, he booked second cabin passage to Liverpool from New York, on the May sailing of the
Lusitania.
He travelled from his home in Saskatoon to New York City, and on the morning of 1st May 1915, he boarded the liner at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York, in time for her scheduled 10 o’clock departure. This sailing was then postponed until just after mid-day, because the liner had to take on board cargo, and embark passengers and crew from the liner S.S.
Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship at the end of April.
Then, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, and within sight of The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland, the
Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that time, she was within twelve to fourteen hours sailing time of her destination and home port.
Duncan Hanes survived this assault, however - although many of his fellow second class passenger companions were killed - and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown, but taken to hospital because of injuries received as a result of his ordeal. There he remained for ten days before he was fit enough to be discharged, and he continued on his journey to England, where he required further medical treatment in Liverpool, Bristol, and London. He must have had business to conduct on behalf of his company in these cities.
He didn’t remain longer than necessary in England, for he boarded the Philadelphia at Liverpool on the 26th May, to return home. He arrived in New York City on the 4th June; however, it wasn’t until the 23rd June that he arrived at his home in Saskatoon. On the following day, he was interviewed by a correspondent from the Star-Phoenix, a local Saskatoon newspaper, where he recalled his experiences: -
“It was just after lunch, about five minutes past two, that the crash came,” said Mr. Hanes. “The torpedo struck the vessel in the starboard side at about the centre, and there was immediately a list to that side. The followed what appeared to be a shifting of the engines, after this came a very noticeable list.
“There was no apparent panic in the part of the boat where I was. We were just opposite the lounge door on the port side, and following the crash of the torpedo debris and water came over the back, causing the people to run to cover wherever they could find it.
Lifeboats Upset.
“In every case which I saw the lifeboats which were launched from the port side upset. The great momentum tightened the pulley blocks so that they could not release the ropes, and the boats upset. The speed at which we were travelling as the vessel sank was really great. We must have gone at least two or three miles while the ship was going down. I had a chance to experience for myself how fast she was going, when I threw a chair into the sea, hoping that I could jump near it and have something to support me. I had not realised how fast the ship was travelling, and was surprised when we left the chair behind.
“When the funnels fell over there appeared to be quite a suction, and I noticed that many bodies were drawn in towards the centre. I decided it was almost time for me to leave, so I took off my boots and coat. I was still at this time on ‘A’ deck. The boat was apparently sinking at an angle of 45 degrees, with the stern completely out of the water. I went over the side from 'A' deck to ‘C’ deck, standing on the rail on ‘C’ deck until the water came to my feet. Several others left the ship at about the same time as I did.
Helped By Cripple.
“I swam about 25 yards, and then there was a great suction. When I came to the surface I looked for the boat, but it was out of sight, and the sea was very rough. I was drawn down the second time, but again came to the surface, this time between two upturned lifeboats, which pressed my stomach and back between them severely. I made shift to hold on, however, and was helped on to the bottom of the boat by a cripple named Mannion.
“We fastened the two lifeboats together, and later got a third, which we fastened also. About the same time Mannion and I got on the lifeboats quite a number of others did the same. We got a fourth lifeboat later on, and fastened the whole four of them together. We were picked up after hours in the water and when we were finally rescued there were 47 persons clinging to those four lifeboats.” Mr. Hanes was received into the hospital at 10.30. and remained there a week before he was able to proceed..
The “cripple”, Mannion, was second cabin passenger Martin Mannion, who also survived. He had lost a leg in an accident in early 1915, and unable to work, was returning to his home in Ireland.
Duncan Hanes lodged a claim for compensation for the loss of his property as a result of the sinking, and also for personal injuries. In November 1926, his case was decided by the Canadian Claims Commission. Evidence was given that Duncan Hanes’ salary in 1915 was $175.00 per month, and his home was rent free, and that he was in line for a promotion which would have seen him earning in excess of $5,000 per year; however, as a result of the injuries he had received in the sinking, he was seriously impaired and unable to continue working, and therefore had lost his job. When he had summited his claim, he had sought $10,000 for the personal injuries he received, but he later revised this, seeking $30,000. He stated that he had submitted the original figure in the hope that his health would have improved, but as it hadn’t, he had trebled the figure he was seeking. The Commission awarded him $488.66 for the loss of his personal property, with interest of 5% per annum from the 7th May 1915, until the 2nd. November 1912, which was the date his case was settled. In addition, he was awarded $15,000 in relation to his claim for personal injuries, with interest of 5% per annum from the 10th January 1920, which was the date of the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, to the date of the settlement of his case.
Duncan Hanes continued to reside in Saskatoon for many years with his family, before relocating to Tisdale, Saskatchewan. He died in hospital in The Pas, Manitoba, following a brief, but unspecified illness, on the 7th March 1953, aged 70 years. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Saskatoon.
Ontario Canada Births 1858 – 1913, British Columbia Canada Marriage Index 1872 – 1935, 1891 Census of Canada, 1901 Census of Canada, 1906 Census of Alberta, 1911 Census of Canada, 1916 Census of Saskatchewan, 1921 Census of Canada, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Canadian Claims Case No. 814, Star-Phoenix, Saskatoon Daily Star, UniLiv.D92/1/8-10, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.