Albert Kernaghan Thompson was born into a farming family at Drumnaferry, County Down, Ireland, on the 10th September 1887, the son of John and Martha Thompson (née Doloughan). He was the second youngest of six known children in the family.
On completing his education, he worked as a warehouse man in the local linen industry before immigrating to Canada, where he settled in Toronto, Ontario, and found employment as a clerk. He was described as being an invalid, but it is not known to what extent. He resided at 192. George Street, Toronto.
In the spring of 1915, he decided to return home, presumably for a holiday, and as a consequence, booked second cabin passage on the Lusitania. Leaving Toronto by rail, he joined the liner at the Cunard berth in New York in time for her sailing out of the harbour, which began just after mid-day on1st May. Accompanying him on the journey, maybe to help look after him, was another ex-patriate Irishman, William Dale, who also lived in Toronto and originally came from Castledawson, in County Derry.
The pair joined the Lusitania at her berth at Pier 54 in New York on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for her scheduled 10 o’clock sailing, but then had to wait until 12.27 p.m. before the liner actually set sail. This was because she had to take on board passengers, cargo and crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work as a troop ship. Then, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed twelve miles off the
coast of southern Ireland by the German submarine U-20, and sank just eighteen minutes later. At that stage of her voyage, she was only 250 miles from the safety of her home port. Both friends were killed as a result of this action - within sight of their native land. Albert Thompson was aged 27 years.
In the early morning of 10th May 1915, however, his body was recovered from the sea, supposedly by a Royal Naval trawler named H.M.S. Frazer, but there was no such trawler of that name in the Royal Naval fleet in May 1915. Whatever vessel recovered his body, it was landed at the Cunard wharf in Queenstown, that same day.
From the wharf, it was taken to one of the temporary mortuaries in the town, and given the reference number 141, pending a positive identification. Once this had been done, however, it was buried in The Old Church Cemetery, Queenstown, on 15th May 1915 in Mass Grave B, 5th Row, Lower Tier. It was described at the time as: -
Albert Thompson S/C passenger. 38 years of age, 5’6”, dark brown hair, fresh complexion, clean shaven, blue serge suit.
Property discovered on his body, from which it was identified, was sent to his brother Joseph Thompson, at Drumnafarry, Kilfullert, Maralin, Lurgan, County Down, in Northern Ireland, on 21st July 1915. This consisted of a gold watch, a gold sovereign, two half sovereigns, some silver coinage and three foreign coins. Also found on his body was a letter written from a soldier on the Western Front to him at his Toronto address, an Aliens Restriction Order dated 1914, and other papers and documents.
William Dale, his friend and travelling companion also perished in the sinking, but his body was never recovered and identified.
Newspaper reports stated that his home was at Donacloney, Clogher, County Antrim, but this is incorrect and may have been the home of a family member or friend.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, Cunard Records, Cork Examiner, Northern Whig, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv.D92/1/8-10, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.