Nothing is known of Jacob Shkredoff except that it is believed he was born in Russia in 1895. Sometime before the Great War, he had emigrated to the United States of America and settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Presumably he obtained work, however, it is not known in what capacity.
By the spring of 1915, however, he had decided to return to his native home, perhaps to enlist in the Imperial Russian Army. Accompanying him was Archie Shkredoff, who was most likely a close relative.
They travelled to New York, where they had booked third cabin passage on the Lusitania for England, on the first part of their journey and boarded the vessel at Pier 54
in New York harbour, on the morning of 1st May.
The liner’s departure was delayed until the early afternoon to embark crew, passengers and cargo from the requisitioned liner Cameronia and just before 12.30 p.m. she slipped into the North River and out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Six days later the liner was torpedoed and sunk by Kapitänleutnant Schwieger’s submarine U-20, within sight of the southern Irish coast and only hours away from her Liverpool destination.
Whereas Archie Shkredoff was killed as a result of the sinking, Jacob Shkredoff survived. He was aged 19 years at the time. It is not known whether or not he safely returned to his homeland or whatever became of him after he landed at Queenstown.
Cunard Records, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.