Manuel Dominguez was born a British subject in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
He was a professional seaman in the British Mercantile Marine and had sailed to New York on the S.S. Gileston. After this, he must have become destitute and was presumably picked up by the American police to be deported back to Great Britain.
It is likely that either at the end of April or on 1st May 1915, he would have been escorted to the Lusitania, then at her berth at Pier 54 in New York as a ‘Distressed British Seaman’, to be taken to Liverpool.
The liner was scheduled to leave New York on her regular May sailing, at 10 o‘clock on the morning of 1st May, but had to wait until cargo, passengers and crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia had been loaded. This was because the Cameronia had been requisitioned for use as a troop ship by the British Admiralty at the end of April.
It is not known whether or not Manuel Dominguez would have been confined, once he was on board, but it would seem likely, as had he been free, he might have might been taken on as a crew member, as when the liner left port just after mid-day, she was short-handed!
Either way, he was killed on the afternoon of 7th May, when the Lusitania was six days out of New York after she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-20. At that stage of her voyage, she was within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and only about fourteen hours steaming time away from the safety of her home port. As Dominguez’s body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave.
Although it can not be ascertained whether he was confined or not, it might be significant, that there were two other persons described as ‘Distressed British Seamen’ on board, A. Genanselm and H. Slight. As these two also lost their lives as a result of the sinking, it is possible that all three were not able to escape when the ship went down.
Cunard Records, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.