Oscar Greiner was born in Paris, France, on the 26th April 1893, the son of Georgette Greiner, a domestic servant. No details of his father were recorded at his birth; therefore, he might have been illegitimate, and nothing is known about his childhood or family.
He was a qualified chef, and although it is not known when he first came to Great Britain, he served as a chef on trans-Atlantic passenger liners from early 1915, including the Anchor Lines s.s. Cameronia, which sailed on the Glasgow to New York route.
He signed on as Roast Cook in the Stewards' Department on board the final voyage of the Lusitania and was on board when she left from Liverpool on the 17th April 1915.
When the Lusitania sank on her return voyage from New York on the afternoon of the 7th May 1915, he survived the sinking and made his way back to Liverpool. It would appear that his stay in Liverpool was short lived as he was found to be in breach of the Aliens Order and ordered to leave the city and not return. He took up residence at the Alliance Hotel, Cathedral Gates, Manchester; however, he left this address in November 1915 and illegally returned to Liverpool. On being found in the city, he was returned to Manchester, brought before a local Court, and fined £5 for breaking the restrictions placed upon him.
In early 1917, he married Annie Dorothy Fane in London; however, it appears their marriage was short lived and did not result in any children. There is no record of them getting divorced; however, by 1921, Oscar Greiner was living with Ivy May Bell and her widowed mother and siblings at 5. Ann Street, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.
By now, Oscar was working as a chef in the Victoria Hotel in Stockton-on-Tees and although there is no record of Oscar and Ivy getting married, they were living together as a married couple. They had four children – Oscar born in 1921, Henry born in 1922, Ivy May born in 1924, and Ronald born in 1926.
The relationship between Oscar and Ivy May must have broken down as in 1949, Ivy May Bell married George Beck.
From around 1940, until he retired in 1951, Oscar Greiner was a chef in the Royal Hotel, Grimsby, Lincolnshire. In 1965, he was interviewed by a reporter from the Grimsby Evening Telegraph newspaper, and his account of his experience of the sinking of the Lusitania appeared in the 7th May edition of the newspaper: -
… “It was just after 2 p.m. and I had just finished preparing lunch. I left the kitchen and I went out on deck to have a smoke as was my usual habit.
“I was finishing my cigarette and was about to go back inside when, suddenly, the was a tremendous explosion and the vessel shuddered. We had been torpedoed.
“Before I knew what was going on, people were rushing out of the cabins
and making for boats. Everyone was scrambling to get off, so I made for the top deck where my lifeboat was. When I got there, I was unable to get to it because the ship had a heavy list to starboard.”
Jumped into sea
He went on: “We were sinking so I jumped into the sea and swam as far away from the liner as I could. I swam around until I caught hold of a piece of driftwood.
“It was horrible to watch. The Lusitania just slid under the water taking hundreds with her. Those who were lucky enough to get into the water were only just able to keep themselves afloat and many went under and never came up.
“I suppose I must have been in the sea for about two hours when a number of Irish fishing boats came to the rescue. I was picked up along with others and taken to Queenstown.”
Later in the interview, Oscar Greiner stated that on his return to Liverpool, he immediately signed on for a voyage on another vessel as he was advised that was the only way to get over his ordeal.
He also claimed in the interview, that he had been called up to serve in the French Army and was awarded the Croix de Guerre at the Battle of Verdun. On his return from military service, he began working as a chef in hotels and never went to sea again.
He was called up again for military service in the French Army at the outbreak of World War II but was released after six months service due to his age, he being aged 46 years in 1939.
Following his retirement, he resided with friends at 99. Yarborough Road, Grimsby, and he died in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England, on the 11th March 1969, aged 75 years. He was buried in Section 150, Row H, Grave 22, in Scartho Road Cemetery, Grimsby. His grave is unmarked today.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Paris France Births, Marriages, and Deaths 1555 – 1929, UK Burial and Cremation Index 1576 – 2014, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Cunard Records, Yorkshire Bradford Kelly’s Directory 1936, Grimsby Daily Telegraph, Manchester Evening News, PRO BT 100/345, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 17th December 2023