John Fanthorpe Leach was born in Fulham, Middlesex, England, on the 22nd October 1878, the son of Hugh Robert and Emily Leach (née Howard). He was one of six children, and his father was a glass trader, and later a proprietor of a dying and cleaning business. John Leach was unmarried, and in 1915, resided with his family at “Brandon”, 4. Summerdown Road, Eastbourne, Sussex.
He was educated at the Dulwich College and the International College, both in London, before he spent two years in Oslo, Norway, working for a shipping firm. He then went to Canada and the United States of America, where he found himself in New York City in April 1915.
Having a desire to return home to England, after a lengthy absence, he engaged as a waiter in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania at New York, on the 30th April 1915, at a monthly pay rate of £4-5s.-0d. (£4.25p.). The liner was supposed to depart for Liverpool from the Cunard berth at Pier 54 at 10.00 a.m. on the 1st May, but this was actually delayed until the early afternoon, so that she could 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 at the end of April.
Then, six days later, on the afternoon of the 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. Although many of the Stewards’ Department lost their lives as a result of this action, John F. Leach was lucky enough to survive. He was aged 36 years at the time, although when he signed on, he gave his age as being 32 years.
John Leach lowered himself from the stern of the liner to the sea by going down the log lines, which were made using rope intertwined with wire, badly cutting his hands and fingers in doing so.
Having been rescued from the sea and brought to Queenstown, he spent the night in The Soldier’s Home on the waterfront before travelling onto Liverpool, arriving there on Sunday, 9th May. He eventually reached his home in Eastbourne on Tuesday, 11th May.
He was visited by a reporter from the Eastbourne Gazette at his home and gave a lengthy interview about his experiences, which appeared in the edition of the 12th May 1915.
In the 13th May 1916 edition of popular newspaper The Dundee People’s Journal, there is a photograph of two bowler-hatted men shaking hands, under which is written: -
A cordial meeting between two survivors on Lusitania Anniversary Day. In that memorable disaster, J.F. Leach on the right saved the life of W.S. Tijon, (sic) with whom he is shaking hands.
W.S. Tijon was in fact second cabin passenger W.E. Tijou, who was travelling from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with his ten year old son who was lost in the sinking. The details of Waiter Leach’s rescue of Mr. Tijou are not known.
It is believed that John Leach enlisted in the Queens Regiment sometime after surviving the sinking of the Lusitania, but no records can be found, and it is possible they were destroyed in the blitz during the Second World War.
After the war, John Leach moved to Brighton, Sussex, where he became the steward at East Brighton Golf Club and lived the remainder of his life in the town.
John Leach died in Brighton in the spring of 1941, aged 62 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, London England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1923, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 191 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Cunard Records, London England School Admissions and Discharges 1840 – 1911, Dundee People’s Journal, Eastbourne Gazette, UniLiv D92/2/211, UniLiv. 92/6/1, PRO BT 100/345, .PRO BT 350, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 25th February 2024.