Reginald Bertie Steel Nice, known as ’Reggie’, was born in Salford, Manchester, Lancashire, England, in 1887, the son of Henry and Elizabeth Austen Nice (née Parrott). His father was a policeman, and Reggie was the youngest of three known children in the family.
Nothing is known of his early life but at some stage, most likely when he was a child, his father died, although no record can be found to indicate when and where this occurred.
He moved to Fleetwood, Lancashire, with his mother, Elizabeth, when she married Thomas J. Newton, and made his home at 78, Promenade Street.
He was a gents’ barber by trade and prior to his going to sea, he had worked in Stockport, Cheshire, where he was employed by a Mr. Harrison of Princes Street. Whilst there, he lodged in Chestergate and was well known in the town. In 1912, however, he decided to work on board ship and moved to Merseyside to join the trans-
Atlantic liners and more particularly, The Cunard Steam Ship Company. He lodged there at 35, Burns Avenue, Liscard, Wallasey, Cheshire, on the opposite bank of the River Mersey to Liverpool.
He engaged for the Lusitania’s final voyage, at Liverpool on the 13th April 1915 as a barber in the Stewards' Department at a token monthly wage of 1/-, (£0.05p.), so presumably his wage was paid out of the profits of the hairdresser's saloon. He reported for duty at 7 a.m. four day later, before the ship left the River Mersey for the last time. Although it was his first voyage on the Lusitania, he had previously served on the Cunarder Ivernia.
Having completed the liner’s voyage to New York, he reported on board for her return leg to Liverpool, before the Lusitania left the Cunard berth at Pier 54 on the west side of the city, just after noon on the 1st May 1915. 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. Reginald Nice was killed as a result of this action. He was aged 28 years.
His body was not recovered from the sea and identified afterwards and as a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
An article in the Merseyside newspaper The Wallasey and Wirral Chronicle, on Saturday, the 15th May 1915, told of the lucky escape of a Mr. George King, who was normally in charge of the hairdressing saloon on board the Lusitania: -
Mr. George King, of Kingsway, Wallasey, conducted the hairdresser's saloon on the Lusitania but did not sail on her fateful voyage, having missed the trip in order to have a holiday in North Wales.
To that fact, he doubtless owes his life, as Mr. Reggie Nice of Liscard, who managed the saloon in his absence is amongst those who have perished. Mr King will, however, be a very heavy financial sufferer owing to the dire disaster, the value of the stock and fittings of the saloon being estimated at about £800.
His mother was residing at 1, Flag Street, Fleetwood, Lancashire, at the time of his death.
On the 22nd June 1922, administration of his estate was granted to The Treasury Solicitor in London. His estate amounted to £495-18s.-2d. (£495.91p.).
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Blackpool Gazette and Herald, Cheshire Daily Echo, Lancashire Daily Post, Lancashire Evening Post, Wallasey News, The Wallasey and Wirral Chronicle, Probate Records, UniLiv D92/2/164, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 26th January 2025.