Thomas Victor Dhenin was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, in 1904, the eldest child, and only son of Thomas and Evelyn Dhenin (née Thomson). Probably before his birth, his father went to Brooklyn, New York City, in the United States of America, and having found work as a printer, young Thomas and his mother went to join him in October 1906.
The family resided at 307. 58th Street, Brooklyn, and in 1909, Thomas and his mother returned on a visit to England. By late 1912, Thomas had a sister, Isabella, and in April 1913, the entire family returned to England, and although his father returned after a short period, Thomas and his mother and sister remained in England until September 1914.
Then, in early 1915, his maternal grandmother had been taken seriously ill back in England and the family decided to make a return visit to see her. As a consequence, they booked third class passage on the 1st May 1915
Lusitania sailing from New York to Liverpool and joined the liner at her berth at Pier 54 in the port, in time for her scheduled 10 o’clock sailing.
Once they had boarded, with ticket number 1695, they had to wait, like everyone else on board, until 12.27. p.m., before the liner actually sailed. This was because she had to embark some crew, some cargo and the passengers from the Anchor Lines ship the
Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service, at the end of April.
Six days out of New York, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania
was torpedoed, by the German submarine U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland. When the Cunarder was struck, Thomas junior and his sister were playing out of sight of their parents who nevertheless managed to find them by concerted action and not long before the ship sank, the two children and their mother were placed into a lifeboat which was about to be lowered.
This, however, was the last time that they were ever seen and it is presumed that the lifeboat must have been one of those which capsized and threw its occupants into the sea.
Although Mr. Dhenin survived, after being some time in the sea, no sign of the rest of the family was ever discovered, despite the father’s searching in Ireland, Wales, and the Isle of Man.
The younger Thomas Dhenin was aged ten years when he died.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Cheshire England Parish Registers 1538 – 1909, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, Cunard Records, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Olivia Isherwood, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.