William George Shackell was born in Camberwell, London, England, on the 30th November 1864, the son of William George and Marian Shackell (née Sargood). His father was a joiner, and William was the eldest of four children. In 1877, his father died and his mother re-married in 1880.
On completing his formal education, he became a tin plate worker, and in 1888, he married Emily Annette Pruckner in London. The couple had four children, and then, in 1904, his wife died. At the time of her death, William was described as a cycle manufacturer.
In 1915, he was in the United States of America, possibly on business, and deciding to return home in the spring, he booked third class passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania from New York to Liverpool.
Having been allocated ticket number 1707, he arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 on the west side of New York, on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for the liner’s scheduled 10 o’clock departure. Once on board, however, in keeping with all the other passengers and crew on board, he had to wait until 12.27 p.m. before the liner actually sailed. This was because she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Lines vessel the S.S. Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship.
Then, six days out of New York on the afternoon of 7th May, and within sight of the coast of southern Ireland, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that stage of her return voyage, she was only about 250 miles away from the safety of her home port.
William Shackell survived this action, however, and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown, from where, it is presumed, he eventually made it to his home in London.
On the 23rd May 1917, his son, Lieutenant Francis Charles Shackell was killed in action while serving as an observer/gunner in a FE2b attached to 18 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. He, and his pilot, 2nd. Lieutenant Wilfred Ferguson MacDonald, were buried in Red Cross Corner Cemetery, Beugny, Pas-de-Calais, France.
In 1920, William Shackell married for a second time, his second wife being Adelaide Natalina James, and they had one child, a daughter. The family resided at 19. Chandos Road, Cricklewood, London.
William George Shackell died at on the 26th February 1926, aged 61 years. He left his estate of £365-2s.-11d. (£365.14½p) to his wife.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, London England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1920, 1871 Census of England & Wales, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.