1ST LIEUTENANT 2ND LIEUTENANT SERGEANT MAJOR 1ST SERGEANT SERGEANT ALABAMA PRIVATE ARKANSAS PRIVATE CALIFORNIA COOK CORPORAL PRIVATE Emmett Selden White 250,068
† CONNECTICUT PRIVATE IDAHO PRIVATE ILLINOIS CORPORALS PRIVATES INDIANA PRIVATE IOWA COOK PRIVATES Samuel Hethershaw 249,982
† Drew Smith Ryan 250,052
† KENTUCKY PRIVATE MAINE Emile Joseph Christman 249,958
† MASSACHUSETTS COOK PRIVATE MICHIGAN CORPORAL PRIVATES Carlo Rosignoli 250,049 |
MINNESOTA PRIVATES MISSISSIPPI PRIVATE MISSOURI PRIVATES MONTANA PRIVATE NEBRASKA PRIVATES NEW JERSEY PRIVATES NEW YORK COOK CORPORAL PRIVATES Walter J. Martin 250,062
† DOD-FR OHIO PRIVATES OKLAHOMA Charles Allen Lewis 250,009 PENNSYLVANIA PRIVATES Clarence W. Short KIA RHODE ISLAND PRIVATES SOUTH DAKOTA PRIVATES TENNESSEE CORPORAL PRIVATES TEXAS PRIVATE VIRGINIA PRIVATE WASHINGTON PRIVATES WISCONSIN COOK CORPORAL PRIVATE NORWAY CORPORAL POLAND PRIVATE
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My Grandfather was Guy Rutledge, a survivor of the Tuscania sinking. My elderly father gave me my grandfather's WWI scrapbook some time ago which I have scanned into my computer, and I could easily make a CD or send a zip disk of his memorabilia if you are interested. It includes a telegram relating his rescue from the disaster and materials for a program honoring the survivors of the attack. If you are interested, I'll try to get this material to you in the near future. I'm a professor of Classics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and this is a busy time of year for me, but by early summer I could have some of this stuff to you provided I get some decent tech support at school.
"I have in mind, a floral piece to grace the Kaiser's
tomb,
Of poisoned hearts and poisoned darts to rest his soul in gloom.
The poisoned hearts and poisoned darts will be in red and white and
blue, and they shall spell, "He's gone to Hell."
When Pershing's men get through.
Here's to the Kaiser - the Limburger cheese,
May the swell in his head go down to his knees,
May he break his damm neck on the Hindenburg line,
And go to "Hell" croaking the "Watch on the Rhine."
Corporal Guy Rutledge - 1918
Steven Rutledge
stevenrutledge{at}comcast.net
April 3, 2005
My uncle, William Guy Morris, 23 yr. old, common name, Guy, was on the
Tuscania. He was saved. I don't know how. He arrived in Ireland wearing
seaman's clothes and could not stand because his legs had become so cold. We
have a couple of pictures of them in Ireland after the rescue. One picture
has 18 men in it. The other is two men with Guy on their shoulders. There
are, unfortunately, no names on the pictures. The only other things I have
is a couple of articles from newspapers, one the St. Joseph (MO) Gazette and
the other the Bedford (IA) Free Press. Not a lot of info. other than he was
in the "aviation branch" of the service.
Donna M. Rhodes
February 3, 2001
I found out how my uncle Guy Morris survived the sinking. He had told the
story to one of my cousins. (Pvt. William Guy Morris, 158th Aero Squadron)
"that he was on that ship when it was hit by the Germans. There was not
enough boats and log rafts for everyone so he jumped over the side into the
water. The water was very cold and he knew that he needed to be quite a ways
from the ship when it went down as it would suck downward as it sank. He
swam as fast as he could in the cold water. All at once he saw a raft with
lots men on it. They let him get on one of the logs that was sticking out
from it a few feet. He wrapped his legs around the log and locked them
together. When the English ship picked them up later they had to dive down
under the logs and get his legs unlocked. He had no feeling in them but they
were not frozen, just so cold that the blood was not moving at all. He told
me that the English ship had liquor on board and they gave him plenty of it.
That's all I know."
Do you know any more about the log rafts? Would they have had them on the
ship?
Donna Rhodes
robdon72{at}comcast.net
July 27th, 2004
It was not until I web searched the artist of a print of Tuscania's
sinking that my father always had with him throughout his MSTS ( Military
Sea Transport Service) career in the Pacific that I learned about his
father, my grandfather Sam Hethershaw's role in this World War I event.
Thank you for the outstanding information that has been provided on this
website. Recently I gave photos of my grandfather Sam Hethershaw, news
stories from the local Iowa newspaper, and the print of Tuscania's sinking,
as well as a photo my grandfather kept of King George reviewing the
survivors of this event to the Swea City Historical Museum. Such an amazing
story; I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that Harry Truman, of Mt St
Helen's fame, was a shipmate of my grandfather, survived the sinking...and
went on to live a forceful life in Oregon. (Mt. St Helen's has been a
favorite destination since its eruption...and of course I was so surprised
to read of his part in WWI)
I learned from my father that my grandfather dropped the "a" in
Heathershaw-- long ago.....
Cheree Hethershaw
64rocks{at}sbcglobal.net
September 11, 2007
My grandfather Drew S. Ryan was aboard the SS Tuscania when it was sunk
in 1918. From what I understand he was wounded and remained in England,
working at a hospital as an orderly. I have pictures of him before and
after, as well as a sitting card from the Tuscania he was carrying at the
time of the sinking.
Jeff Ryan
jryn{at}msn.com
March 26, 2010
My uncle, Walter Crellin, was a private in the 158th Aero Squadron,
Signal Corps who was on the Tuscania. He was the first WWI soldier KIA from
the City of Virginia, Minnesota. The local VFW Post in Virginia is named
after him representing WWI.
Robert J. Muhich
rjmuhich{at}mchsi.com
October 7, 2009
I recently came across an award of the Purple Heart in my grandfather’s name while looking for some stored summer items in my father’s closet. After doing some more looking around I found a letter stating that my grandfather was on the Tuscania and was injured, but does not say what kind of injury he sustained. It listed the ship name as HMS Tuscania. His name was Larry Tudor (Todar, Todor). These other spellings have appeared on various documents. He was a Polish immigrant born in 1899 and came to the USA when he was 13yrs old. He served in the 158th Aero Squadron, Air Service. He survived the sinking and after the war worked his trade as a sewing machine mechanic. He married and had two children, my father and aunt. He died in 1972 when I was a young boy of ten. I never really knew him well but when I came across this site I wanted to tell his story so that someone else might also know of him. I'm proud of him and all the men that served during the Great War, and very respectful of the ones that gave their lives in service of their country. I would be very interested in hearing anyone else's stories and encourage emails to my listed address.
Mark Tudor
mstudor{at}juno.com
April 6, 2000
My Grandfather's name, who was in the 158th Aero Squadron, is Elmer E.
Holmes. I also have several pictures of him at Verdun and one of him being
reviewed by King George, and a very interesting picture of him in a British
sailor’s uniform which was given to him after the Tuscania was sunk.
Robert C. Holmes (Major USAF - R)
tnrholmes{at}hotmail.com
December 23, 2007
I recently came into possession of an old US flag; it was left behind in
the garage of a home I recently purchased. It is in quite bad shape, as our
memorial day is approaching I was going to fly it one time on the newly
erected flag pole and then give it a proper disposal, as I unfolded it this
evening I found that it had a note and newspaper clipping attached. The note
reads "This flag given by Mrs. Beard of 3215 Midway Dr. (San Diego, CA) it
was on the coffin of her brother killed in the first war." The clipping has
a photo captioned Winfield S. G. Megquier, it tells of his survival of the
sinking of Tuscania, gives a personal account of communication with parents
in Hillyard, WA, and indicates his attachment to the "158th (torn out)
Squadron A.E.F. I assume that the Megquier of the news clipping is the same
as the W.S. Megquier on your roster from the sinking. i hope this is of
interest to someone. I would like to pass along the flag, note and clipping.
El Cajon, CA, USA.
Steve Horstman
horstmans{at}saic.com
May 30, 2010
Thank you so much for this website. It enabled someone to return to me a
US 1936 Casket Flag that belonged to my Great Uncle Winfield S.G. Megquier.
Illa Watson
i72watson{at}yahoo.com
Aug. 6, 2010
My Grandfather Fred E. Mundt enlisted in the service November 1917 in
Milwaukee Wisconsin. He was in the 158th Aero Squadron and aboard the
Tuscania when it was torpedoed. He made it to a life boat and was later
rescued by a British Destroyer. He died in 1955 so this information came
from my father as I had not been born yet. Coincidentally I was born on
February 5th. I only wish I could have met my grandfather but I will always
be thankful for the sacrifices he and his generation have made for all of
us. If anyone has any other information on him or the 158th Aero Squadron
please contact me.
Don Mundt
df.mundt{at}verizon.net
April 10th, 2002
My grandfather Ralph H. Aaron was one of the last to be in the group of
Tuscania survivors Club. I recall him getting newsletters from the group and
was touched to see the group dissolved in 1982.
Patricia Aaron Kratochvil
trd8pm7k{at}brookings.net
July 1, 2012