Date of birth: 4th November 1857 Place of birth: Weymouth, Nova Scotia Marital status: Married Age: 54 (in 1912) Spouse: Laleah Abigail Haines Children: Thomas Wayland (1880–1963), William Judson (1885–1948), Lilly Gladys(1887–1959), David Arnold (1889–1954), Hazel Olive (1893–1894), Margherita (1894–1973), Edgar William (1897–1976), Albert Ernest (1902–1984) Crew position: Chief Officer (Carpathia, 1912) Date of death: 21 April 1936 (age 78)
In 1839, Samuel Cunard was awarded the first British transatlantic steamship mail contract, and the next year formed the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company in Glasgow with shipowner Sir George Burns together with Robert Napier, the famous Scottish steamship engine designer and builder, to operate the line's four pioneer paddle steamers on the Liverpool–Halifax–Boston route. For most of the next 30 years, Cunard held the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic voyage. However, in the 1870s Cunard fell behind its rivals, the White Star Line and the Inman Line. To meet this competition, in 1879 the firm was reorganised as the Cunard Steamship Company Ltd, to raise capital. In 1919, Cunard relocated its British homeport from Liverpool to Southampton, to better cater for travellers from London.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Chief Officer Thomas Hankinson - War and Retirement
The Cunard liner RMS Caronia (Liverpool Maritime Museum).
After his dramatic turn as Chief Officer aboard the Carpathia, by March 1913 Hankinson was transferred to the Caronia, following Captain Arthur Rostron who also made the move to the larger and more modern transatlantic ship. Launched in 1904 the ship was propelled by quadruple-expansion engines and was significantly larger than the Carpathia at 19,595 gross tons compared to the previous ship's 13,600 gross tons. Hankinson was listed as chief officer for the 23rd of March 1913 and also 30th of July 1913.
But by December of the same year he was back to his old ship the Saxonia, listed as working aboard her on the 30th of December 1913 and also the 12th August 1914, As the storm clouds of war gathered over Europe change was afoot. The 57 year old Hankinson was assigned to the RMS Laconia - a ship that had been launched in 1911 for the Liverpool-Boston service as well as cruising from New York to the Mediterranean during the off season. The ship was described as the "last word in comfort in sea travelling. She is fitted with Herr Frahm's anti-rolling tanks… the first British vessel, and the first North Atlantic liner to be fitted with this system." (The Marine Engineer and Naval Architect, September 1911, p.42). However by the time Hanksinon joined she had been converted into an armed merchant cruiser, and Hankinson was not an officer, but listed as a Lieutenant. He was going to war.
It is worth noting that the Hankinson biography on Encyclopedia Titanica which is based on an unidentified newspaper article, erroneously lists the Carmania:
"At the outbreak of war in 1914, he joined the Armed Auxiliary Cruiser 'Carmania' ii as an Officer and was on it when it took part in a fierce sea battle in the South Atlantic ocean against the German armed merchant cruiser, 'Cap Trafalgar'.
His son, Edgar William Hankinson, was on a mine sweeper in the Mediterranean at the same time, having enlisted at the age of 17. Another son, William Judson, also served in the Navy at Scapa Flow, and was with Cunard Line when the Second War broke out, and he was a Naval Officer on escort to merchant convoys across the Atlantic and was torpedoed twice.
Later in the W War, Commander Hankinson was stationed at Scapa Flow (Orkney Isles) in charge of drifters. (supply vessels)
He was awarded the R.D. (The Royal Naval Reserve Decoration)."
The issue is that Hankinson's RNR records do not agree. It clearly lists the Laconia with the dates of 24/11/14 through to the 28/7/16 along with the phrase "satisfaction" in the remarks column. The mention of the Carmania is not until the year 1920. So while the exciting event of engaging with the 'Cap Trafalgar' (which at the time had its appearance altered to resemble the Carmania herself) this event that took place on the 14 of September 1914 isn't supported by Hankinson's records. He was most likely aboard the Laconia at the time.
The Cunard liner RMS Laconia.
The Laconia herself had a dramatic history. She was not only fitted with eight 6-inch guns but also carried two seaplanes and was involved in patrolling the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean until April 1915, as well as the capture of Tanga and German East Africa.
Hankinson's performance was satisfactory enough for him to be promoted to a RNR Lieutenant Commander in 1915. But it is important to note that the London Gazette in which this promotion to commander was announced on the 13th of April 1915 was under the column "Lieutenant Commander (retired)." At age 58 he was clearly getting towards the end of his career.
But all was not positive. A note in his RNR record for the 28th of July 1916 - the date also listed as when he signed off the Laconia - he is described as both "conscientious" but also "not able to take charge of men. Too old to adapt himself." In fact, as the "Great War" drew to a close, his RNR records indicate he put back onto a training vessel - the HMS Excellent on the 3rd of March 1919. The Excellent was likely the Royal Navy's gunnery school on Whale Island, Portsmouth. Shortly there after he rejoined the civilian merchant marine, as Chief Officer of the Caronia on the New York service from the 21st of October 1919. The following year, the 63 year old was aboard the Carmania on the Philadelphia route from January to April 1920. By May 1921 his RNR records reported that he was "fully retired from active employment" with it dated from November 1920.
