ALFRED LICENCE

Born: 1892, Leiston, Suffolk.

Died: 10th January 1918 – Sunk by submarine off the Azores en route from Twillingate, Newfoundland to Gibraltar.

Residence: 25, Station Raod, Ipswich.

Rank: Sailor.

Regiment: Newfoundland Mercantile Marine; Schooner ‘W.C. McKay’.

Grave Reference:

Beaumont-Hamel (Newfoundland Memorial),

Somme,

France.

Relatives Notified & Address: Son of Mrs. A. Licence, of 25, Station Street. Ipswich.

CENSUS

1901   High Street, East Donyland, Essex.

Alfred was 8 years old and living with his parents & siblings.

Arthur Alfred Licence, 38, an Iron Worker, born Leiston, Suffolk.

Mary Licence (nee Plint), 38, born Penwyn, Cornwall.

Walter Licence,  10, born Aldbury, Hertfordshire.

Herbert Natham Licence, 6, born Leiston.

Isabella Licence, 5, born East Donyland, Essex.

Violet Licence, 4, born East Donyland.

Grace Licence, 1, born East Donyland.

1911   25, Station Street, Ipswich.

Alfred was 18 years old, a Labourer – Iron Works. He was living with his parents, siblings and widowed, paternal grandmother.

Arthur, 48, a Boiler Maker – Iron Works.

Mary, 48.

Walter, 20, a Labourer – Iron Works.

Herbert, 16, a Labourer – Timber Merchant.

Isabella, 15, Domestic.

Violet, 14.

Grace, 11.

Sarah Licence, 72, born Suffolk.

Alfred is also remembered on St Mary at Stoke Church Ipswich, War Memorial.

M.C. McKay

M.C.McKay was a Canadian wooden sailing vesse, built in 1912, Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Registered 1913. On the 10th January 1918, with a cargo of cod fish she was

sunk by German submarine U-156 (Commander Konrad Ganssar), off the Azores en route from Twillingate, Newfoundland to Gibraltar. 6 crew members lost their lives. She suttled North East of the Azores.

Merchant Navy / Mercantile Marine

In the First and Second World Wars, the Merchant Service suffered heavy losses from German U-boat attacks. A policy of unrestricted warfare meant that merchant seafarers were also at risk of attack from enemy ships. The tonnage lost to U-boats in the First World War was around 7,759,090 tons, and around 14,661 merchant seafarers were killed. In honour of the sacrifice made by merchant seafarers in the First World War, George V granted the title “Merchant Navy” to the service.