Sub-Lieutenant (E) Eric A L B WOTHERSPOON, RNVR: Drowned, Belfast, 30/03/1946

At 8am on 31st January 1946 Sub-Lieutenant Eric Wotherspoon, RNVR, was relieved from watch on HMS Arbiter, then in port at Belfast. He was not seen again and the ship sailed on 2nd February. His body was recovered and identified on 30th March 1946 near the Oil Jetty, Musgrave Channel (which I suspect in modern terms is by the airport named after George Best); there was no evidence on how he came to be in the water.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/f...98/eric-alexander-lockhart-blair-wotherspoon/
The best (only?) online information about him about from CWGC is:
Eric Alexander Lockhart Blair Wotherspoon - WartimeNI
The only other thing I currently know about his service is that he sailed from Glasgow for India in May 1941.

I have requested the info held by The National Archives on him but have two questions:
(1) given the circumstances, will TNA have all the accessible info or is there some other source I should seek?
(2) does anyone know anything about this man or case? NB I am thinking about non-TNA resources you may have access to, I have no wish for anyone to go to any work that will be answered by me being patient and waiting for TNA to deliver.

For transparency, this info is for my (non-commercial) website on the 148 names on my local war memorial. I would like to quote any info supplied but will check first and acknowledge the provider.

 

Sub-Lieutenant (E) Eric Alexander Lockhart Blair...


Agnes Lockhart (Blair) - BillionGraves GPS Headstones
Cathcart Cemetery, Scotland
Agnes Lockhart (Blair)
Died: 9 August 1932
Age: 79 Years
People Also Listed
Blair Lockhart, son (their son Blair killed in Australia 28th Feb 1943.)
Eric A L B Wotherspoon, grandson (Only grandchild Sub Lieut. Eric A L BL Wotherspoon R.N.V.R. drowned in Belfast Lough, 30th Jan 1946 aged 28, interred in Belfast)

 

Eric Wotherspoon was an ex- merchant seaman whose first ship was CORDILLERA. On 26 May 1941 at Liverpool he signs a T124X agreement to sign on a ship that was being requisitioned by the Royal Navy. This agreement allows him to keep his Merchant Navy pay and conditions but puts him under the Naval Discipline Act - he is effectively a Royal Navy officer (Naval Auxiliary Personnel).

The file that you have asked for which I presume is BT 390/146/9 is his service record while on this T124X agreement. He was an officer holding a temporary commission under T124X agreements in the RNVR

I have attached his Merchant Navy CR1 card from the Fourth Register of Seamen.
The Deaths at Sea Register gives us nothing that we don't already know.

Regards
Hugh

 

Thank you! Yes, Agnes was his maternal grandmother but the family history is a story in itself. I will type up my profile and post a link back here.

 

Good afternoon, Hugh, and thank you for your help with this. I had not previously known he was a seaman before 1941 but it certainly fits. His father was named Alexander Hamilton Wotherspoon (born 1884) and he was a purser before and after 1914-1918; I have been able to find him on the crew list for several liners on transatlantic sailings.
You are right about the file I have ordered from TNA - I will do my best to be patient ...
My best wishes
Andrew

 

Hi Andrew,

I presume you have seen the newspaper article stating there had been an inquest held into his death and that he had been found drowned there being no evidence to show how he came to be in the water. This verdict was returned by DR. H.P. Lowe, City Coroner…. the coroner said in the absence of further evidence he must arrive at the verdict given.

I suspect you may not find anymore information about this incident unless someone came forward at a later date to offer contrary evidence as to his disappearance.

Regarding his father, Alexander, H. Wotherspoon, who identified the body of his son on March 30 1946, he was a survivor of the sinking on the first day of the war of the ATHENIA. He also has records held in the Fourth Register of Seamen including a CR 10 card with his id photo.

Regards

Hugh

 

I did see the newspaper article, thank you. I know 99% of the TNA file is going to be dry admin (TNA has just replied to say there are 22 pages) but am hoping for a nugget of gold in there!

But what a great lead you have given me on the photo of his father, thank you! I had not spotted that. In 1915 he joined the army, served as a gunner, was wounded twice and on the second occasion was taken prisoner. It's great to have a photo of him.

You've also prompted me to find out how to access the Register of Seamen section on Find My Past, I'm learning slowly.

Many thanks
Andrew