Mr.
CHARLES ALFRED LEAROYD, Saloon Class Passenger
[No Picture Provided]
Charles Alfred
Learoyd, 47, was a member of Learoyd and Boggio, wool merchants, of
Malcolm Buildings,
Sydney, Australia. In May 1915, he and his wife Mabel were traveling saloon class on Lusitania. Their cabin was
D-57.
According to Mabel's testimony at the inquiry, Charles and Mabel had
finished lunch and were in their cabin when the ship was struck.
They gathered a few items and went up onto the boat deck. They
then realized that they had forgetten their lifebelts and went back to
their cabin to fetch them. They passed by the dining room and saw
water pouring in through the open portholes.
On their return to the deck, the staircase was very difficult
to ascend as the list was becoming very marked. They thought that
as they
took three steps they might fall four back, and a steward helped them
by pushing the couple up onto the top deck.
When they reached the boat deck, the list was so marked that they had
to hold on by a brass ring and decide what to do, what boat to go to,
whether to wait, and they
decided to wait for a few minutes, feeling calm all the while.
They then made for the "third boat" on the starboard side (possibly
#3), and the list was so strong that they could
not walk down. They had to run forward, clinging to the
railing, which at that time was nearly under water, and
tumble into the boat, assisted by passengers and seamen.
No sooner did they get into the boat that the boat was lowered.
Another boat was then lowered on top of them, causing their lifeboat to
go down. A funnel also fell on the Learoyd's boat.
Underwater, Charles and Mabel were separated. Mabel did not see
Charles again, but Elisabeth Lassetter,
a friend from
Australia,
said that she thought she had seen Mr. Learoyd lying on a piece of
wreckage,
but as he didn't respond, she concluded he was dead.
Charles Learoyd was body #257 recovered by Queenstown.
Headstone
of Charles Alfred Learoyd. Image credit: Peter Kelly.
Click for full size.
