James Gardner was a British citizen returning to New Zealand from North America aboard Lusitania with his wife Annie and sons Eric and William. They, with another son, Leonard, had been living in North America for a number of years and were planning to establish a market garden in New Zealand. James and Annie were lost in the Lusitania tragedy. Eric and William survived the sinking. Leonard had traveled to New Zealand in advance and was not on board Lusitania.
Annie fainted when the ship was torpedoed and could not be revived. She may have been the fainting woman Archie Donald helped carry from the second cabin dining saloon. James went down with the ship with Annie.
After the ship sank, Eric swam to an upturned lifeboat where he found his father, dead, lying across the bottom. James Gardner is not on the list of recovered or identified victims.
Links of interest
Lest We Forget Part 2: As the Lusitania Went Down – Encyclopedia Titanica
Contributors:
Jim Kalafus
Michael Poirier
References:
Kalafus, Jim and Michael Poirier (2005). Lest We Forget Part 2: As the Lusitania Went Down. ET Research. <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/lusitania-lest-we-forget-2.html>
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