Clarke, William Job
[SS "Koombana": list of crew as per copy of Articles at shipping office, Fremantle, Adelaide Steamship Company, April 1912. provided to the author by Jean Northover, City Beach, Western Australia]
THE CREW AGE BIRTHPLACE
...
W. Clarke, fireman 36 Liverpool
...
["Story of the Koombana", The Sunday Times (Perth, WA), Sunday 31 March 1912, page 12]
...
W. Clarke, J. Smith, J. Brown, C. Nortin, C. Anderson, G. Furlong, H. Offord, G. Olsen, A. C. de Montfort, T. O'Loghlan, T. McDermott, Thos. Taylor, A. Bryant, J. Downie and C. Peters, firemen;
...
["The Crew", The West Australian, Wednesday 03 April 1912, page 7]
The following is the complete crew which left with the vessel, according to the records in the Adelaide Co.'s office:--
...
W. Clarke, J. Smith, J. Brown, C. Norton, C. Anderson, G. Furlong, H. Offord, O. Olsen, *W. Fitzpatrick, A. C. de Montfort, T. O'Loghlin, T. McDermott, Thos. Taylor, A. Bryant, J. Downie, and C. Peters, firemen.
...
["The Koombana", The West Australian, Friday 12 April 1912, page 7]
OFFICIAL LIST OF CREW
The following official list of the names of the crew who signed on the s.s. Koombana's articles and who were supposed to have gone in the vessel is supplied by the Shipping Master of Fremantle (Captain T. W. Smith). The age, birthplace, and capacity of each member is given:--
...
W. Clarke, 36, Liverpool, fireman;
...
[Research file "s.s. Koombana", 1973-. Department of Maritime Archeology, Western Australian Museum, 189/73]
Wade Clarke
[address & telephone numbers withheld]
"I am searching for information concerning my grandfather...
"He was aboard the S. S. KOOMBANA when she went down...
"As I have very little information about William Job Clarke, originally from Liverpool England...
[Barker, Malcolm, 2001, The Truth Is So Precious, Success Print, Perth, Western Australia, page 43]
...
As stated above, on 29th November 1911, the replacement crew of 16 firemen signed on. Sadly, four of these, W Clarke, W Fitzpatrick, T McDermott and C Norlin were still aboard when it left Fremantle on 12th March 1912. Even more curiously, three firemen on that last voyage were none other than J Downie, H Offord and A Olson. These three were among the original 16 who declined to resume aboard the Koombana in protest against the presence of the the Chief Steward.
...
AB notes:
Downie, Offord and Olson were part of the Koombana Firemen's Strike of November 1911,
while Clarke, Fitzpatrick, McDermott and Norlin were part of the (union-sponsored) strike-breaking team.
["The Koombana Firemen", Geraldton Guardian (WA), Saturday 06 January 1912, page 1]
UNION'S RECOGNITION OF THE NEW CREW.
In November, when the s.s. Koombana was in port at Fremantle, trouble arose amongst the ship's firemen over the provisions supplied to them, and as a result the vessel was delayed some days. It was not until a new crew for the stokehold had arrived from the East that the Koombana was able to resume her running in the Nor'-West mail service. A member of the crew, who came over from the East by direction of the Seamen's Union, to join the Koombana, has received the following communication from the secretary of the union (Mr. A. Cooper): In recognition of the great services that you and your shipmates, have rendered to the union at a critical period in its history, the executive council have decided to present to each of the men who left Melbourne and Adelaide and joined the Koombana at Fremantle with a gold medal of the union, and, further, whatever may be said to the contrary at Fremantle or elsewhere, your action, as well as that of the executive, has been endorsed by the Federation. We sincerely trust that you will use your best endeavors in order to make things work smoothly during the course of your engagement, and, if there are real grievances, make such complaints to our Fremantle agent (Mr. T. McShearer). Should he be unable to settle matters, your duty is to ask him to forward same to me, but, should he, through any misadventure, fail to do so, I will be pleased if you would communicate with me direct, giving fullest particulars, but it must be distinctly understood that there be no cessation of work until after the fullest inquiry." Daily News.
AB notes:
Clarke, Fitzpatrick, Norlin and McDermott would have received this recognition.
[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]
my img 846 & 847
June 17th 1912
Dear Sir
Please would you
kindly let me know
if my Husband William
Clarke was on board off
S.S. Koombana as last I
heard off him he was
sailing on her 3 months
ago and I have not heard
of him since I will be
glad if you can give
me any information about
him as I have got 7
little Children to keep
hoping you will Oblidge
soon as possible
Yours Mrs. D. Clarke
56 Beaumaris Street
Seaforth
Liverpool
[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]
my img 848
14th. August
Mrs. D. Clarke,
56, Beaumaris Street,
LIVERPOOL, England.
Dear Madam,
Your letter addressed to the Manager of the
Adelaide Steamship Company has been forwarded to me and
I very much regret to inform you that your husband was on
the S.S. "KOOMBANA" when she was lost in March last.
There is a balance of wages due to your late
husband which I am forwarding to the Shipping Master at
Liverpool to whom you should make application for same.
I might also mention that there is a relief
fund subscribed for in Fremantle, and you should make appli-
cation to the Agent General for Western Australia in London
or the Town Clerk, Fremantle, should you desire to participate
in same.
Yours faithfully,
[copy unsigned]
SHIPPING MASTER.
[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]
my img 841
8 Conway Street
Seaforth
July 2nd, 1912
Dear Sir
I should esteem it
a great favour if you
will cause inquiries to be
made and let me know
as soon as possible, whether
there is any information
of a man named
W. J. Clarke who is supposed
to have sailed from your
port on the S.S. Koombana
which is supposed to have
been lost about April 13th.
He has been stepping out
in Australia for close on
2 years and we have not
heard any word of him
since March last. He
has been following the
sea and I am informed
that he has been sailing
in the Koombana as well
as other ships of the same
line I am making these
inquiries on behalf on
my wife who is the sister
and she is very anxious
to know whether he was
one of the crew and whether
[last part missing or glued down I think;
replies below indicate writer and address]
[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]
my img 845
S O U T H A U S T R A L I A.
MERCANTILE MARINE OFFICE,
PORT ADELAIDE,
6th August, 1912
Sir,-
Herewith pleas find a letter received from a Mr.
George Bowes with respect to a seaman named W. J. Clarke
who is supposed to have been on the S.S. "Koombana" when the
illfated vessel was lost.
I have informed Mr. Bowes of my having forwarded
this letter to you.
I have the honor to be
Sir,
Your obedient servant,
[signed ? ? Smith]
Superintendent Mercantile Marine.
The Shipping Master,
F R E M A N T L E,
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]
my img 841
14th. August
Mr. Geo. Bowes,
8, Conway Street,
SEAFORTH. Nr.Liverpool,
England.
Dear Sir,
Your letter of the 2nd. ult. addressed to the
Superintendent of Mercantile Marine, Pt. Adelaide, has been
forwarded on to me and in reply to same I am sorry to say
that your late brother-in-law was a seaman on the ill-fated
"Koombana".
Yours faithfully,
[copy unsigned]
SHIPPING MASTER.
[Wreck of the "Koombana" - photocopy of material relating to, Harbour and Lights Department, Western Australia, 1912, State Records Office of Western Australia. Series 1618, Cons. 5055, Item 001, see Koombana Relief Fund correspondence]
EXTRACT FROM LETTER RECEIVED FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE
"KOOMBANA" RELIEF COMMITTEE, PERTH
Dated 31st July, 1912.
--------------
"I give you hereunder a list of persons in Great Britain
to whom the Perth Committee has allotted amounts, and shall be
glad if you will communicate with the Agent-General, requesting
him to pay the sum mentioned in each case, out of the amount he
has in hand, and forward the receipts to me at the earliest
possible opportunity:-
Miss Wardlaw, 36 Bank Street, Hillhead, Glasgow, £47.
Mrs. W. C. Dick, 4 James Park, Burntisland, N.B., £47.
Mrs. W. Clarke, Chestnut Grove, off Marsh Lane, Boudel
Liverpool, England, £65.
Mrs. Levins, 87 Strand Street, Cloyerhead, Drogheda,
Ireland, £11.
Mrs. M. Dwyer, King Street, Abbyside, County Waterford,
Ireland, £11.
Mrs. W. Carton, Droghed, County Louth, Ireland, £11.
Mrs. J. Kearne, 36 Malcolmson Street, Springfield Road,
Belfast, Ireland, $11.
Mrs. Rea, 21 Conderton Road, Loughboro Junction, Camberwell,
London, S.E. £11.
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Further names since received:-
A. Dellar (? English address)
- Clinton ( " Local Committee making enquiries
- Offord ( " " " decline applica-
tion for assistance.
W. Burkin ( " Nothing done so far.
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