Person

Thomas Trueman was born on 22 February 1894 in Gateshead. His father was William Trueman (1864-1946), a coal miner originally from Annfield Plain. His mother was Mary A. Trueman (1864-1924) from Cramlington, Northumberland. Thomas and his family were recorded living at 20 Southend Terrace, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead at both the 1901 and 1911 census. The latter census records that his parents had been married for 26 years during which 11 children had been born, of whom eight were no longer living. In 1911 Thomas was working as a coal porter.

Thomas appears to have served at some time as an ordinary seaman in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) with the service number TZ/1402. There are no further details of his RNVR service. He joined the Royal Navy to serve for the duration of hostilities on 5 July 1917. His naval record shows that he had been working as a steelwork erector in civilian life. He was rated as an ordinary seaman with the service number J73076. In January 1918 he was on board HMS Louvain. This was originally the steamship SS Dresden in peacetime, when it operated as a passenger and goods ferry between Harwich, England and Antwerp, Belgium. It was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1915 when it was renamed HMS Louvain.

HMS Louvain was based in the Aegean Sea and carried troops and supplies between the various Allied bases in the region. She left Malta on 15 January 1918 headed for Mudros, Lemnos, Greece. She was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine on 20 January 1918. A total of 224 people, including Thomas, were lost in the sinking. Of the casualties, 24 were part of Louvain’s crew the remainder were passengers. Many of them were naval ratings on their way to take up postings with other ships. Thomas’ body was not recovered for burial and he was honoured on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. He was remembered on the Plaque 1914-18, St John the Evangelist Church, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead.

Thomas Trueman was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service in the First World War.

Civil Parish: Gateshead

Birth date: 22-Feb-1894

Death date: 20-Jan-1918

Armed force/civilian: Navy

Residence: 20 Southend Terrace, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead

Family: Parents: William Trueman (1864-1946), Mary A Trueman (1864-1924)
Siblings: Ethel Trueman (1887-1890), Martha Trueman (1895), Madge Trueman (1896), Fred Trueman (1899)

Military service:

5/1402
Ordinary Seaman
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
J75942
Royal Navy
Ordinary seaman

Medal(s): Victory Medal
British War Medal

Memorial(s): Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Plaque 1914-18. St John the Evangelist Church, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead

Gender: Male

Contributed by David D, Stanley, Co Durham