Person

A relative has submitted the following information:

My grandfather Frank Nye was born in London but moved to South Shields when he married my grandmother. Frank was in the Merchant Navy and during the First War he sailed on supply ships for the army. In October 1918 his ship was sunk of the cost of France and he was taken to a field hospital suffering from injuries. Sadly he died only 3 days after arrival and is buried in Rouen. For some unknown reason he is not commemorated on any memorial either in France or the U.K. I am now trying to rectify this but sadly it won’t be in time for the anniversary of his death.

The following additional information has been found:

Francis Ernest Nye, born on 26 August 1883 in Stoke Newington, was one of seven children born to Frederick William Nye, a clerk originally from Clapham. Frederick had married Annie Louisa Jackson on 2 August 1881 and the couple had a total of seven children, two of whom died in infancy. At the time of both the 1901 and 1911 censuses, Francis’ mother was working as a school mistress.

Francis was educated at Hollydale Road School, Camberwell, before enrolling in Cold Blow Lane Temporary School, along with his older brother, Frederick, in July 1892. Following his schooling, Francis, like his father, worked as a clerk.

At some point Francis joined the Merchant Navy, although the exact date is unclear. It may have been whilst travelling with the Merchant Navy that Francis met Annie Jefferson who lived in South Shields. The couple married in 1909 in South Shields. There is no record of Francis on the 1911 census, presumably as he was serving on a ship at this time. His wife Annie was living on Woodbine Street in South Shields with her younger sister, Ethel. Francis and Annie had a child, Frank Ernest, in 1910 who sadly did not survive infancy. In 1912 they had a second son, Edward Ernest Nye.

Merchant Seaman Records are available for 1915. These show that Francis served between October 1914 and September 1915 on ships named ‘Rock Light’ and ‘Wavelet’, as either a steward or chief steward. In 1918 Francis was serving on a Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Ship, RFA Aro. The RFA’s role was to support the Royal Navy in providing supplies. The RFA Aro began as a store and ammunition ship but in August 1918 became a troopship. It was whilst serving on this ship as a chief steward in October 1918 that Francis became ill. Ship records state he was admitted to Number 3 Hospital in Rouen on 9 October and died three days later on 12 October of bronchitis.

A photo of both the RFA Aro and Francis can be seen at the following link:

Historical RFA website, page for the Aro
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-aro

Following Francis’ death, Annie did not remarry and at the time of the 1939 Register was still living with her sister in South Shields.

Civil Parish: South Shields

Birth date: 26-Aug-1883

Death date: 12-Oct-1918

Armed force/civilian: Merchant Navy

Residence: Camberwell (1891, 1901 Census)
27 Lanvanor Road, Camberwell Street (School Admission 1892)
82 South Woodbine Street, South Shields (October 1914 Seaman Records)
1 Salmon Street, South Shields (June 1915 Seaman Records)

Education: Hollydale Road School, Camberwell
Cold Blow Lane Temporary School, Camberwell

Employment: Clerk (1901 Census)

Family: Parents: Frederick William Nye, Annie Louisa Nye nee Jackson
Siblings: Frederick Charles Nye, Laurence E Nye, George Eustace Nye, Nellie Margaret Nye
Wife: Annie Nye nee Jefferson
Children: Frank Ernest Nye, Edward Ernest Nye

Military service:

Merchant Navy
RFA Aro [Royal Fleet Auxiliary]

Gender: Male

Contributed by Woodifield, Crook | Fiona Johnson