Ships hit by UB 54
Date U-boat Commander Name of ship Tons Nat.

20 Aug 1917 UB 54 Egon von Werner Vala 1,016 BR
25 Aug 1917 UB 54 Egon von Werner Frigga 1,046 NW
13 Dec 1917 UB 54 Egon von Werner Chili 1,318 FR
20 Dec 1917 UB 54 Egon von Werner Noris 583 NW
21 Dec 1917 UB 54 Egon von Werner Orne 928 FR
23 Dec 1917 UB 54 Egon von Werner Ragna 1,747 NW

27 Jan 1918 UB 54 Egon von Werner Nr. 14 26 BEL
29 Jan 1918 UB 54 Egon von Werner De Julia 13 BEL
29 Jan 1918 UB 54 Egon von Werner De Twee Marcels 13 BEL
29 Jan 1918 UB 54 Egon von Werner H. Debra Huysseme 46 BEL
29 Jan 1918 UB 54 Egon von Werner Jean Mathilde 12 BEL
29 Jan 1918 UB 54 Egon von Werner Le Jeune Arthur 25 BEL
29 Jan 1918 UB 54 Egon von Werner Marie 16 BEL
30 Jan 1918 UB 54 Egon von Werner Ferryhill 411 BR

7,200
14 ships sunk (7,200 tons).

Vala
Name Vala
Type Q ship
GRT 1.016 tons
Country British
Built 1894
Builder Ramage & Ferguson, Ltd., Leith
Operator Royal Navy
History Peace-time operator: J. T. Salvesen & Co., Grangemouth

U-boat attacks on Q ship Vala

Date U-boat Loss type Position Location Route Cargo Casualties
1 20 Aug 1917 UB 54 (Egon von Werner) Sunk 120 miles SW of Scilly Island
48.37N, 09.28W


43

Q ship Q.8

Egon von Werner
Oberleutnant zur See (Crew 4/08)
Successes
68 ships sunk for a total of 60.918 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 320 tons
10 ships damaged for a total of 53.071 GRT

Born: 31 Dec 1888 Sigmaringen (Baden-Württemberg)
Dead: 23 Jun 1955 Sigmaringen (Baden-Württemberg)

U-boat Commands
UC 1 7 May 1915 - 13 Apr 1916
UC 16 26 Jun 1916 - 22 Apr 1917
UB 54 12 Jun 1917 - 7 Feb 1918
UB 111 5 Apr 1918 - 11 Nov 1918

Built in 1894 by Ramage & Ferguson Ltd. of Leith, the Q-Ship Vala was a former rather slow Collier vessel with a tonnage of 1,016 GT, and was later armed with four 12-pounder guns and two 6-pounders. After as many as seven close encounters with enemy U-Boats, she was sunk in the Bay of Biscay by the German submarine U54 under the command of Egon von Werner on the 20th of August 1917. Perhaps having inadvertently aroused some suspicion, having been recognised, or perhaps simply through a judicious use of caution, the Vala was sunk by torpedo with 43 casualties, including Lieutenant Mark Norman Rennie.
The German captain announced on the 8th of September , 1917 in a radio broadcast from Berlin, that ‘…the English U-Boat trap, Q-8, the former steamer Vala, an unknown steamer of about 4000 tons, from appearance, and judging by the arms and searchlight carried and the uniform of the crew, was an auxiliary cruiser’. Once the Vala was overdue, the Q-Ship Heather was sent to look for her, but found no trace of ship or crew

Pete

Raynor was a Seaman during the 1st World War on the ship HMS Vala and is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. I hadn't realised he was also on a local memorial. Details of his death can be found on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

His sevice number was J/47206 and the next time I get to Kew I will see if I can find his service history.

Regards
Val

here is the Birth reg. ref.

Name: Henry Charles
Year of Registration: 1859
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Chepstow
County: Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire
Volume: 11a
Page: 18

There is a Raynor Henry Charles on the Aylburton WW1 War memorial.
Maybe a family relative?

Pete

1871 Census, Glos, Flaxley, District 33a, Page 10
43 Woodside Road

Thomas - 37 - Collier - born L/Dean
Emma - 33 - Aylburton
Emily H - 5 - Cinderford - Emily Hannah - 11 March 1866, Cinderford St John
Charles W - 3 - Cinderford - Charles William - 25 June 1871, Cinderford St John
Wm H - 1 - Cinderford - William Henry - 25 June 1871, Cinderford St John
Edith - under 1 month - born Cinderford - Edith Melinda - 25 June 1871 Cinderford St John
Mary GRIFFIN - Mother age 68, born Newent

Obviously, Emma and Thomas had their 3 youngest children baptised on the same day - which was a Sunday, looking on the net at the 1871 Calendar.

www.hf.rim.or.jp/~kaji/cal/cal.cgi?1871

Henry CHARLES age 9 buried 23 June 1868, Lydney (Residence Aylburton)

James CHARLES - 35 - Ag Lab - Y
Tamar - 30
William - 5
James - 2
Emma - 5 months

1851 Census, Aylburton, District 4 Page 11

James CHARLES - 44 - born Aylburton
Tamar - 49 - Awre
William - 14
James - 12
Emma - 10
Mary - 7
George -1

All children born Aylburton

1861 Census, Aylburton, District 2, Page 4

James CHARLES - 56, Coalhewer, born Aylburton
Tamar - 40 - Blakeney
Emma - 21 - Aylburton
George -11 - Aylburton
Henry - Grandson age 1 - Aylburton

Thanks for your help
Rose

I wonder if this is the other Henry?

Record_ID: 39183
Entry_Number: 417
Year: 1859
Month: Jul
Day: 7
Parents_Surname: CHARLES
Child_Forenames: Henry
Fathers_Forenames: [not stated]
Mothers_Forenames: Emma
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Aylburton
Occupation: Servant
Officiating_Minister: George Cholmondeley Curate
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: illegitimate son
Notes:
Register_Reference: PFC209 IN 1/5
Page_Number: 53
Parish_Chapel: Lydney
Soundex: C642