MORRIS Sidney

Born South Littleton 14th November 1883.

Berrow’s Worcester Journal, 7th November 1914:
LOST WITH THE ROHILLA
Evesham Man’s death.
Mr Sydney Morris, who was a dispenser in the Navy, lost his life in the loss of the Red Cross ship Rohilla, which went ashore early on Friday morning near Whitby. His friends, after two days of great anxiety, heard on Sunday night that his body had been washed ashore. Mr Sidney Morris was one of the several sons of Mr John Morris, a much respected farmer, of Manor Farm, South Littleton, Evesham, and a brother of Mrs Harry Averill, of Evesham.

SS Rohilla was a steamship built in Belfast by Harland & Wolff for the British India Steam Navigation Company. She was launched in September 1906 and spent two years as a passenger and cruise liner operating between Southampton and Karachi during the winter months. In 1908 she was converted into a troop ship for permanent military service and then in to a hospital ship in August 1914, becoming known as HMHS Rohilla.

On 16th August she sailed from Southampton to Scapa Flow to commence training. Her final fateful voyage commenced on 29th October 1914. HMHS Rohilla, under the command of Captain David Landles Neilson, left Scapa Flow to sail down the East coast of England.  Captain Neilson was unfamiliar with the waters, navigation under wartime restrictions prevented the use of navigation lights, there was concern with regard to German u-boats and mines being in the area and the onset of gale force winds and mountainous seas all combined to seal the fate of HMS Rohilla. At 4am on the morning of 29th October 1914, she ran aground on rocks at Saltwick Nab just south of Whitby Harbour. Although less than 600 yards from the shore, the rescue was long and difficult and it took 50 hours to rescue 144 of the 229 passengers and crew aboard the ship. Eighty five of those on board perished in the tragedy.