Captain William Henry Ladd, who survived two attacks on SS Adenwen (by U-29 and by UC-65) and one on SS Haulwen (by U-43).
William Ladd was born in Cardigan in early 1883 and gained his tickets as 2nd mate in 1905, 1st mate in 1906 and master in 1909. During the First World War, he was master of steam ships belonging to the Cardiff owners W & C. T. Jones. His first encounter was in Adenwen in the English Channel when the attempted sinking by U-29 failed and she was repaired and put back in service. As master of Adenwen, he was later torpedoed by UC-65 in the Irish Sea. He then served as master of Haulwen, in turn torpedoed, by U-43, 200 miles west of Ireland.
There were several master mariners called William Ladd. William Henry
was descended from James Ladd and Elizabeth Griffiths (married 1806,
Llangoedmor, near Cardigan); who produced a son William Ladd (b 1816) who married Margaret
Morris in 1851; who produced a son John Ladd (1859-1927), described as a
Marine Engineer, who married Jane Giffiths in
1883; and they had a son William Henry (born Cardigan region).
Chris Michael has an ancestor William Ladd, brother to James
Ladd above. This line also produced master mariners: William married Rachel
Morris in 1810 and had a son William (b 1825) who became a captain,
based at Swansea. Another son, John (b 1823) married Mary Jane Down in
1859 and their son William Richard Ladd (b 1862) became a captain also,
based in Cardiff. A daughter Sarah (b 1825) married John Williams
(mariner based in Swansea, then Newport) and their daughter Martha married
Captain David Michael, ancestor of Chris Michael.
SS Adenwen [Welsh for white wing], built 1913 by Bartram & Sons, Sunderland South Dock
Steel screw steamer: 3798 grt; 2386 nrt; 350.0 x 50.0 x 23.7 ft
Engines T3cyl (25, 42 & 68 x 48in), 320nhp, 1 screw, by J. Dickinson & Sons Ltd.
Voyage Rouen to Barry in ballast
11 March 1915, U 29 (Otto Weddigen) stopped her and put explosive devices
aboard.
Crew (24-34 listed on crew lists) left in their own 2 boats, no lives lost
She was damaged 20 miles NW of the Casquets but did not sink and was
towed into Cherbourg by French destroyer Claymore.
Repaired and put back into service.
From Western Mail - Monday 15 March 1915
ADENWEN, torpedoed[sic] in the English Channel
March 11. She has since been towed into Cherbourg. The crew have been landed
at Brixham.
THE ADENWEN. CONSIDERATION SHOWN BY THE SUBMARINE CREW.
An interesting account of the attack on the Cardiff steamship Adenwen by
submarine U29 in the English Channel has been furnished by members of the crew
who have returned to their homes.
The steamer was in command of Captain Ladd, and
was in the Admiralty service, returning in ballast from Havre on Thursday
morning. At daybreak the mate reported a submarine in the distance signalling.
The submarine, which was recognised as German, was awash, her conning tower being
out of the water, well as the top of the hull.
Full speed was ordered, and the steamer, which was nearly new, attained about
eleven knots per hour, but the submarine was doing fifteen knots, and in about
an hour and half got alongside and hailed the Adenwen from a distance that
gave the crew of the Cardiff vessel no opportunity of ramming her. The German
commander ordered the Adenwen to be stopped or he would torpedo her. Then the
crew were ordered to their lifeboats. Some of them saved part of their effects
in the five minutes' grace that was given.
After this Germans went on board and put bombs on the bottom of the steamer,
which were exploded by long fuses. When the steamer was apparently sinking,
the submarine took the crew in tow and proceeded towards Brixham, meeting
later with a Norwegian vessel, which took them on board, and eventually landed
the men all safe and sound. They later returned to their homes in Cardiff and
the vicinity. No complaint was made of ill-treatment.
Apparently the Adenwen was not so completely damaged as the Germans thought
and Government tugs which went to search for her were able tow the
vessel safely into Cherbourg.
According to a Plymouth correspondent, the
captain of the Adenwen asked the commander of the submarine to spare his ship,
but the commander replied that as war was war he was unable accede to the
request, adding: "I am very, very sorry to have to sink your ship".
The British were allowed ten minutes to launch their lifeboats, the commander of the
submarine said, "I wish that no lives should be lost". Two lifeboats were lowered.
One sailor either fell or jumped overboard, and the commander of the
submarine, noticing this, sent a suit of dry clothes for him. Four German
sailors boarded the Adenwen and took the ensign and other flags as souvenirs of their
capture. The submarine took two lifeboats in tow, but subsequently fell in
with the Norwegian steamer Botnia. The Germans gave the British a box of
cigars, and wanted to know if they had had anything to eat. The Germans were well
armed. They had two revolvers apiece.
It was stated that if guns had been on
board the Adenwen, it is quite possible that they would have hit or sunk the
submarine, as she appeared so close to the port quarter. The British sailors
speak very highly of the treatment they received from the Germans. They were
treated, they said, as perfect gentlemen, and with every possible human
consideration.
The Norwegian steamer Botnia arrived at Swansea on Friday
with the story of the sinking of the Adenwen. Captain Christensen stated that
whilst steaming in the Channel, he came across a German submarine towing two boats
containing the crew of the Adenwen. The commander requested him to take the
crew aboard and land them in England, and he did so. One of the lifeboats was
picked up and brought on Swansea.
The following are particulars of boats mentioned in the above
list: - Adenwen, 3,798 tons, built in 1913; master Captain Ladd; owned by
Messrs. W. and C. T. Jones Steamship Company (Limited)
From Westminster Gazette - Friday 26 March 1915
The same afternoon [of the day when Adenwen was boarded] U-29 stopped and
sank the French steamer Auguste Conseil off Start Point. On the following day,
U-29 appeared off the Scillies and sank the steamers Indian City, Headlands,
and Andalusian. The captain of the Andalusian was told by the commander of
U-29 (Lieutenant-Commander [Otto] Weddigen) that it was he who had sunk [in
U-9 in one hour] the three cruisers HMS Aboukir, HMS Cressy and HMS Hougue [on
22 September 1914 off the Netherlands with the loss of 1450 men].
Admiralty Statement: The Admiralty have good reason to believe that the
German Submarine U-29 has been sunk with all hands.
On March 18th, 1915, the German submarine U-29 (Otto Weddigen), was rammed and sunk by British battleship HMS Dreadnought off Pentland Firth. 32 dead (all hands lost)
From: British Merchant Ships Sunk by U-boat in World War One by A.J. Tennent:
SS Adenwen, by now defensively armed, was carrying sugar from Cienfuegos [Cuba]
to Liverpool [via Cobh] when she was torpedoed by UC-65
in St.George's Channel [6 miles SE by E of Arklow Light Vessel] on 25 March 1917.
Ten crew were lost, mainly those working below decks
[list here]. Captain W. H. Ladd survived.
SS Haulwen [Welsh for white sun], built J. Readhead & Sons, South Shields in 1903
Steel screw steamer, 4212 grt, 2612 nrt, 355.4 x 48.8 x 25.8ft
Engines by John Readhead & Sons, South Shields: 1 screw, T3cyl (25, 42 & 68 x 45ins), 329nhp
Defensively armed
On a voyage from Montreal to Manchester with a cargo of wheat
June 9th, 1917, 250 miles NW of Fastnet, torpedoed by U-43 (Waldemar Bender)
Captain W. H. Ladd and most crew survived, 4 crew lost
[list here]
Note: a convoy system for Atlantic crossings was only introduced from May 1917
to counter the rising number of sinkings by U-boats, including that of the liner Lusitania
in 7th May 1917.