Lost Lascars Remembered 100 years on
On an exposed hill in Dover’s St. Mary’s Cemetery, a once forgotten memorial commemorates the final resting place of 22 Lascars lost when P&O’s Maloja struck a mine off Dover pier, 100 years ago. Forgotten that is until one of our enquirers, Miss Leah Baker, contacted us…
We had no prior knowledge of this important memorial and without Leah’s help, it might well have lain unnoticed for another century. Instead we embarked on a collaborative research and restoration project which culminated in a remembrance service held at the memorial on 27th February 2016, 100 years to the day of the tragedy.
Memorial before restoration
Specialists Cleverley & Spencer, at work on the memorial.
The restoration work to date has included securing the 6ft granite memorial to a stone anchor, cleaning and repairing and repainting the lead lettering.
The final part of the restoration was to repair and repaint the inscription in urdu...
Reverend Andrew Huckett, Captain John Tolman and Leah Baker
The remembrance service was officiated by Reverend Andrew Huckett, Chaplain Emeritus, The Mission to Seafarers and included a reading by Captain John Tolman Master of P&O Ferries Spirit of Britain, the laying of wreaths, a two minute silence and the Last Post.
Maloja had left Tilbury on 26th February 1916 on a scheduled voyage, carrying passengers, cargo and mails, bound for India. Having spent a night at anchor Maloja’s master Captain Irving recounted “We passed Dover at 10.15 am. About ten minutes later when to the west of Dover, there was a tremendous explosion in the aft end of the ship”. Maloja had struck an enemy mine and for the next 25 minutes Captain and crew made frantic and vain attempts to slow and then stop engines to allow the lowering of lifeboats. Several lifeboats were lowered on starboard side before Maloja sank beneath the waves.
“ One moment a splendid liner crowded with passengers with hopes and aspirations like ourselves, breathing in the pure sea air & thrilled with the joy of life. Next they are swiftly hurled into eternity and the liner a thing of the past. Surely war is a frightful thing.”
Lance Corporal John Lawton, East Kent Regiment
Those who could be saved were picked up by the Dover Harbour tugs Lady Brassey and Lady Crundall ferrying them to the waiting hospital ships Dieppe and St. David.
Ashore the Market Hall was turned into a temporary mortuary as the scale of the tragedy became all too apparent. All told 122 lives were lost. 76 of Maloja’s British and Asian crew perished and with them 46 passengers.
For over half of this number there was no grave but the sea but for the 34 buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Dover was their final resting place. This was a civilian tragedy (only a handful of passengers had a military connection) but the people of Dover, and the troops stationed in the town, marked their passing with the utmost respect and full military honours.
P&O Stewardess Edith Maberley was laid to rest in Dover
Three of P&O’s crew lost from Maloja were women. Like their male counterparts their sacrifice was recorded in the Merchant Navy Memorial at Tower Hill and their graves marked with Commonwealth War Graves.
To find out more about P&O’s role in WW1, visit our online exhibition 'Our War at Sea'.
