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Leslie Morton and the "Lusitania"


archie57

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Perhaps overshadowed by the election, today marks 100 years since the "Lusitania" was sunk. Leslie Morton, later manager of the GUCCCo and Willow Wren, was at the time a crew member, along with his brother. He was the lookout who spotted the torpedo (always maintaining there were two) and along with another crew member rescued around 100 people, for which he received a medal for gallantry, presented by the King. The first part of his autobiography, "The Long Wake", is well worth reading for those interested in the sea.

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Perhaps overshadowed by the election, today marks 100 years since the "Lusitania" was sunk. Leslie Morton, later manager of the GUCCCo and Willow Wren, was at the time a crew member, along with his brother. He was the lookout who spotted the torpedo (always maintaining there were two) and along with another crew member rescued around 100 people, for which he received a medal for gallantry, presented by the King. The first part of his autobiography, "The Long Wake", is well worth reading for those interested in the sea.

I didn't know he'd written an autobiography- thanks, on the reading list now!

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I knew Leslie Morton briefly during the 1960's. I knew he had served in te Merchant Navy during WW1 and his involvement as general managed of the GUCC but he never mentioned his heroic actions or his award. I can remember sitting in his office one morning when he was talking about the formation of Willow Wren, and him complaining saying "I had to buy my own bloody boats back"

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I can remember sitting in his office one morning when he was talking about the formation of Willow Wren, and him complaining saying "I had to buy my own bloody boats back"

 

Our "Letchworth"/"Flamingo" is one of 8 motor boats that Willow Wren purchased from British Waterways in December 1961 for £1,900 in total.

 

They may have bought some of them back, but you would be lucky to buy a steel motor for under £250 these days, I think.

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Our "Letchworth"/"Flamingo" is one of 8 motor boats that Willow Wren purchased from British Waterways in December 1961 for £1,900 in total.

 

They may have bought some of them back, but you would be lucky to buy a steel motor for under £250 these days, I think.

 

 

That £250 equates to £5K in todays money.

 

NB In D Blagroves books he just calls him "Morton" - never sure whether they did not get on terribly well or that's what he wanted to be known as.

Edited by mark99
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That £250 equates to £5K in todays money.

 

NB In D Blagroves books he just calls him "Morton" - never sure whether they did not get on terribly well or that's what he wanted to be known as.

 

Maybe they both went to the sort of school where it was normal to address others by surname alone?

 

Tim

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Maybe they both went to the sort of school where it was normal to address others by surname alone?

 

Tim

I think that's more likely. Although he only refers to him by his surname, there's an affectionate tone in his descriptions of him, I think.

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Maybe they both went to the sort of school where it was normal to address others by surname alone?

 

Tim

In boys' schools this was the norm until at least the late '60s - I attended State schools and surnames, or sometimes nicknames, were the normal mode of address.

Maybe his fork put him off.

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I knew Leslie Morton briefly during the 1960's. I knew he had served in te Merchant Navy during WW1 and his involvement as general managed of the GUCC but he never mentioned his heroic actions or his award. I can remember sitting in his office one morning when he was talking about the formation of Willow Wren, and him complaining saying "I had to buy my own bloody boats back"

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/visit/floor-plan/lusitania/morton-medal.aspx

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In boys' schools this was the norm until at least the late '60s - I attended State schools and surnames, or sometimes nicknames, were the normal mode of address.

 

My (then) father-in-law was headmaster of a private school in Suffolk in the 1970s, and it was a bit like Upstairs Downstairs even then, with all the support staff known only by their surname - "Soanes" for example was the head cook.

 

Where there were siblings in the school, they were appended with "Minor", "Major" etc - and yes, there really was a Morris Minor.

 

Strange place - as my first wife Pam once said, where else do you get to see a Tory cabinet minister playing a friendly game of cricket with a Rolling Stone?

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That £250 equates to £5K in todays money.

 

NB In D Blagroves books he just calls him "Morton" - never sure whether they did not get on terribly well or that's what he wanted to be known as.

 

That is what everyone called him. When he was due to visit Walkers at Rickmansworth the word would apparently go round that "Morton was coming". As for whether David Blagrove got on with him, I heard that he was sacked from Willow Wren, but that was apparently a regular occurence for many Willow Wren captains after a heavy night at the Admiral Nelson, only for them to be re-engaged the following morning.

Edited by David Schweizer
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That is what everyone called him. When he was due to visit Walkers at Rickmansworth the word wor apparently go round that Morton was coming. As for whether David Blagrove got on with him, I heard that he was sacked from Wwillow Wren, but that was apparently a regular occurence for many Willow Wren captains after a heavy night at the Admiral Nelson, only for them to be re-engaged the following morning.

I think that's covered in Bread Upon the Waters- DB and mate were taking crumb to somewhere, but got iced in; he was left alone on the boats, and went to beat a local shoot to earn some money, but got snowed in, and whilst he was away a company representative saw that one sack of crumb was moistened and the cargo and boats abandoned, and kicked up a fuss, so Morton fired DB, put his mate on as steerer, and then allowed the new steerer to choose DB as mate.

Edited by FadeToScarlet
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