In Memory of

EMMANUEL COMBY LAVERICK

Master

S.S. "Holmtown.", Mercantile Marine

who died on

Wednesday 6th February 1918. Age 64.

Additional Information:

Baptised in Redcar, North Yorkshire, 12 Dec 1853. Married Mary Hannah Harrison c.1887. Their son William Leslie Laverick was born in 1890. Emmanuel acquired his Master's Certificate at West Hartlepool 20 Dec 1882. The family lived at 1 Ilton Rd in 1911 Census, when Emmanuel was first mate on SS Kildare, berthed at Port Talbot. On 3 Feb 1918 Emmanuel was a master mariner on board the cargo ship SS Holmtown travelling from Rouen to Cardiff, when it was sunk by UB59 east of the Shambles light house in the English Channel. All 15 crew were lost. Emmanuel’s body was washed ashore at Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, on 7 Feb 1918. He is buried in Cardiff (Cathays) Cemetery.


Commemorative Information

Cemetery: CARDIFF (CATHAYS) CEMETERY, Glamorganshire, United Kingdom
Grave Reference/Panel Number: B. CE. 1811. Inscription: "In loving memory of Emmanuel Comby Laverick, Master Mariner, who died at sea through enemy action Feb 7 1918, aged 64 years. His body was washed ashore at Swanage and interred here. Also Mary Hannah, wife of the above, died Feb 6 1940, aged 81 years."
Other Memorial: Mackintosh Institute Roll of Honour. Now lost. Researched by Roath Local History Society.
Historical Information: During the 1939-1945 War, the city of Cardiff was one of the Royal Naval bases of the Western Approaches Command. It was severely damaged by enemy air attack during the early part of the 1939-1945 War and has been largely rebuilt. The cemetery, known locally as Cathays Cemetery was opened in 1859 and has been extended to cover over 100 acres. The cemetery contains war graves of both world wars. Just over a third of the 1914-1918 burials are contained in a War Graves Plot in the portion of Section EB, this plot is on two converging roadways leading to the main entrance. The remainder of the graves are scattered in other parts of the cemetery. After the 1914-1918 War, a Cross of Sacrifice was erected in front of the plot in the angle formed by the junction of the two roadways, the whole forming a triangular island site. The 1939-1945 War burials are scattered throughout the cemetery in more than 30 different sections. A number of them are airmen who came from the Royal Air Force stations at Cardiff and St. Athan. There are now nearly 500, 1914-1918 and over 200, 1939-1945 war casualties commemorated in this site. Some 40 French and Norwegian Foreign Nationals are also commemorated here.