Current Information:

Age-39

76, Vauxhall Street, Vauxhall

The Transylvania was built in 1914 as a passenger liner for the Cunard Line but in 1915 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and commissioned as a troop carrier. Working as such, on 3rd May, 1917, HMT Transylvania left Marseille bound for Alexandria in Egypt with nearly 3000 soldiers aboard and escorted by two Japanese destroyers, the Matsu and the Sakaki. At 10 a.m. on the 4th May she was struck in the port engine room by a torpedo from the German submarine U-63. At the time the ship was on a zig zag course at a speed of 14 knots, and two and a half miles south of Cape Vado, near Savona, in the Gulf of Genoa. She at once headed for the land two miles distant, while the Matsu came alongside to take off the troops and the Sakaki steamed around to keep the submarine submerged. Twenty minutes later a torpedo was seen coming straight for the Matsu, which saved herself by going astern at full speed. The torpedo then struck HMT Transylvania and she sank very quickly, less than an hour after she was first hit. Ten crew members, 29 army officers and 373 soldiers lost their lives. One of these was James Parkings of the Royal Army Medical Corps.