On the Tower Hill Memorial, London is the name of Master Gabriel Almond serving on the S.S. Empire Wagtail (London) with the Merchant Navy who died 28/12/1942.

The husband of Florence C. Almond, of South Shields, Co. Durham.

In South Shields (Harton) Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:

In loving remembrance of
Noble Anthony
dear and only son of
N. & M.E. Sanderson
who departed to a higher life
March 7th 1920 aged 24 years.

Also Gladys
infant daughter of the above
who died July 27th 1900.

Also Mary Elizabeth
beloved wife of Noble Sanderson
who departed this life
Feb. 28th 1929, aged 66 years.

Also Noble Sanderson
husband of the above
who died March 24th 1938
aged 80 years.

Also Gabriel Almond
Master Mariner
the dearly loved husband of
Florence C. Almond
who was lost through enemy action
in the North Atlantic
December 28th 1942, aged 52 years.

They resided at 10 Blagdon Avenue, South Shields.

Gabriel Almond was born the eldest of four children on the 19th May 1890, baptised 15th June 1890, at St Stephen’s Church, South Shields to his mother Mary Elizabeth Almond, born 19th June 1862, baptised 9th July 1862, died 12th August 1924.

The other children were: –

Joseph ‘Joe’ Almond, born February 1892, baptised 20th March 1892 at St Stephen’s Church, died 29th May 1912, buried at Westoe Cemetery.

Anna Almond, born 19th January 1894, baptised 18th February 1894, St Hilda’s Church, she married a George Miller Stobart, born 1st July 1891, in 1917, died 1974. They were residing at 68, John Mather Street, South Shields, with her mother, husband and daughter, Dorothy A. Stobart, born in 1921. George Miller Stobart served and survived WW inthe Royal Navy. Official number J71595, served in the Royal Navy from 7th June 1917 until 25th February 1919, initially HMS Victory 1, an administrative accounting base and shore establishment used by the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. Because naval regulations required every sailor to be carried on the “books” of a commissioned vessel, shore-based personnel, reserves, and those awaiting transfer were assigned to HMS Victory I.  His last ship was Victory X. In 1939, Anna, George and their daughter Dorothy, were residing at 325, Rawling Road, Gateshead, and George was a Grocer’s Assistant at the Co-op Stores. Dorothy was a Booking Clerk for L.N.E.R. and would later marry Thomas H. Campbell towards the end of 1943, in Gateshead, Durham.Anna Stobert died, aged 87, IN 1981, in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Arthur Almond – born 5th September 1896, baptised 4th October 1896, at St. Hilda’s Church, South Shields; died 1972 at married a Sarah Elizabeth Younger, born in 1898, in 1920, in South Shields, died 2nd February 1980,  Arthur obtained his certificate as Second Mate for Foreign-Going Steam Ships on the 2nd September 1916, at South Shields.  After WW1, he was awarded the campaign medals for 1914-1925. In 1939, he was serving on Laristan, ship number 149446, leaving Aruba and docking at New York, USA, on the 13th September 1939. Arthur Almond, aged 76, of 24 Cleadon Hill Drive, South Shields, died 1972, South Shields.

Mary Elizabeth Almond was the daughter, [one of six children],  of father Charles Almond, born 1825, died 27th April 1883, [he was lost at sea  by the Foundering of the S.S. Said, ship number 62600], and his wife Jane nee Miller, born 1824. They were married on the 10th July 1849 at St Hilda’s Church, South Shields. In 1871, she resided at 3, Kepple Street, Westoe, South Shields, 

In 1911, Sarah Elizabeth Younger was residing with her parents, Tom William and Selina Alice Younger, at 12, Clifton Terrace, South Shields with her two sisters  Sophie McBain Younger, born in 1895; and Selina Alice Younger, born in 1900. In 1939, Sarah was residing at 23, Morpeth Avenue, South Shields, and she was an Auxiliary Nurse at Ingham Infirmary.  Also at the home was a Clifford Y. Almond, born 7th August 1926.

Gabriel Almond was indentured into the Merchant Navy, at age 15, on the 19th June 1906, at Newcastle upon Tyne, with the Prince Line Ltd.  He obtained his Master and Mates certificate on he 8th September 1914, at South Shields. Gabriel married Florence Christina nee Sanderson, born 17th March 1888, in 1916, in South Shields.  died 29th June 1983, [the daughter of Noble Young Sanderson, born 1858, died 24th March 1938, and Mary Elizabeth., nee Oliver, then formerly Scott, born 1861, died 28th February 1929, they were married in 1887 at Hexham].  In 1911, Florence was the eldest of eight children, and the family resided at 8, Chichester Road, South Shields.  Noble Sanderson was a Carting Contractor.

In 1921, after her husband’s death, Florence resided back with her parents Noble and Mary Elizabeth Sanderson, along with her son, Eric Almond, born 31st December 1919. In 1939, Florence remained at 10, Blagdon Avenue, with Eric, who was a Warehouse Apprentice with hosiery etc.

In 1921, Gabriel Almond was  a Chief Officer (733/6, employed by Messrs. R. Chapman & Son, Steamship Owners), on the ship Grainton, ship number 129766. and moored at Mercantile Buoys, Jarrow-on-Tyne. He later sailed as Master on the SS Empire Wagtail, ship number 168247 and, at the time was residing at 10, Blagdon Avenue, South Shields.

The SS Empire Wagtail was a steam merchant ship of 4,893 tons.  She was completed in September 1919 as Ossining for US Shipping Board (USSB). 1933 she was renamed Point Lobos for Gulf Pacific Mail Line (Swayne & Hoyt Ltd Inc), San Francisco CA.  In 1941, she was transferred to Britain and renamed Empire Wagtail by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).  She was owned by Smith Hogg & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. At 22.36 and 22.37 hours on the 28th December 1942, U-260, commanded by Kapitän leutnant Hubertus Purkhold, fired torpedoes at convoy ONS-154 about 900 miles west of Cape Finisterre and reported one ship sunk with one torpedo, a second vessel sunk with three and a third ship damaged by one torpedo. However, the only ship hit at this time was the SS Empire Wagtail (Master Gabriel Almond), ship number 168247. The master, 35 crew members and eight gunners were lost.

Gabriel Almond died, aged 51, on the 28th December 1942, due to enemy action, and was presumed drowned.

Sources: U Boat Net; Naval History Net; The National Archives;The British Newspaper Archive; The James Hoy Archive; Jennifer Stephenson; James Pasby

Gabriel Almond is remembered at South Shields on S86.037, at Westoe in W101.08, page 6, and in our List of Ships’ Crews.