In South Shields (Harton) Cemetery is a headstone maintained by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission on behalf of the Ministry of Defence as a non-war headstone which reads:-
T. Branchie
Fireman and Trimmer
S.S. “Fairwater”
6th December 1944.
Thomas Branchie was born 26th September 1871 at Bowrahon in Sierra Leone, (then British Protected West Africa).
Thomas was a Fireman and Trimmer. He also worked for the Pemberton Colliery at Monkwearmouth, Sunderland.
On the 3rd August 1933, Thomas was cautioned at the South Shields police court for failing to register a change of address. The Chief Constable said the case was brought out of necessity, by the Aliens department who had concerns with the number of Aliens changing their addresses without notifying the police. Thomas now was at Back of Commercial Road, two years prior he registered at Percy street, December 1930. Before that he had registered on the 30th April 1926. In 1921, Thomas was residing at 20 George Street, Sunderland with Ellen Branchie, born 1891. Also at this address was 4 boarders.
On 8th May 1936, Thomas Branchie arrived in New York, USA, from Newcastle upon Tyne, on the Willesden, ship number 148530, as a member of the crew where he was Fireman and Trimmer.
In 1939, Thomas Branchie, was residing at 36 Wilson Street, South Shields, and he was a Seagoing Fireman on the Newton, ship number 140628. Also at the home were Elizabeth Branchie, born 3rd June 1889, died 1940, and one redacted record.
On 27th August 1944, Thomas Branchie arrived in New York, USA, from Newcastle upon Tyne, on the Generton, ship number 161600.
Thomas was killed on the 6th December 1944, due to shock after receiving severe scalding, accidentally sustained in the course of his employment by a gross emission of steam, caused by the collapsing of the starboard crown of the centre boiler.
There was an inquest held by the South Shields Coroner (Mr W. M. Patterson) on Friday 8th December 1944 on two West African fireman trimmers who were found dead in the stokehold of a ship lying at the Commissioners Buoys, East Tier, in the Tyne. SS Fairweather, ship number 148300, was the ship involved.
They were Thomas Branchie (73), of 14 Havelock Street, and John Mormodu (53), of 83 Maxwell Street, South Shields.
Sources: British Newspaper Archive; National Archives; Merchant Navy Archivist; Billy McGee; James Hoy Archive; Jennifer Stephenson
Thomas Branchie is remembered at Westoe in W101.08, page 13, and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
