In Newquay New Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave of Second Engineer Walter Klotz serving on S.S. War Grange with the Mercantile Marine who died 15/05/1918.
The son of Julius and Mary E. Klotz and the husband of Mary Park Klotz, of Capenor, St. George’s Terrace, East Boldon, Co. Durham. He was born at Jarrow on Tyne.
In Jarrow Cemetery there is a family headstone which reads:
In Memoriam
Julius E.C. Klutz
died 14th Jan. 1921 aged 76 years
Also Walter Klotz his eldest son
Killed by torpedo in SS War Grange
Off Newquay May 15 1918
Aged 42 years
Also Mary wife of above
Who died Jan. 15. 1933
In her 81st year
In the shadows of his wings there is rest.
Christine Davison has submitted the following-
Walter Klotz was the son of Julius Klotz and Mary, his wife, husband of Mary, nee Otto.
His father was a naturalised British Subject, having been born in Germany. Walter was born at North Shields in 1875 but seems to have spent most of his childhood in Jarrow.
After his marriage he lived at Capenor, which was the name of the ship he was serving on in 1915. He was a seagoing engineer and served on several ships, the 1901 census gives his ship as Oakdale, I can’t find any record of him on the 1911 census, so he was probably at sea somewhere. His wife and two children are recorded as living at number 50, St George’s Terrace, East Boldon.
Being an engineer in the Mercantile Marine meant that Walter would be one of the first to be enlisted. I have been unable to find out much about his wartime service, but at the time of his death was 2nd Engineer on the S.S. War Grange. The vessel was a new 3,100 tonne steamer built in 1917 and worked the Bordeaux to Cardiff route.
The ship was torpedoed on 15th May 1918, by a German U-boat in the Bristol Channel, 7 miles off Newquay’s Towan Head. The town’s lifeboat was launched to help the stricken vessel, but 5 of the Steamer’s crew lost their lives, including Walter. They are buried in the town cemetery and commemorated on a plaque in St Michael’s Church, Newquay.
Older residents of East Boldon may remember his son Walter, who lived in his family home until his death.
The British Steamer SS War Grange, ship number 140450, was torpedoed by a German U Boat U 55, commanded by Kapitänleutnan Wilhelm Werner, 7 miles North of Town Head – damaged by a torpedo and beached at Newquay. Later salvaged. The vessel was in Ballast and was on a voyage from Bordeaux to Cardiff. There were 5 casualties.
Walter Klotz is remembered at East Boldon on E46.01, at Jarrow in J2.17, at South Shields on S86.102, at West Boldon on W99.02 and W99.06 and on our List of Ships crews.
