Barbara McDermott
Encyclopedia
Barbara McDermott was the last American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
survivor of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...
on May 7, 1915, and one of the last two survivors.
Biography
Barbara McDermott was born Barbara Winifred Anderson in ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
on June 15, 1912, to Roland Anderson and Emily Pybus. Her father worked as a draftsman for an ammunitions factory in southwestern Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Barbara and her mother boarded the RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...
at Pier 54
Pier 54
Pier 54 in New York City is a former Cunard Line pier that is associated with the 1912 RMS Titanic and 1915 RMS Lusitania maritime disasters. It is now part of Hudson River Park.-Chelsea Piers:...
in New York City, New York on May 1, 1915, en route to Queenstown, Ireland (now Cobh). Barbara's mother was five months pregnant as she boarded the ship. Barbara's father was unable to accompany his wife and daughter as World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
had created high demands for ammunition manufacturing at the factory where he worked.
On May 7, the Lusitania was just eight miles away from Old Head of Kinsale
Old Head of Kinsale
The Old Head of Kinsale, is a headland near Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. An early lighthouse was established here in the 17th century by Robert Reading...
, a headland near Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, when it was hit by a torpedo fired by U-20, a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
submarine. Barbara recalled being in the ship's dining room eating dessert when the torpedo hit. She remembered holding onto her spoon as she saw fellow passengers running about the badly damaged ship. In the midst of chaos, Barbara was separated from her mother and loaded into Lifeboat No. 15. Barbara later found out that her mother had fallen into the ocean, but was rescued and placed into the same lifeboat as her daughter. Neither Barbara nor her mother was seriously injured. The Lusitania sank in just 18 minutes, taking with her 1,198 of the 1,959 people aboard.
After their rescue, Barbara and her mother traveled to Darlington, England to live with Barbara's maternal grandmother. Barbara's mother gave birth there to a son, Frank Roland, on September 30, 1915. Frank Roland would live just five months before dying on March 16, 1916. Barbara's mother would live just one more year before she died on March 22, 1917 at the age of 28. Two years after her mother died, Barbara left England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and traveled back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aboard the Mauretania
RMS Mauretania (1906)
RMS Mauretania was an ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear for the British Cunard Line, and launched on 20 September 1906. At the time, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world. Mauretania became a favourite among...
and arrived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on December 26, 1919.
Death
Barbara died on April 12, 2008 in Wallingford, ConnecticutWallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
at the age of 95. Her death made Audrey Lawson-Johnston
Audrey Pearl
Audrey Lawson-Johnston, née Audrey Warren Pearl was the last survivor of the sinking of the on May 7, 1915....
, 95, the last-living survivor of the RMS Lusitania disaster.