U-Boat sinkings Atlantic September 1914

[Isambard]

My father-in law returned to Canada on the Donaldson Line's Letitia, sailing from Glasgow 19 Sept 1914, arriving Montreal 27 Sept 1914. He was at the time 11 years old. He recalled that the Letitia stopped to pick up survivors of a U-boat sinking. I am seeking any information on such an event.

[Chasing Caseys]

Hello Isambard

You could try The Mitchell Library
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Library_Services/The_Mitchell/
or
Aberdeen University
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/emigration/
have been putting together a data base of

passengers who embarked at Glasgow and Greenock for non-European ports between 1 January and 30 April 1923, and at other Scottish ports between 1890 and 1960.
Not the years you are looking at but they may be able to help, and they are very helpful.

(couldnt make the links work without including the hhttp www)

[Chasing Caseys]

There is also mention of an SS Letitia and the Convoys on Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Letitia#Early_service (put http:// in front)
This Letitia look to have been built in 1924.

[Geoffers]

I think this is too early for U-Boat attacks on merchant ships?

In Sept 1914, the only ships I can find that were sunk by U-Boats were three old cruisers, HMS Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue in the North Sea and HMS Pathfinder (another older cruiser) off Berwickshire.

Losses to surface raiders seem possible, you can find a list here

naval-history.net/WW1LossesBrMS1914-16.htm
(you'll need to add www. in front of the above).

[peter nicholl]

The first Merchant Ship sunk by a U-Boat in WW1 was the 866 ton steamer "Glitra" en route from Grangemouth to Stavanger with a cargo of coal. She was sunk by U17 on 20th October 1914, there was no loss of life.
Peter