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MR. J. OOSTHUIZEN from the Western Cape in South Africa asks; Did the Waratah have the same crew when she sailed from Australia or did some leave her before she sank?
LIST OF CREW MEMBERS THAT LEFT THE WARATAH IN AUSTRALIA.
NAME NATIONALITY RATING RACE DISCHARGED.
H. S. Thomas British Surgeon Australian Sydney
E.D. Dischler Finnish AB Finn Sydney
W.Smith British AB European Sydney
D. Cunningham British AB European Melbourne
C. Crisp British AB European Sydney
W.M.MacDonald British AB Australian Melbourne
E.Lewis British AB Australian Sydney
W. Baker British AB European Sydney
W. Marshall British Trimmer European Sydney
A. Thompson British Trimmer Australian Melbourne
T. Bloomfield British 2nd Steward European Sydney
A.B. Wilson British Gen.servant European Sydney
W.W. Shore British Gen.servant European Sydney
Mary Anderson British 2nd stewardess European Adelaide
W.S. Power British Gen.servant European Sydney
W. Merry British Gen.servant European Adelaide
S.Lyons British Gen.servant European Sydney
W.W.Dewey British Gen.servant European Melbourne
N. Sharpe British AB European Sydney
F. Little British Gen.servant European Durban
R.Young British Trimmer European,failed to join ship Sydney
A.E Harmall British Trimmer European, failed to join ship Sydney
12 crew discharged Sydney
4 crew discharged Melbourne
1 desertion in Melbourne
1 failed to join ship in Melbourne
2 crew discharged Adelaide
1 crew discharged Durban.
Extract from Victorian police gazette offering rewards for deserters.
Deserters were only hunted within a fifty mile radius of the port where they jumped ship, this is why William Lund later to become the owner of the Blue Anchor Line when he deserted a sailing ship in Adelaide was getting ready to travel inland for work outside of the police due restriction knowing he would be safe from arrest, unfortunately he was arrested before he cover the fifty miles from Adelaide.
Before leaving Adelaide for Durban Captain Ilbery could only manage to to get six passage workers signed on at 1 shilling per month for the voyage back to London. In the case of Frederick Little who left the ship in Durban, told the Court of inquiry on day three the 3rd of December 1910 that he had left the ship to find work ashore. In actual fact reading through his evidence I believe he left the ship because he was frightened of her and had over heard the officers talking about the severe rolling along with other crewmen telling him the ship was top heavy. Whether or not he found work ashore is not mentioned but he did find his back to London on another ship and appeared before the inquiry. 