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To all Littlefield researchers.
It's a long shot in the dark as the saying goes but can anyone please help me find out what happened to my grandfather John William Littlefield who mysteriously vanished from the ship he was a crew member of ? Please read on.
I have a copy of his Death Certificate & "Extract from the Official Log Book" of the Cunard RMS Berengaria (Registered No. 144301) of the Port of Liverpool,UK, which states that he disappeared from the ship in the the early hours of the morning of 21st August 1931. This event took place when the ship was off Fire Island part of Long Island, USA.
Strangely enough, another event happened the same day off Long Island & that was the following reported by Reuters:
"Vessel seized off Long Island,Greenport,Long Island,21st August 1931 - Two men received serious gunshot wounds during a chase in which a speedy rum runner rammed a coastguard vessel. The run runner got clear but was discovered later by a coastguard aircraft & the men were taken to hospital". As far as I know there were no names mentioned.
One thing that puzzles me is that the extract from the official log book states that John William Littlefield is listed as A.B. (able-bodied seaman) 3rd Class Deckman when up until this time on previous voyages on the RMS Berengaria he is listed as MAA (Master at Arms)- principal police officer on a merchant vessel. I know this fact from my grandfather's first "Continuous Certificate of Discharge Book" from the time he joined the Merchant Navy in early 1922.
Questions that I need help in finding the answers for are as follows:
(1) Under what circumstances did John William Littlefield die/disappear ?
(2) If he fell overboard & drowned was his body ever washed up on the shore ?
(3) Did he fake his disappearance & live under another name in the USA ? If this happened then we'll never know the outcome.
(4) Why was he listed as AB 3rd Class Deckman for this voyage when he was a MAA on other voyages & why was he demoted ?
(5) Would my grandfather's disappearance/death from the ship be reported to the British Embassy or another department ?
(6) Was the event reported to any American newspaper ?
(7) How can I find out the names of those involved in the rum running incident off Long Island & did they survive ?
Co-incidently, this voyage that my grandfather disappeared from was meant to be his final voyage at sea as he was going to come ashore once back in the UK & start up a company transferring baggage from Southampton Railway Station to the dockside. He was going to do this with a fellow seaman who strangely enough broke his leg two days before & was unable to sail on what was to be John William Littlefield's fateful voyage from Southampton to New York.
Is there anyone out there that could possibly help me please?
Thank you.
John Littlefield
(Hook,Hampshire,England,UK)
(Littlefield Surname DNA Project Coordinator)
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