STAFF and regulars at the Golden Lion in Port Isaac are getting ready to raise a pint to mark the centenary of the sinking of the Steam Ship Milly in nearby coastal waters during World War One — and have put out a call to any surviving family members of the crew of the ship to come and join in a special day of commemoration at the pub.

SS Milly, a 3,000 ton British steamer, was built in 1904 by Sunderland ship builders William Gray & Co. and requisitioned for war transport work in 1914. On September 6 1918, on a voyage from Brest to Barry, the armed merchant ship was torpedoed and sunk by German U-Boat Karl Petri (UB-87) south west of Tintagel Head, with the loss of two young mariners’ lives.

Both 18-year old Mess Room Steward Robert Hocking from Mutley in Plymouth and 17-year-old Deck Boy William Sydney Eaton from Cardiff are named as lost at sea on the Tower Hill War Memorial site in London but, with the help of Golden Lion landlords Beth and Marc Kendall, they and the rest of the crew of the SS Milly are set to be properly remembered locally with the siting of a special centenary plaque at the pub.

Beth said: “The story of the sinking of the Milly is well known throughout the village and it just seemed strange to us that there was nothing put up here to commemorate the loss of those two young boys. With the centenary coming up, we felt it was right to do something special to mark the sinking and the plaque will be put up to tell the story of this important chapter in Port Isaac’s history.”

As well as being the focal point of the village, the St Austell Brewery-owned Golden Lion has other special connections to the Milly, with artefacts from the wreck on display in the pub as well as the distinctive stern gun that has for many years sat outside on guard over the beach.

Marc added: “We obviously feel a special connection to this story and we’d really like to reach out to anyone with their own connections to the ship and its crew. It would be amazing if we could find some relatives of those on board and welcome them down here on September 6 to join in the celebration of their lives.”

While everyone is welcome to come along to the special day of commemoration on September 6, Marc and Beth are especially hoping to find relatives of the two young boys who lost their lives one hundred years ago.

According to the www.wreck.eu website, which specialises in detailing loss of ships and lives at sea around the globe, Plymouth born Robert Hocking was the son of William Henry Hocking and Mary Jane Hocking (nee Saunders) of 8, Napier Terrace in Mutley. William Sydney Eaton, of 1 Alexander Street, Cathays, Cardiff, was the son of William John and Sarah Annie Eaton (nee Darby). If anyone has any connection with these two boys or their families, or with any other crew members of the Milly, they are asked to contact Marc at the Golden Lion pub on [email protected]

More specific information about the event on September 6 at the Golden Lion and the plaque will be released over the coming weeks.

Despite the Milly going down relatively swiftly after being torpedoed on that night nearly 100 years ago, all other hands on deck were miraculously saved by a ship that happened to be in the vicinity. The Milly herself now sits in around 46 metres of water of the North Cornish coast and, despite the fact she is slowly sinking front-first into the sand, much of the body of the ship is still visible and is a popular spot for divers.