12 February 1915 - Torquay
The Dartmouth registered 870 ton collier Torquay was sailing northwards in fog off Filey Brigg when she struck a mine. A great rush of steam emitted from the stokehold. As the crew mustered on deck it was realised that a fireman was absent. They were unable to enter the stokehold as it was filling with water. The crew took to the lifeboat, but the steam trawler Gamecock was able to take the Torquay in tow and the vessel was taken to Scarborough. The fireman, Karl Pearson, was found embedded in coal and terribly injured. He later succumbed to his injuries and died. The fireman was Norwegian born, but was a married man living in Grimsby, his real name was Karl Pherson. However, he is commemorated on the Towner Hill Memorial in London by his Anglicised name of Pearson. His ship was only one year old and had discharged a cargo of coal at Torquay and was in ballast heading to Blyth to collect another cargo of coal when she struck the mine.
Crew Lost: Torquay, Dartmouth
Karl Pearson, fireman, aged 34, Grimsby (born Christiania, Norway).
