PIPER, Thomas William David

Thomas was born 1898 in Newport to Thomas & Alice (nee MITCHELL) PIPER who were living in the High Street in Carisbrooke around the time of Thomas’ death.

The Bayreaulx was a British steamer which had sailed in ballast & sunk by the German submarine U63 on the 20th of October 1916 on its way from Cardiff to Montreal. There had been no radio contact with her since she sailed, all 33-crew were lost, including Thomas aged 18, who is commemorated by the Commission on the Tower Hill Merchant Navy Memorial in London together with almost 12,00 of his First World War shipmates.

Thomas is also remembered on the County & Carisbrooke War Memorials.