Photo
of Tuscania survivors was taken by the Central News Photo Service, New York.
I obtained this original photo from
Bill Hodges Antiques, of Buskirk, N.Y. in February 2005. The reverse side of
the photo, written in pencil, is the statement "Tuscania Survivors" and "4
col rush order." A Stamped source was "Central News Photo Service, 26-28
Heaven St., NY."
The location of where this photo was taken
was a mystery at the time. No indication was written on the photo. The
building structure was a clue, as no structure of this kind is on Islay,
this photo had to have been taken in Ireland.
On Saturday May 14th, 2005, quite by
accident, while browsing old newspapers on microfilm, I discovered the
location in which that photo was taken. The Wichita, Texas newspaper
"Wichita Daily Times" printed the photo on Feb. 15, 1918 edition, page 5. I
also found the photo printed on the Middletown Daily Times Press, a New York
newspaper, March 13, 1918; Page 2. Below the photo the caption read:
"These American Soldiers are shown at
Foyle Hill Hospital, Londonderry, Ireland, where they recovered from
the various ills contracted when a u-boat sank the troopship conveying
them to Europe."
Norman Woods writes, March 17, 2005: "A
friend yesterday looking at the photo you sent and thinks it could be the
Waterside Hospital in Derry/Londonderry. Part of the Hospital has been
demolished and rebuilt so maybe good news!! This is not the first time
someone was convinced it was their local Hospital. I may have more news
about this tomorrow."
Norman Woods writes, May 24, 2005: "The
Hospital was built on Coach road to the South of the cemetery, it is now
called Southway in the Creggan estate. So the building is definitely no
longer there. I drove through the Creggan Estate/ formally known as Foyle
Hill and visited most of the key buildings in the area. Nothing appeared to
be from the time we are looking for, beside the cemetery. The Creggan Estate
is a notorious estate known in the not to distant past for its
IRA/Republican activities, the streets, buildings and walls are still daubed
in IRA/anti British, police slogans. I snapped a panoramic photo of the
estate from atop of Creggan Hill over looking the Foyle from the East to the
North. The Spire of the Chapel is in the Centre of the Estate. The extreme
left of the photo is the North, in the distance is the Mouth of Lough Foyle,
with the Donegal Mountains on the left 'Ireland' and Benone mountain on the
right 'N Ireland'."
Many thanks to all whom volunteered their time
and efforts to find the location in which this photo was taken. It solves
one mystery, now the next mystery is to discover whom the soldiers are.....
