William H. Venable

Camp Travis Detachment #2
PHOTO	Joe Langford joeindallas{at}excite.com Grandson
	Clemmie Venable <click here>
	William Henry Venable - Goldthwaite, Texas Army Rank: Private (1918). Assigned Unit: Camp Travis (Texas) Casuals, Detachment #2 Army Serial Number: Inducted: Promoted: Army Discharge: 1919 Remarks: Overseas Jan. 24, 1918 – 1919 Torpedoed on the Transport Tuscania Feb. 5, 1918 While on the Tuscania he became a Mumps patient. In Medical Facility when ship was torpedoed. Hospitalized in Belfast, Ireland (February 5^th, 1918) Address: Box 478 Goldthwaite, Texas (1910)(1920)(1926)(1938) Member of the Tuscania Survivors Association (1938) Wife’s Name: Clementine Nichols (b. Dec. 11, 1898 Mills Co., Texas)(d. Jan. 23, 1996 Goldthwaite, TX) Marriage: March 20, 1925 Texas Fathers Name: Thomas J. Venable (b. Feb. 2, 1862 Georgia) Mothers Name: Ada Isabelle Smith (b. Dec. 13, 1869 Texas) Marriage: April 7, 1889 Milam, Texas Brothers: Robert, Thomas, Julian, and Forest Venable Sisters: Stella, Pearl, Mable, Viola, Lois, Juanita, and Margaret Civilian Occupation: Insurance Agent (1930) Born: Jan. 30, 1895 Caradan, Texas Died: Feb. 11, 1981 Goldthwaite, Texas (age 86) Cemetery: Center City Cemetery Plot: Row N21 Grave 19
My Grandfather, was William Henry Venable. He was a soldier in one of the Camp Travis groups from Texas. He had the mumps and was in the sick bay on the Tuscania at the time of the sinking. When the torpedo hit, he was playing cards with a man he had met who was a Baptist minister. He said that this man did not survive the sinking. I don't know his name. I didn't realize how lucky my grandfather was, since it sounds like many on the lifeboats didn't make it. He always said he was picked up the next day by the trawler Elf King. The picture we have is of a group of survivors in front of a hospital in Larne. He went on to fight until the armistice, he was wounded twice, at Soissons in July and then in the Argonne a week before the war ended. He came home and had a long, relatively happy life, though he was somewhat scarred emotionally by his war experience. He died in 1986. I would appreciate it very much if you could check your records and tell me what they say. Joe Langford July 30, 2001