LOCHEE

My grandfather, Erik Wilhelm Mattsson (E.W.Mattsson) was captain on Lochee (at least) during the years 1913-1914. The ship was at that time owned by a ship company in Nystad (Uusikaupunki), a small city on the west coast of Finland (at the time part of the Russian Empire). E.W.Mattsson was born at the Åland Islands, where he and his family lived on a farm, managed by his wife Alma. My mother was one of their two daughters. Erik’s brother Karl (Charles) Mattsson went also to sea and settled in Newcastle, Australia where he established a “ship-handel” (ship stewardoing?). I do not know whether little brother Karl was on Lochee on this trip to Australien (Dunkerque – Algoa Bay/Durban – Port Adelaide – Wallaroo – Falmouth – London). They left Dunkerque 14.9.1913 and was back in London 14.9.1914 when the first WW had already begun. I do not know how Erik travelled back till the Åland Islands and Finland September-october 1914.