Rice, Alfred James (Alfred)

Junior Second Engineer Officer

No. SS Hungerford (London), Mercantile Marine

Drowned at sea on Tuesday 16 April 1918 (aged 26)

No known grave

Commemorated:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Tower Hill Memorial, London

Journey of Remembering Belfast Book of Honour

BIOGRAPHY

Alfred James Rice was born on 16 June 1891 in Church Street, Newtownards and he was a son of Lawrence and Agnes (Nancy) Rice (nee Edmonds, sometimes Edmond) who were married on 16 August 1878 in Nunsquarter Roman Catholic Church, Kircubbin.

The Rice family lived in the townland of Ballygraffin, Kircubbin before moving to Newtownards where they lived in West Street, Mill Street, Church Street and Mark Street.  They moved to Belfast where they lived at 44 Canton Street and 107 Ogilvie Street.

Lawrence Rice worked as a baker and he and Agnes had at least ten children including:

William John (born 23 June 1879 in Ballygraffin)

Robert (born 5 April 1881 in West Street, Newtownards; died 25 December 1884)

Alfred (born 18 March 1883 in Mill Street, Newtownards)

Henry Edmonds (born 7 August 1884 in West Street, Newtownards)

Robert (born 8 February 1887)

Lawrence (born 20 June 1889 in Church Street, Newtownards)

Alfred James (born 16 June 1891 in Church Street, Newtownards)

Patrick Joseph (born 25 March 1893 in Mark Street, Newtownards)

Francis Wilson (born 6 October 1899 at 44 Canton Street, Belfast)

Alfred James Rice worked as an engine fitter before he went to sea.  He was drowned on 16 April 1918 after his ship, the SS Hungerford (London), was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel by the German submarine UC-75 whilst on a voyage from Le Havre to New York.  Eight lives were lost and Junior Second Engineer Officer Alfred James Rice is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London and in the Belfast Book of Honour (Page 554).