Mr George Alexander Prangnell

Mr George Alexander Prangnell was born in Southampton on 12th December 1881.¹

In the autumn of 1906 he married Louisa Dack in Southamption by 1912 they had two sons (William "Billy," and George), they would go onto to have six children in total.^2,3

When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 6th April 1912, he gave his address as 3 Brew House Court, (Southampton). He transferred from the Olympic. As a Greaser he received monthly wages of £6 10s.

He was rescued on Collapsible B... he claimed to have been rescued by a ship other than the Carpathia but this is extremely doubtful. After his rescue was confirmed Mrs Prangnell was quoted by a reporter as saying:

''My two little boys wanted to keep awake all night, they were very anxious to see their father, but I told them to go to sleep and I would bring daddy home.''

He was awarded the mercantile marine medal in 1919 for services during Word War One. 

He remained at sea until 1924 ⁴, then worked at Vosper Thornycrofts, shipyard in Woolston and as a grain-runner for Fear & Colebrook in Chapel Road, living a full and active life until his death on 3 December 1953.

Notes

1. This is the date of birth he gave on his Board of Trade identity card c.1919.  Not to be confused with another seaman George Henry A. Prangnell who was born 22 Nov 1882, the son of Robert Prangnell and Harriett Annie Burgess. 
2. In the 1911 census an unnamed "Mrs Prangnell" is living at a boarding house at 13 Oriental Terrace with her two children George born c.1907 and Billy born c.1905.  Probably this is Louisa Prangnell.
3. Only the names of five are known: Billy (born c. 1905), George (born c. 1907), Louise E. (born 1918); Robert A (born 1921); Jessie A. (28 Dec 1925-1982).
4. A 1923 Board of Trade identity card (CR2 index) places him aboard the Ishtar.

References and Sources

Photo from CR10 identity card c.1919 (National Archives, Crown copyright, used with permission, courtesy of Peter Engberg)
United States Senate, Washington 1912. n° 806, Crew List
CR2 and CR10 Board of Trade Identity Cards (National Archives, Discharge no. 769334;415472)
World War One Medal Roll (National Archives, Discharge no. 769334)

Related Articles and Documents

	Daily Mirror  (1912)	IN THE TOWN OF SORROW
	Hampshire Magazine  (1980)	DID THIS MAN SURVIVE THREE DAYS IN THE ICY OCEAN?
	(1989)	EXTRACT FROM LETTER FROM GEORGE BEHE