>It's worth remembering too that a name or initials on an item of clothing might be those of nobody who ever wore it, but rather of somebody who made it, retailed it or even cleaned it.
Yup. Intriguingly, VERY late in the game a armless cadaver washed ashore miles from the Lusitania site, wearing the remnants of what seem to be first class clothing, which was laundry marked with "V" prefixes.
This was in late July and the remains were quickly buried.
Now, the V is intriguing. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, of course, lived in the Hotel Vanderbilt and as such was probably one of the few millionaires compelled to use a commercial laundry service...in that case the one provided by the hotel. The only other V first class victim it COULD have been was Martin Van Straaten.
BUT, the V could also have just been part of the laundry service code, or a Roman 5. So, it makes a good "What if?" tale but the initial, if in fact it is an initial, proves nothing....
#19. Male body, recovered at Quilty, Co, Clare, July 23rd. Unrecognizable. Skull
and bones of face were bare. Forearms from elbows were missing. 4 teeth in
upper jaw gold cased, and 4 gold filled. 4 teeth in lower jaw were gold cased
and 4 gold filled. Part of pair laced shoes and part of socks covered by
them on feet,. Part of underpants, part of inside undervest, the neckband
and a fragment of the shirt were adhering to the body. Neckband and part of
the shirt were of linen with blue stripes, having the following laundry mark in
black indelible ink on inside of band (V)X 176. Band was 15 size. Band
was closed in front with dark brown stud, set in plain metal, all of which may
have been gold washed when new. Stud at back similar to one in front (set in
white ivory). Undervest of pale white color bore laundry mark (V) X. the
underpants were similar in texture and color to the undervest, and bore the
maker’s name “American Silk Reis, underwear, Pat.V.finish.”
Buried Leitrim Cemetery, Doonbeg, July 23rd.
