Surname:	Souter
Forename(s):	Elias Sunding
Rank:	Naval Sub Lieutenant
Service number:	53834
Regiment:	Merchant Fleet Auxiliary Eleanor
Date of death:	12 February 1915 Aged 50
Place of death:	At sea – sunk by submarine off Isle of Wight
Buried Commemorated	At sea Portsmouth Naval Memorial –  Kingussie War Memorial, Kingussie and Insh Memorial in Kingussie Parish Church, Lossiemouth War Memorial and Morayshire Roll of Honour page 415.

Background

Elias was born 26 October 1867 at Drainie, Morayshire son of John Souter (Sailor Merchant Service) and Jane m.s. Suding.

In the 1881 Census Elias was living with his mother at Kinneddar Street, Lossiemouth where, at the age of 13, he was a Rope and Sail Maker Apprentice. In the 1891 Census Elias was on board a vessel named the Severn moored at Garston Dock, Liverpool.

Elias wife, Mary Isabella Lawrence (m.s. Baxter), was born on 2 January 1867 at Urquhart, Morayshire and they married 4 December 1893 at Woodpark Cottage, Lhanbryde. Their son was born in 1895 in Cardiff. The 1901 Census sees the family back in Lossiemouth at 13 Dunbar Street.

In 1911 Elias, his wife and two sons (Elias and Lawrence) were living at Spey View, Spey Street, Kingussie with seven boarders for Kingussie Higher Grade School who were all from South Uist. The school in Kingussie offered lessons including Latin, Greek, French, Mathematics and sewing. Bursaries were also available. The boarders would only travel home for the long holidays.

In 1913 and 1914 Elias worked as a First Mate on board a passenger ship, Foreric, a voyage for Unassisted Immigrant Passengers from Glasgow to Sydney, New South Wales.

Elias, as a civilian, held competency as a mate on a fore and aft rigged sailing vessel and held a Certificate of Competency as a Master for Foreign Going Steam Ships (1895.) Elias next of kin at the time of his death was given as his wife Mary Isabella Lawrence Souter, of 153 Granton Road, Edinburgh. She died in 1951 age 84.

War Record

Elias was appointed Royal Naval Reserve Temporary Sub Lieutenant 21 December 1914.

Elias was on board on the 12 February 1918 the M.F.A. Eleanor who was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UB-57 9 miles W x S off St Catherine’s Point (Isle of Wight) in position 50.30 N 01.30 W while on passage from Immingham to Falmouth carrying a cargo of 1,434 mines and 200 depth charges with the loss of all but one of her crew of 35. The one who survived was 2nd Officer Barton Hunter who was later picked up by the drifter Parisienne.