The un-attributed images on this page are taken from the American Naval History and Heritage Command. Translations into German by Google Translator.
Thanks to a family member in Australia, I have been able to find out some data about just a German sailor who survived the wrecking of the SMS Olga, other than the names of a few other survivors from contemporary newspaper reports, and these are reproduced here. If any German descendant or other does find their way to this page, and has information they would like to share, please contact me and do so.Because most of these names are taken from newspaper reports, I am not confident that the spelling is accurate. For the same reason, I cannot be sure the rank is correctly reported.
Where there is a photograph of a crew member, please DO NOT use the image for anything at all, without first asking my permission using the contact form. If I do not know the family contact, then I will not be able to give permission for its use. If I do know of a family contact, I will ask them if they give permission, so in the contact form, please give details of how and why you wish to use the image. If they are agreeable, or indeed if not, I will then reply to your enquiry. This is not intended to be awkward or unfriendly, I think it is simply good courtesy to ask first.
This gentleman was wounded in the action in Samoa on 18th December, 1888 at Fangallii. A German contact has sent me a great deal of information about his family, which I am trying my best to translate. Otto was born 6th September 1865 and seems to have been a Lieutenant at Samoa. After his return to Germany in September 1889, on 1st June, 1896 he married one Friederike Wilhelmine Clara Goering, an older half sister of Hermann Goering from the latter´s father's first marriage.
The couple had four children before Otto died on 10th January, 1904 just a few months after his 39th birthday, apparently from those wounds received at Samoa. His eldest child, Marie Margarethe was not yet seven years old.
Details and image courtesy of Melissa Mueller.
Years after these events, Carl entertained his children with his adventures after being shipwrecked on an "island full of snakes"! His daughter Freda was born in Balmain, New South Wales, Australia in 1893, which suggests Carl did not return home to Germany with Olga after the storm. At the time of starting his family, Carl was working in Sydney's "Mort's Dock", coincidentally the shipyard to which SMS Olga returned for repairs after the storm. In 1900, Carl was employed as a "Glass Presser", and lived in Spotswood, Melbourne, with his family. Carl Schenke passed away in Australia in 1911.
The photograph of Carl was taken in Cologne (Coln) Germany, sometime around 1888?
From looking at Carl's uniform badge on his left arm, the photograph may have been taken on the occasion of his attaining the rank of Boatswain's Mate (Bootsmannsmaat).
Details and image courtesy of Yvonne Knipe.
| Burchard | Lieutenant | Survived - Überlebt |
| Ehrlich | Captain Lieutenant - Kapitänlieutenant | Survived - Überlebt |
| Dr Elste | Survived - Überlebt | |
| H. Emsmann | Lieutenant | Survived - Überlebt |
| Baron F. Von Erhardt | Corvette Captain - Korvettenkapitän | Survived - Überlebt |
| Grossman | Engineer - Maschinist | Survived - Überlebt |
| Schenke C. | Boatswain - Bootsmannsmaat | Survived - Überlebt |
| Schirmer | Lieutenant | Survived - Überlebt |
| Thiede | Paymaster - Zahlmeister | Survived - Überlebt |
Source: The Maitland Mercury, 2nd April, 1889, plus family provided information.
I have recieved this image from a contact who would very much like to know if any German family can identify any of the sailors on it. We don't have a date for the image, but the photographer was based in Kiel. Olga was built by AG Vulcan at Stettin, Germany and launched September 1883, so the date will be after then. She returned to Kiel, Germany after the hurricane at Samoa on 9th September, 1889. I wonder if the image was taken as part of the celebration of her survival from the storm by a group of shipmates who had endured the adventure together? I think I would wish to record the event in a similar way! One of the sailors appears to be from SMS Kaiser Friedrich III, but that vessel was not launched until 1896. The photograph could date from the time when Olga was a sail training ship.
If anyone can identify any or all of the sailors in the photograph, please contact me using my contact form.
Ich habe dieses Bild von einem Kontakt erhalten, der gerne wissen würde, ob eine deutsche Familie einen der Seeleute darauf identifizieren kann. Wir haben kein Datum für das Bild, aber der Fotograf war in Kiel ansässig. Olga wurde von AG Vulcan in Stettin, Deutschland, gebaut und im September 1883 auf den Markt gebracht, also wird das Datum danach liegen. Sie kehrte nach dem Hurrikan in Samoa am 9. September 1889 nach Kiel, Deutschland, zurück. Ich frage mich, ob das Bild als Teil der Feier ihres Überlebens von dem Sturm von einer Gruppe von Schiffskameraden aufgenommen wurde, die das Abenteuer gemeinsam überstanden hatten? Ich denke, ich würde das Ereignis auf ähnliche Weise aufzeichnen wollen! Einer der Matrosen scheint von SMS Kaiser Friedrich III zu sein, aber dieses Schiff wurde erst 1896 vom Stapel gelassen. Das Foto könnte aus der Zeit stammen, als Olga ein Segelschulschiff war.
Wenn jemand einen oder alle Segler auf dem Foto identifizieren kann, kontaktieren Sie mich bitte über mein Kontaktformular.
Image courtesy of Michael.