Emily Jane Page

At 1500 hrs Saturday 26 February 1916 Maloja sailed from Tilbury for Bombay carrying 122 passengers (less than a fifth of her capacity) and a general cargo. Her passengers were a mixture of military and government personnel, and civilians including women and children. On the morning of Sunday 27 February Maloja approached the Strait of Dover at full speed and overtook a Canadian collier, Empress of Fort William. Under wartime conditions each ship would have to be examined by a patrol boat before being allowed to proceed. The German Type UC I submarine SM UC-6 had recently mined the strait. At about 1030 hrs Maloja was about 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off Dover when her starboard quarter struck one of UC-6's mines. There was a large explosion, and the bulkheads of the second saloon were blown in. Empress of Fort William was still in sight and immediately went full ahead to assist, but while still 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) astern the collier also struck one of UC-6's mines and began to sink. A heavy sea was running and the hundreds who crowded her decks could only don a cork lifejacket, jump overboard and try to swim clear. A number of her rafts either were launched or floated clear, and some of her survivors managed to board them. Maloja sank 24 minutes after being mined, followed by Empress of Fort William which sank about 40 minutes after being mined. Many of the 145 deaths were from hypothermia, either in the water or after being rescued. (Wikipedia)

Nottingham Evening Post In Memoriam (abridged) 28/2/1917: 'Page. In loving remembrance of Emily Jane Page, the only daughter of the late drill instructor Page RFA Scarborough and Mrs Page, 13 Wyville Street, through the wreck of the Maloja near Dover. - Mother and brother George.'