Category: Civilian
Rank: Captain
Regiment or Ship: Mercantile Marine
Occupation: Commander (Captain) of S.S ‘Marere’ of the Commonwealth & Dominion Line for 13 years.
Date of Birth: 1881
Place of Birth: Sidley
Date of Death: 27.09.1917
Place of Death: Bexhill
Place of Burial / Memorials:
Turkey Road Cemetery. Tombstone with anchor. Also Dover War Memorial. A pad of grass from Lillers Cemetery, France (where his brother Arnold Mello is buried) was put on Peter Mello’s grave.
Address: Rosebank, Sidley, Bexhill on Sea
Photos and newspaper articles
Click on any image to see a larger version
Family Information
Parents:
Blanche Thomas: Peter Thomas (later Mello) was born before Blanche married Adolphe – a son from her first marriage.
Adolphe A E Mello. Surname of Peter Paul Elliott Mello changed some time after Blanche’s marriage to Adolphe A E Mello.
(Both Blanche and Adolphe Mello buried at Turkey Road cemetery).
Could not find a marriage (firstly) of Blanche Thomas.
Brother: Arnold Mello see W0045 MELLO Arnold (Second Lieutenant)
Wife: Margaret Emily Mello (daughter of P M Hawkins Medical Doctor & Mrs Emily of North Hayling Island)
Grandparents: John Arnold and Anne Caroline Mello
First World War Experience
Captain/Commander of the ship S.S. Marere of the Commonwealth & Dominion Line.
Contracted an illness in 1915 whilst on active service in the Dardanelles. Was torpedoed by a German Submarine (18 January 1916), no lives were lost. Although it is reported that, from August 1914 onwards, Peter Mello’s ship SS.Merere was used for transporting troops to the battle zone. When torpedoed 18th January 1916, there was only Peter Mello (and crew) aboard at that time.
Died 27th September 1917 of Pulmonary Tuberculosis at 26 St Leonards Road, Bexhill.
Additional Information
Peter’s wife Margaret (died 1931) owned ‘the right’ to be buried with Peter, but was not.