MATULICH, SIME Fisherman-Naval Revolt

Sime Matulic was born in 1890 on Otok (Island) Molat in Dalmatia, Croatia. At the age of 15 he left his home, coming to the United States. He returned to Molat in 1912. In 1914, he was inducted into the Austrian Navy. Franz Josef was the emperor at the time (1848-1916). At first, Matulic served aboard the warship Zrinski. At the end of the war, he served aboard the warship Prinz Ferdinand, stationed at Boka Kotorska. The crew members were mostly Croatians from Dalmatia and Hrvatsko Primorje, with other Slavs from Slovenia and from what is now Czechoslovakia. At the end of the First World War, these sailors revolted. Many were put in prison, including Matulic. Several of these sailors were executed, but Sime was rescued by a friendly Croatian officer. Sime soon returned to this country, settling in San Pedro, and became a commercial fisherman. He joined the Croatian Fraternal Union, Lodge of 588 Dalmatinska Sloga.