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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

John Joseph Curran

In memory of:

Third Engineer John Joseph Curran

May 6, 1917
Celtic Sea

Military Service


Age:

25

Force:

Merchant Navy

Unit:

Canadian Merchant Navy

Division:

S.S. Alfalfa (London, England) (109997)

Additional Information


Born:

February 18, 1892
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Son of James Curran and Elizabeth Skaines, of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Husband of Clara Lynch, of St. John’s. Father of Jack Curran, of St. John’s.

On April 27, 1917, the Alfalfa was en route alone from Newport, England, to the Mediterranean when she was torpedoed by UB-31 30 miles (48 km) southeast of the Isles of Scilly, off Cornwall, position 49°15'N/06°20'W. All 30 crew members perished. The ship was reported missing on 6 May 1917, which justifies the date of death in the archives.

Commemorated on Page 21 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:

TOWER HILL MEMORIAL
London, United Kingdom

Grave Reference:

N/A

Location:

THE TOWER HILL MEMORIAL stands on the South side of the garden of Trinity Square, a hundred yards East of Mark Lane Station, and just within the boundaries of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney and the Liberty of the Tower. It is at the hub of maritime England. Behind it are Trinity House and the offices of the Port of London Authority, and the Thames stretches before it; the wide space of Great Tower Hill, leading down from it to the river, is the traditional forum of merchant seamen and their fellow workers. Lloyd's is on the North, the Custom House and Billingsgate Market are near it on the West, and beyond the Tower, Eastwards, is the long line of the Docks the greatest dock system in the world.

Digital Collection

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  • Memorial– His name as it is inscribed on the Tower Hill Memorial. The 480 fallen Canadians lost at sea, are honoured on this Memorial. May they never be forgotten. (J. Stephens)
  • Memorial– The tower Hill Memorial is located in London, England at Tower Hill and across from the Tower of London. This Memorial is dedicated to the 50,700 Commonwealth merchant seamen, fishing fleet workers and other on-board crew lost during the First World War. Included on this list are the 480 Canadians that gave their lives in the cause of the Great War. (J. Stephens)

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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