John Johnson was born within the British Empire in 1888. In 1915, he was living in New York City in the United States of America, where he was working as a labourer. In the spring of that year, however, he decided to travel to Great Britain, perhaps out of patriotic duty because of the war raging in Europe.
As a result, he booked third class passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania
which was scheduled to sail from New York to Liverpool on the morning of 1st May 1915. With ticket number 1801, he consequently arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 and boarded the liner in time for her 10. o’clock departure and then had to wait until just before 12.30 p.m. before the liner actually sailed. This was because the
Lusitania had to embark passengers, some of the crew and some of the cargo from the Anchor Lines vessel the S.S.
Cameronia which the British Admiralty had unexpectedly requisitioned for war service as a troop ship. Also travelling on the same sailing, with ticket number 1803, was 24 year old Herbert K. Johnson, who may have been a relative or even a brother.
Six days out of New York on the afternoon of 7th May, and within sight of the coast of southern Ireland, the
Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20,
only about 250 miles away from the safety of her home port.
John Johnson was a victim of this action, and lost his life as a result. As his body was never recovered from the sea and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 27 years. Herbert Johnson survived, however and eventually made it to the United Kingdom.
Cunard Records, PRO BT 100/345, UNiLiv.D92/1/8-10, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.