JOHN WILSON ALEXANDER
Born Bute, Rothesay 1884
In 1911 he was a Mate working for the Union Castle Mail Steam Ship Company
Commissioned as a Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve 4/12/17
Served for Salvage duties on H.M.Tug 'Dalkeith'
Note: While sailing in the Mediterranean from Alexandria to Marseilles on 11/4/18, the S.S.‘Kingstonian’ was torpedoed & badly damaged by the German submarine U-68 west of Sardinia. She was towed into the Italian port of Carloforte, San Pietro Island, west of Sardinia, where a fortnight's mail from Egypt & the Palestinian Front was off-loaded and repairs were undertaken
On 29/4/18 two British Salvage Vessels (H.M.Tugs 'Dalkeith' & 'Moose') were helping S.S.‘Kingstonian’ to depart Carloforte harbour when they were attacked by German submarine UB-48, under the command of Captain Lieutenant Wolfgang Steinbauer
Both S.S.'Kingstonian' & H.M.Tug 'Dalkeith' were torpedoed & sunk whilst 2 other vessels were damaged
KIA Mediterranean 29/4/18
Buried in Carloforte Communal Cemetery, Cagliari, Italy
For more details - Click here
For details of UB-48 - Click here
The Admiralty account of the loss of H.M.Tug 'Dalkeith' is available at TNA but we have not checked this; Ref: ADM 137/3496
With CWGC details, RNR Papers & other research
Condition: With partial 'WA' Woolwich Arsenal stamp on reverse, GVF
