Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Tower Hill Memorial | London | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.118 | |
| 3. Memorial: | Liverpool Masonic Hall War Memorial | Col.1. Hope St. | |
Awards & Titles: | British War Medal Mercantile Marine Medal | ||
Early Life :
The majority of this legend is courtesy of Geoff Cuthill of the Province of West Lancashire, to whom the project is grateful.John was born 5th July, 1886 to William McKeand Cameron, a mariner, born 1854, in Liverpool, and Sarah (nee Lyon), born 1858, in West Derby, Liverpool. In 1881, before John was born, the family lived at Abyssinia Street, Wavertree, with John’s older brother William Alexander, born 1878, and his sister Sarah Elizabeth, born 1880, both born in Wavertree. John first appears on a census return in 1891 as a four year old. The family reside at 47 Scholar Street, St Dunstan’s Parish, Edge Hill, his father now a 36 year old mercantile clerk. Since the last census his parents have had three more children besides John, Thomas Sidney age 8, Richard L age 6 and Rosetta Margaret 2.
The family have moved again for 1911 census and are now found at 61 Alderson Road, Wavertree. Father, William gives his occupation as money lender, young William a shipping clerk, Thomas a Butcher’s assistant and John age 14 as a money lenders clerk. Two further children are also listed, Jesse Ethel 8 and Eliza Francis May 2.
On 5 July 1916 John married Margaret Jane Steadman at a local Wesleyan Methodist Church. He is given as a 30 year old batchelor, while Margaret is 29, a spinster and daughter of John Ritson Steadman, railway shunter. The marriage certificate was witnessed by B H Tamples and L Steadman. The couple had their first child Ronald Frederick on 8 June 1917 and their second, John James was born 28 August 1918, eight month after the death of John.
At the time of John’s death, in 1917, his parents lived at 22 Parkfield Drive, Wallasey, Cheshire, and John resided a short distance away, with his wife, Margaret Jane, at 11 Ladywoode Road. After his death Margaret moved to Heathcott Street, Edge Hill, then later to 11 Earle Road, also in the Edge Hill area of Liverpool.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: HM Mersey Examination Vessel No. 1 |
The No.1 Pilot Boat (Mersey Examination Vessel), the S.S. Alfred H. Read was deployed by the Liverpool Lighthouse and Pilotage Authority and engaged in examining incoming neutral vessels for contraband cargo. Pilots, with their local knowledge, would assist in the safe navigation of the Mersey estaury to dock. The ship was named after a former chairman of the Liverpool Marine and General Insurance Company, Sir Alfred Henry Read. She had been a recently built (1913) steam driven cutter of the Murdoch and Murray shipyard, Glasgow. |
| Action : Sinking of S.S. Alfred H. Read, |
Dubbed the "greatest disaster in the history of the Liverpool Pilot service."
In the early morning of 28th December, 1917, No. 1 Pilot Boat was on duty south of the Bar Lightship. It was an extraordinarily fine morning for the time of the year, and most of the pilots and crew, not required for duty, had retired to rest. The 457 ton vessel was carrying pilots in addition to her twenty-five crew.
No. 3 Pilot Boat was in close proximity, and at 3.15 a.m. the pilots on board the vessel were startled by a load explosion, and at once notices that the lights of No. 1 Pilot Boat had disappeared. They hastened to the spot with all the boats ready for launching, to find that No. 1 Boat had sunk, only the top of a mast being visible, but hearing cries of help from the water, they lowered two boats, and picked up three survivors - a Marconi Operator and two Pilot Apprentices, one of whom expired on reaching the deck of No. 3 Pilot Boat. The cause of the explosion was determined to be a mine which had been laid nearly a year earlier by UC-75 (Johannes Lohs).
In all thirty-nine persons perished, of whom nineteen were pilots, the remainder being examination officers, boathands, engine-room staff, and signallers. At least 7 aboard were Freemasons, and others believed to either have previously been Freemasons or had relatives that were. There was probably not a Lodge in Merseyside which hadn't been shocked by this tragic loss.
Three crewmen were picked up alive and landed at Liverpool, along with several bodies' ADM 137/2963 - LR 1915-16 No.649 (A) No 1 pilot boat, S.S. Alfred H. Read struck a mine at the Bar Station The mine that sank her was laid by the submarine UC-75. A similar event occurred on New Years Eve 1916 when virtually the entire complement of Tyne pilots was wiped out in a "jolly-gone-wrong" on the Pilot Boat - Protector"
This terrible event cast a gloom over the Port, for the pilots were well known to the shipping fraternity, and expressions of sympathy were received from all quarters. The disaster caused heavy claims to be made upon the Pilots' Benevolent Fund, and the Chairman of the Pilotage Committee, supported by the other members, came to the rescue, and were instrumental in obtaining such generous subscriptions from the Shipowners that they were not only able to reimburse the Pilots' Benevolent Fund but also to provide some additional assistance for those lost, other than pilots.
On the termination of the war the sinker of the mine (the box & mine tether) which it was believed was struck by No.1 Pilot Boat was handed over by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to the Pilotage Authority, and placed on the Canning Pierhead, in front of the Pilotage Office.
A brass memorial plaque naming all the pilots who lost their lives used to be attached to a wall inside the Williamson Museum, in Slatey Road, Birkenhead, above a scale model of the "Alfred H Read." before moving to the Museum in Birkenhead Town Hall. When the Town Hall Museum closed the plaque was taken into the care of the Merseyside Galleries and Museums.
Citations & Commemorations :
John was awarded the British War Medal and Mercantile Marine Medal with the card showing his widow living at 22 Heathcott Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool.In addition to masonic memorial, John is remembered on the Calvary at St. Hilary’s Church, Wallasey, the Memorial in Ward 7, Victoria Central Hospital, Mill Lane, Wallasey, the Methodist Central Hall, Renshaw Street, Liverpool, and the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Wavertree Gateacre Queensway No. 2294 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
9th June 1915 | 13th October 1915 | 10th November 1915 |
John Frederick James Cameron was initiated into Wavertree Lodge No 2294 on 9 June 1915, age 28, a river pilot of 23 Parkfield Road, Liscard, Wallasey. He was passed as a fellow-craft on 13 October, and raised a master mason on 10 November 1913. His Grand Lodge Certificate was issued on 24 January 1916. John’s father W McK Cameron was also a member of Wavertree Lodge having being initiated 13 December 1899 as a 45 year insurance broker of 61 Alderson Road.
He is remembered on the Liverpool Masonic Hall Memorial, Hope Street, the Scroll of Honour, Freemasons’ Hall, London, and on page 71 as Cameron, J.F.J in the Roll of Honour Book published by United Grand Lodge in 1921.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley