John Geehan
Memorial: Thornbury & District Museum: 6th Maritime Regiment Memorial
Regiment: 6th Maritime Regiment
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Gunner
Parents: John and Lucy Geehan
Home address: 32 Coppice Avenue, Ilkeston, Derbyshire
Pre-war occupation: Bricklayer
Date of birth: 03/05/1920
Date of death: 09/07/1944
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated Plymouth Naval Memorial Devon and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 24
Further information:
John's father was a general labourer and John was the eldest of 4 children.
On the day of his death, John was serving aboard the unescorted British Steam Merchant, ‘Shahzada’, on route from Mormugao, Goa (India) to Aden (Yemen) carrying a cargo of 5000 tons of peanuts. On 9 July 1944, the vessel was torpedoed and sunk by U-boat U-196 about 470 miles west-southwest of Bombay. The master, 36 crew members and nine gunners, including John, were lost. The 52 survivors were rescued by 3 different ships and landed in Bombay, Goa and Aden.
(Memorial incorrectly named Geeham)
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/3288.html