I am searching for information on my great grandfather who is believed to be a Royal Navy submariner in the First World War. His name was

John Gibb STRACHAN
Born: 10 July, 1890 in Aberdeen, Scotland

According to family lore he was an engineer / machinist in the Submarine Service. He was also supposedly expelled from the torpedo tubes on two occasions because the submarine was sinking. He was wounded and worked in the Sunnybrook Veteran's Hospital in Toronto, Canada after the War. He emigrated to Canada around 1913 and returned for good on 7 Feb., 1920 on the RMS Metagama. He possibly left Canada in Sept 1916 for war service.

Thanks
Dave
strachan43999@yahoo.ca

Welcome to the forum
The only RN rating born in Aberdeen I could find is listed below. There were also RNVR Strachan, John's but no
John Gibb STRACHANs.
Name Strachan, John
Official Number: 279774
Place of Birth: Aberdeen
Date 22 December 1875
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=5

BTW It isn't a good idea to show your email address in the open forum.

Hello Dave, and welcome to the Forum. Here some great chaps on Forum who will I am sure, do their best to be of assistance. Your question has some possibilities. PER ARDUA has already given you the one Strachan for Aberdeen in the NA. My file on submariners (lost & serving WW1) is as comprehensive as can be. I do not have a John B Strachan on file. Only 3 Strachan's are recorded. One Will H DD H10 & John G DD AFFRAY, so they cannot be `your' GGfather.
The third I have is Below. NOT J G but W A !! However, although a `civvy' he was lost in submarines 1917 - could it be that this is a brother/family member of yours & `family history' has mixed up the two. I have come across such as this before.
I supply details of the Strachan - you will see he was born in Aberdeen - SO - over to you !!!

STRACHAN WILLIAM ALFRED ENGINEER NE NE FAIRFIELDS SM K.13 29.
01.17 Z 28 220189 B P FASLANE C RNSM
Son of Mr & Mrs William Strachan, 31 King Street, Peterhead, Aberdeen.
Buried Faslane Cemetery, Nr. Glasgow, Argyll.
Inscription on grave reads ;
W.A. STRACHAN
Engineer
Fairfield Shipbuilding Coy.
29th January 1917 Age 28
A True Son
And Faithful Friend

Best o Luck

Sadsac

Sadsac,

Thanks for the welcome. It is a great site. I think that you are on the right track and he may have been a civilian engineer (not Royal Navy) working on submarines or some other war munitions plant as he was a machinist. He was possibly injured while doing test runs. It appears that he emigrated to Canada in 1912 / 1913, possibly returned to the UK in September 1916 and then returned to Canada in Feb 1920 on the RMS "Matagama".

Cheers, Dave