Colin Boyd has provided the following:
James was born in Amble and living with his parents, James and Aileen Nora at 3, Gordon Street, Amble. He was 20 years of age and serving on the "Empire Statesman" when the vessel was sunk on 5th December 1940.
When the "Empire Statesman" was sunk the Master was also James Brown from Amble.
Because of this, it is impossible to know which James Brown is remembered in Amble - there are four J. Browns and one J.S. Brown on the Amble memorials.
On the 10th June 1940, the Pellice was seized by Britain at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and renamed 'Empire Statesman' by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).
At 19.12 hours on the 11th December 1940 the unescorted Empire Statesman (Master James Brown), a straggler from convoy SLS-56 due to engine troubles since the 21st November, was torpedoed and sunk by U-94 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Herbert Kuppisch west of Ireland. The master, 30 crew members and one gunner were lost.
James Brown is remembered in Amble on A13.01 and A13.06, at Newcastle in NUT136 page 20, and in our List of Ship's Crews
