In South Shields (Harton) Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave of:

J.N. Abbot
Second Engineer Officer
S.S. “Botavon” (London)
28th March 1944  age 54

James Norman Abbot was the son of James and Jane Eleanor Abbot and the husband of Jean Reed Abbot, of South Shields.

James Norman Abbot, was born on the 6th January 1890, at Gateshead, baptised 29th January 1890, Christ Church, Gateshead, the youngest son of six children to father James Abbot, born Wigton, Cumberland, 27th March 1852, baptised 2nd May 1852, died 25th February 1936, and his wife Jane Eleanor, nee Lang, Abbot born 4th April 1855, at 42, Adelaide Street, Westoe, South Shields, died 26th September 1931, (daughter of James Lang and Jane Heckels Lang). James and Jane were married on the 25th August 1877 at Christ Church, Tynemouth.

The other children were:-

• Thomas Relph Abbot, born 9th June 1878, at 20 Affleck Street, Gateshead, [His birth certificate reads Ralph not Relph], baptised at Christ Church, Gateshead he died on the 15th November 1916.
• John George Abbott, born 1880, died 4th January 1957, he married a Margaret nee Donkin, born 6th April 1879, died 2nd March 1973, on the 27th July 1899, at St. Peter’s Church, and resided at 320, Wingrove Road, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1921, they were residing at 12 Brasden Grove, Newcastle upon Tyne. He was the manager of the Robert Deuchar Brewery at Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. They had six children, Dora Abbot, Thomas R Abbot, born 14th February 1901, Norman Abbot, Reginald Abbot, Winifred Abbot and Douglas Abbot. In 1939, John and his wife with son Thomas were residing at 192 Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne.
• Elizabeth Abbot, born 1881, baptised 11th May 1881. She married a Thomas Henry Tate, in 1912.
•  Sarah Abbot, born 18th November 1883, baptised 12th December 1883, died 7th July 1972, she married a Joseph William Rutherford, born 23rd December 1880, died 4th March 1974, in 1910. In 1939, they were residing at 8 Sunnilawes, South Shields. Joseph was a Public Elementary School teacher and an ARP Warden. Sarah was in the Women’s Voluntary Service at the Hospital dealing with supplies.
•  Jane Heckels Abbot, born 22nd August 1886, baptised 25th August 1886, at Christ Church, Gateshead, died 4th September 1965 at St George’s hospital at Morpeth. She married a Robert Hamilton Carling, born 16th April 1886, died 8th February 1963, on the 17th June 1914 at St Hilda’s Church, South Shields, and in 1921, they were residing at 24 Queens Drive,  Whitley Bay with a son, Alan Hamilton Carling born April 1920. Robert was a Picture Frame Maker and an Art Goods Dealer. In 1939, he also was an Air Raid Warden, residing at 42 Percy Gardens, Whitley Bay.

By 1881, the family resided at 2, Radbourne Terrace, Gateshead. James Abbot was now employed as a clerk at a brewery. 1891, the family are now residing at 2 Ravensbourne Terrace, Gateshead. 1901, now 7 Ravensbourne Terrace, Gateshead.

By 1911, James the father was now a Railway Clerk, and his wife Jane, were residing at, with three of the children at 37 Marine Approach, South Shields. [James Norman, now an Engineers Fitter at a Shipyard, Jane Heckles, a draper saleswoman and Elizabeth at home]. Thomas Relph Abbot was at Cardiff, Master of the SS Zafra, ship number 120618, at Barry North Dock moored at no 16 Coaling Tip.

James Norman Abbot married in 1918, a Jennie Reed nee Atkinson, Abbot, born 13th October 1897, died 11th August 1974.

In 1911, Jennie Reed Atkinson was residing with her family at 48, Marine Approach, South Shields. There were three more children: Ethel Maud Atkinson, born in 1905; Alfreda Atkinson, born in 1907; and granddaughter, Gladys Cameron Rait, Wilhelmina’s daughter, born in 1909. At this time, William Atkinson was a Coal and Coke Surveyor.

In 1921, James and Jennie, were residing at 38 Eleanor Street, South Shields with their daughter Jane Elizabeth born 20th December 1918.

On the 21st November, James arrived at New York, USA, onboard the Lucerna, ship number 99437, from the Tyne, [North Shields], departed 3rd November 1921. He was a 1st Engineer engaged by the Lucerna on the 1st November 1921.

In 1925, John George Abbot, Thomas Relph Abbot and James Norman Abbot were residing at 12 Brandon Grove, in Heaton Ward with a Margaret Abbot in the Electoral roll for Spring 1925.

From the 24th November 1937, departing from Cardiff, James Norman Abbot is now the 2nd Engineer onboard the SS Holystone, ship number 149450, arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana on the 19th December 1937. 5 feet six inches, 140lbs, blue eyes and black Hair.

On the 28th June 1939, James Norman Abbot arrived at Portland and Astoria, Oregon in the USA onboard the SS Holystone, ship number 149450, as a crew member 2nd Engineer, from the 16th May 1939, he was 5 feet seven inches and was 140lb, blue eyes and black Hair. They had departed from Cardiff.

James was still serving on SS Holystone, but was discharged from the 11th September 1939 at Barry Merchant Marine Office. In 1939, he was residing at 7 Trajan Avenue, South Shields. The daughter Elizabeth, was a Clerk at the Ministry of Labour.

James Norman was onboard the SS Kurdistan, ship number 149487, from the 11th October 1939 from Manchester as a 2nd Engineer. The SS Kurdistan was torpedoed at 23.54 hours on the 10th December 1941, by U-130, commanded by Kapitän zur See Ernst Kals, fired a spread of four torpedoes at convoy SC-57 west of Rockall and observed two hits on one ship, the Star of Luxor, which sank in flames. At 23.57 hours, a spread of two torpedoes was then fired, both torpedoes seemingly detonating on one ship, but in fact Kurdistan and Kirnwood were hit.
The Kurdistan was carrying 6534 tons of general cargo including foodstuffs, base metals and textiles from New York to Manchester with a crew of 66. 10 died 56 survivors.

The Kurdistan (Master William Fearon McMillan) was the ship of convoy commodore Sir Roy Gill, RD, RNR. Seven crew members, one gunner and two naval staff members were lost. The master, the commodore, four naval staff members, 45 crew members and five gunners were picked up by HMS Kingcup (K 33) (LtCdr R.A.D. Cambridge, DSC, RNR), and landed at Londonderry.

Merchant seamen crewed the ships of the British Merchant Navy which kept the United Kingdom supplied with raw materials, arms, ammunition, fuel, food and all of the necessities of a nation at war throughout World War II — literally enabling the country to defend itself. In doing this, they sustained a considerably greater casualty rate than almost every other branch of the armed services and suffered great hardship. Seamen were aged from fourteen through to their late seventies.

James was now a crew member onboard the SS Botavan, ship number 131445. She was involved in the Arctic convoys supplying arms and supplies to Russia at Murmansk.
In late April 1942, the Botavon, serving as the Commodore’s ship, joined Convoy PQ-15, carrying crucial war supplies and materials from Iceland to the Soviet Union. The ship departed Reykjavik, Iceland, bound for Murmansk, Russia, carrying crucial war supplies like tanks and planes. On the 3rd May 1942, in the Arctic waters near Bear Island, the convoy was attacked by a formation of German Heinkel He 111 torpedo bombers. Convoy PQ 15 was subjected to heavy, sustained aerial dive-bombing attacks by the Luftwaffe in the Norwegian Sea. The Botavon and two other merchant ships (Cape Corso and Jutland) were directly hit. Unlike the Cape Corso, which blew up instantly, the Botavon settled by the bows, allowing her crew to evacuate. The Botavon took a direct hit from a torpedo-dropping aircraft, which left her severely damaged and unable to keep pace with the convoy. To prevent the crippled ship from falling into enemy hands or drifting, the Royal Navy escort destroyer HMS Badsworth, ship number 87685, scuttled the Botavon shortly thereafter, to prevent the ship from being captured or becoming a hazard. The attack on the Botavon resulted in the tragic deaths of 21 of her crew members.

Some Survivors from the Botavon were picked up by the Royal Navy trawler HMS Cape Pallister, which was itself subjected to relentless dive-bombing attacks roughly 20 hours later. Survivors were taken to a camp ashore by the Russians. James was one of these who was taken to a Russian Camp.

James had been torpedoed on another ship in December 1941, [SS Kurdistan see above for details], where he received serious medical attention. In that Month he was serving he jumped into a raft and was in it for four hours before being picked up by a corvette. [HMS Kingcup], On being examined by a merchant Navy pool doctor when he returned home, he was advised to have six months’ rest.

He refused to remain ashore and in March 1942, he returned to sea. Now onboard the SS Botavan. He was transferred by destroyer and landed in Russia when his ship was lost, for about a month James and fellow survivors lived in appalling conditions. Food was scarce and James was frostbitten. When James arrived home, he weighed only 7 stone, normally he was ten stone.
His brother-in-Law John Vasey, of 21 Vespasian Street, a chief rating and valuation officer at South Shields Corporation said “Normally, my brother-in-law weighed more than 10 stone, but when he arrived from Russia, he was only 7 stones. He was nothing like the man I had known previously“.
As a result, James Norman Abbot was invalided out of the Merchant Navy and was awarded a 100 per cent pension. He had been ailing continuously since returning from Russia. On the Monday morning [27th March 1942], he collapsed at his home and was taken to the General Hospital and died the next day, on Tuesday evening.

HMS Trinidad, ship number 108246, had sustained heavy damage from another attack and was returning to the UK after putting in to Murmansk for temporary repairs, which meant she could only make about 20 knots. Many of the Botavon survivors were put aboard HMS Trinidad but she was attacked by a large number of German bombers on 14th May 1942 resulting in most of the losses from Botavon. Following the devastating attack, the surviving crew were taken off by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Badsworth. Despite these losses, the convoy was largely viewed as a success by the Allies, with 22 fully laden merchant ships safely reaching Murmansk.

James Norman Abbot served as a 2nd Engineer with the Merchant Navy during WW2 and died at Harton Institution and General Hospital, Harton Lane, South Shields, as a consequence of injuries received during his war service. He was buried at Harton Cemetery, South Shields, he left a widow and daughter Jane Elizabeth. An inquest was held on the 31st march 1944.

A post mortem examination was carried out by Mr H. J. Cook of Sunderland revealed that death was due to multiple brain abscesses, disease of the left lung, and heart failure. Death has been accelerated by the privations suffered by Abbot. Recording a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, the coroner (Mr W. M. Patterson) said Abbot had given his life for his country just the same as any other fighting man.
Source: Shield Daily News Friday 31st March 1944.

James was residing at 7 Trajan Street, South Shields. James Norman Abbot’s daughter, Jane Elizabeth Abbot, married a Mr Norman in 1940, in South Shields.

Sources: The British Newspaper Archive; Find My Past Merchant Navy Records; The National Archives; U Boat net; Pauline Priano; Jennifer Stephenson;

James Norman Abbot is remembered at Westoe in W101.08, page 1, and in our List of Ships’ Crews.