In Harton Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave with a private headstone of First Engineer George Whittingham, serving on S.S. John O’Scott with the Mercantile Marine who died 18/09/1918.

The headstone reads:
In loving memory
of
George Whittingham
aged 45 years
who was killed
in action at sea
18th September 1918.

Also Alice
dearly beloved wife of the above
who died April 9th 1954 in her 83rd year.

W. Bro. Revd. David T. Youngson, PPAG Chaplain, Northumberland offers the following:
The information given below in respect of some of the brethren is the best possible conclusions from Lodge records, Grand Lodge records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission and data in respect of merchant ship losses during the First World War.

240 St Hilda’s Lodge
Year of Warrant 1780
Freemasons Hall, South Shields
George WHITTINGHAM
Mercantile Marine
First Engineer S.S. John O Scott

A Marine Engineer he was Initiated on the 8th January 1912; Passed 8th April 1912 and Raised on the 12th May 1912.

He died on the 18th September 1918 aged 44 and is buried in South Shields (Harton) Cemetery Grave Reference D.667.

Editors Note
The SS John O Scott (1235 GRT) of Leith owned by Christian Salvesen was defensively armed. She was torpedoed without warning by the German U-Boat U-117, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Erwin Waßner on a voyage from Barry to Dover carrying coal on the 18th September 1918 nine miles W by N from Trevose Head with the loss of 18 lives.

George Whittingham is remembered at South Shields on S86.102 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.