On the Tower Hill Memorial is the name of Third Radio Officer John Lancelot Wilson, serving on S.S. Goolistan with the Merchant Navy who died 23/11/1942.
John Lancelot Wilson was born at Melton Mowbray on the 20th December 1923, the son of four children to James Snowden Wilson, born 24th September 1892, died at Lewes, East Sussex, 27th August 1976, [of 56 Blue Haze Avenue, Seaford], and his wife Eleanor Marguerite nee Borrell, born Tealby, 1st January 1895, [died Sandbach, Cheshire, 6th November 1982, cremated 10th November]. They were married in 1921. James was a School Master, [he was the son of George Wilson, born 1851, and his wife Eliza, born 1856, they were married in 1879 and had seven children].
In 1911 James Snowden Wilson was residing at Dunston Schoolhouse, Dunston Way, Lesbury.
In 1939 the family including the four children were residing at 1 St Lawrence Terrace, Warkworth. Two of the children are not known but John Lancelot Wilson born 1923 was at school as was Sylvia born 27th February 1930.
He is listed on the Scouts Roll of Honour 1939-45 as having attended the 1st Warkworth Group.
The SS Goolistan, was a Steam merchant ship. Tonnage 5,851 tons, she was completed in April 1929 by Short Brothers Ltd, at Pallion, in Sunderland. The owner was the Common Brothers Ltd, of Newcastle upon Tyne, and her Homeport was Newcastle upon Tyne.
The SS Goolistan, ship number 161512, was traveling from Archangel (17th November) – Loch Ewe – Manchester with a cargo of Timber and cellulose was unescorted, commanded by Master William Thomson, a straggler from station #53 in convoy QP-15. At 00.56 hours on the 23rd November 1942, she was hit by one of two torpedoes from U-625, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Hans Benker, between Bear Island and Spitzbergen. The U-boat had spotted the ship one hour earlier and approached for a submerged attack, but experienced some difficulties due to the ice cold weather as important gauges were frozen, the periscope became stuck on twelve meters and the periscope head had to be constantly freed from ice by diving. The explosion set the cargo on fire and the crew began to abandon ship when she settled slowly. At 01.45 hours, the burning vessel sank after being hit underneath the bridge by a coup de grâce at 01.18 hours. The Germans questioned the occupants of the lifeboats and were told that the master had remained aboard when they asked for him. However, the survivors were never found, the master, 41 crew members and ten gunners were lost. 52 (52 dead – no survivors).
Source: U Boat Net.
Acknowledgments: Barney Rice
John Lancelot Wilson is remembered at Warkworth on W16.01, W16.04 and W16.07 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
