John Macdonald, 27 Coll

Seaman JOHN MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 27 Coll,
Son of Donald Macdonald
Service unit: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Seagull
Service number: 3042/C
Date of birth: January 1881
Date of death: 30 September 1918 at the age of 37
Lost in sinking of ship
Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial, panel 30,
Local memorial: Back

Stornoway Gazette, 11 October 1918
A deep shadow was cast over this district on Tuesday of last week when it became known that Mr Donald macdonald, 27 Coll, had received official intimation that his youngest son, John Macdonald, RNR, had been drowned off the southwest coast of Scotland through his ship being sunk in a collision. The deceased, who was about 36 years of age, was called up at the outbreak of war, and served for the first year on HMS Hermione. He was afterwards transferred to the Harwich patrol and latterly to the patrol based at Oban. He was a man of sterling uprightness of character, and was held in the highest esteem wherever he was known. He was married to Miss Kennethina STewart, youngest daughter of the late Mr Kenneth Stewart, Back, and sister of Councillor Norman Stewart, Stornoway, and her death, over two years ago, was a great blow to him. The deepest sympathy is felt for their only son, as well as for the deceased's parents and sisters in their irrepairable loss.