More about John Duff

John has no known grave but is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial. He was serving aboard the S.S. Glenfruin, built by A. Rodger & Co., Port Glasgow in 1904 and owned at the time of her loss by Easton, Greig & Co., Glasgow, was a British steamer of 3097 tons.

On January 26th, 1918, Glenfruin,was on a voyage from Seriphos to Ardrossan with a cargo of iron ore, she was sunk by the German submarine U-103 (Claus Rücker) northwest from Holyhead in the Irish Sea. Sunk with all 32 hands.

John Duff   Chief Officer   SS Glenfruin

DUFF^___Drowned at sea, on 26th January, 1918, John Duff, Chief Officer of the SS Glenfruin, of Glasgow, beloved husband of Elizabeth M’Laren Turner, 52 Peddie Street, Dundee.

Dundee People’s Journal 1st June 1918

John Duff was the husband of Mrs Elizabeth Duff, nee Turner of 52 Peddie Street, Dundee. The vessel was last seen in the Bay of Biscay on 26 January 1918 after leaving Gibraltar on 20 January and was carrying iron ore from Seriphos in the Aegean Sea to Ardrossan. The ship was torpedoed by the German submarine UC-31 or U-103 in the Irish Sea off Holyhead with the loss of all 32 crew members. John Duff is named on the Tower Hill Memorial in London as First Mate. Able Seaman John Scott from Dundee was also lost in the sinking.

Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie