More about John Anderson Gall

James Anderson Gall   2633/A   R.N.R.  H.M.S. Moldavia

GALL―Accidentally drowned in the River Tay, the 28th of February, while home leave, John Anderson Gall; R.N.R., dearly beloved husband of Jane Easson, 108 Rosebank Street, Dundee.

Dundee People’s Journal 27th April 1918

H.M.S. Moldavia was serving as a troopship when she was torpedoed and sunk by German Submarine, SM UB-57 on 23.05.1918 with the loss of 55 U.S. Soldiers on board.

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John A Gall was the husband of Mrs Jane Easson of South Brown Street & 108 Rosebank Street. Dundee. He was drowned in Tay whilst on leave when his rowing boat was run down by the ferry “Newport” whilst he was on a night fishing trip with Alexander Knight. He is buried in the Dundee Eastern Necropolis and is commemorated in the Fort Street Church Memorial in Broughty Ferry. He joined the Royal Naval Reserve at the Customs House Dundee in November 1911 and was employed as a Fisherman. When he was mobilised he first served with the Drake Battalion of the Royal Naval Division at Antwerp in October 1914 but transferred to Sea Service soon afterwards. His wartime service was in Admiralty requisitioned fishing boats in British waters probably engaged in minesweeping and anti submarine patrols. After this service he was drafted to HMS Moldavia, a former P and O liner converted to an Armed Merchant Cruiser in August 1917. The Moldavia operated with the 10th Cruiser Squadron in the North Atlantic searching for merchant ships carrying war materials to Germany. She was later sunk whilst acting as a Troop Ship carrying American soldiers to France.

Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie