John Gross

A Mate with S.S. Sixty Six (Middlesbrough), John died on 29th of June 1918 at the age of 62. 

John was born at Lowestoft in 1856, a son of John and Charlotte Gross. In 1861 his family lived at London Road, and in 1871 they lived at 6 Redwell Buildings, Kirkley. In 1875 John worked on the S.S. Pacific. By 1881 his family were living at West Side, 8 Saint George’s Road, Kirkley, and John was a mariner. 

John married Alice Elizabeth Robinson Gurney in 1882: this was registered in the Mutford district. In 1891 they lived at 80 Carlton Road, and this was still their home in 1901. By 1891 John was a Master Mariner and in 1901 he was the Master of the coasting steamer Kelvinside. By 1911 their home was at 13 Salisbury Road. In January 1915 John was the Master of the S.S. Kingfisher. Later that year he became the Mate of the S.S. Glencona. 

In 1918 John was the Mate on the S.S. Sixty-Six. Early on 29 June 1918 the Sixty-Six was sailing alone from Middlesborough with a cargo of cement. Off Scarborough the ship was spotted by the German submarine UB-88 which followed the ship and fired a torpedo which hit the ship amidships. The Sixty-Six sank immediately and John and five other men were killed.