Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

John William Southern was a member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and served as the engineer on the Steam Drifter ‘Newark Castle’, (a type of fishing vessel using drift nets). It was sunk on 6 July 1916, in the North Sea approximately 23 miles SE of the river Tyne by the German U-Boat U23, under command of Oberlieutnant zur See Ernst Voigt. Crew members came through Peterborough East Station on 8 July 1916 and wrote two detailed accounts of the attacks in the visitors’ books.  

U-Boats under the command of Oberlieutnant zur See Ernst Voigt, sank 80 ships.  Voigt, who was highly decorated, which included the Iron Cross 1^st class, died on 25 August 1917 when his submarine hit a mine in the Straits of Dover. http://uboat.net/wwi/men/commanders/377.html

John and his nine crewmates could possibly have been returning to Lowestoft, following their unfortunate encounter with the German submarine.

We have been unable to positively identify this person.  Please get in touch if you can help.