More about John Alexander Mackenzie

For reasons unknown this man is not listed on the original Dundee Roll of Honour, but is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial.

John A MacKenzie was born in Dundee and was the son of Mr William and Mrs Annie Mackenzie (nee Buck) of 57 Delafield Road, Charlton, London. The SS Heron, a steamship with cargo of coal, was sunk in the Western Approaches whilst on passage from Newcastle and London to Oporto, Portugal by the German submarine U-90. John MacKenzie died in the sinking along with 21 other crew and all are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial. The Dundee City Roll of Honour has his ship named as Heatherside in DROH and date of death 25 September 1917. Bosun John MacKenzie is listed as a fatality on the Heatherside but he was born at Bowmore, Islay.

SS Heron, built by Gourlay Bros. & Co., Dundee in 1889 and owned at the time of her loss by General Steam Navigation Co., London , was a British steamer of 885 tons. On September 30th, 1917, Heron, on a voyage from Newcastle & London to Oporto with a cargo of coal, was sunk by the German submarine U-90 (Walter Remy), 300 miles SW from Ushant. 22 persons were lost.