John Burns – Merchant Navy, S.S. Empire Tiger

Boy John Burns – Merchant Navy, S.S. Empire Tiger

Early Life

John Burns was born in 1924 in Swansea. Little is recorded about his early life, but like many young men from coastal communities, he entered the Merchant Navy at a very young age, serving as a Boy—one of the most junior but essential roles aboard ship.

S.S. Empire Tiger

S.S. Empire Tiger 

The S.S. Empire Tiger was a 4,954‑ton British steam cargo ship, built in 1919 by Todd Dry Dock & Construction Corp. Originally a commercial vessel, she was later operated by the Ministry of War Transport as part of the extensive wartime “Empire” fleet, which kept Britain supplied during the most dangerous years of the Second World War.

In 1940, the ship underwent several inspections and surveys, confirming her seaworthiness for wartime service. On 27^th February 1941, while bound for the Clyde, the Empire Tiger transmitted urgent distress messages reporting severe difficulties, including the loss of all lifeboats—a sign of catastrophic damage. Shortly afterwards, all communication ceased.

The vessel vanished without trace in the North Atlantic. No wreckage was ever recovered, and no survivors were found. The entire crew—including Boy John Burns—was lost.

The disappearance of the Empire Tiger remains one of the many tragic mysteries of the Battle of the Atlantic, a stark reminder of the dangers faced by the Merchant Navy as they kept Britain’s lifelines open.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

John Burns
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - findagrave

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, Boy John Burns lost his life on 27^th February 1941 while serving aboard the Empire Tiger. As he has no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, which honours Merchant Navy personnel who died at sea during both world wars.