Subject

Canadian firefighter. He and a London firefighter were killed when a V1 flying bomb fell on part of Wildcroft Manor and exploded as they were attending a fire. Another Winnipegger, J.R.C. Leguee, survived the attack.

Andrew Behan has kindly provided this research and also found the photo: Senior Fireman John Stewart Coull was born on 21 October 1907 in Lossimouth, Elginshire, Scotland, the eldest of the five children of James Coull (1879-1940) and Margaret Jane Coull née Stewart (1881-1965). (Elginshire is now known as Moray). His father was a Cooper, who served at various times in the Royal Engineers, The Royal Naval Reserve (Trawler Section) and the 6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. His siblings were Margaret Isabella Coull (1911-1927) born 19 April 1911, Jamesina Coull (1912-2002) born 18 November 1912, Alexander Coull (1914-1982) born 27 August 1914 and William Reid Coull (1917-2013) born 17 April 1917. When his father joined the 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders for 90 days Emergency Service, the attestation papers dated 11 April 1921 record the family living 136 High Street, Lossimouth.

On 20 July 1929 he left Scotland aboard the White Star Line ship 'Laurentic' from the port of Greenock (Tail of the Bar) bound for Quebec, Canada and the ship's manifest shows him as a 3rd class passenger, travelling as one member of a Ministry of Labour group at the Special Migrant Rate of £10 cash. His occupation was recorded as a Labourer and his home address was given as 48 Seatown, Lossiemouth. On 2 August 1933 he married Erna Torgerson (1912-1996) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and they had one daughter, Joyce Solveig Coull, born about 1938. He was a firefighter in Winnipeg and on 15 May 1942 enlisted into the Canadian Corps of Firefighters in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

His service number was T.122 and he came to England to assist the National Fire Service three months later. He was killed, aged 36 years, on 3 July 1944 as a result of enemy action when a V1 flying bomb landed on the Metropolitan Water Board's cricket pavilion at Wildcroft Manor, Putney and was buried in RAF Graves Plot, Grave No.1237, Lossimouth Cemetery, Inchbroom Road, Lossiemouth, Moray. He is also commemorated on the National Firefighters Memorial at the junction of Carter Lane and Sermon Lane, London, EC4.