Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Obituary of Mr. John Broom, retired Chief Steward of Burns & Laird Lines, Glasgow

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 17th November 1972

OBITUARY

MR. JOHN BROOM

Mr. John Broom, who was a chief steward with Burns & Laird Lines Ltd. until he retired last year, died at Ayrshire Central Hospital, Irvine, on Saturday.

Mr Broom had been with Burns & Laird since 1921, when he joined as a pantry boy. He worked his way through the various grades until he became chief Steward of the Royal Ulsterman in 1940 and he served with her also as chief petty officer until 1945.

It was the Royal Ulsterman, operating as a troop ship between the Clyde and Iceland, which carried the only three survivors of the battleship HMS Hood which was sunk by enemy action.

After the war he served on the Royal Scotsman on the Glasgow-Belfast night service and when the car ferry service came into operation in January 1968 he became chief steward of the Lion.

Mr. Broom, who lived at 11 Border Avenue, Saltcoats, is survived by his wife and a daughter.
His body has been cremated and the ashes are to be scattered off Ailsa Craig at a service on board the Lion on Wednesday.