John M. Sheffield
John Morgan Sheffield was born in Statesboro, GA on April 15, 1882. He grew up with his parents, James and Mary Ann Sheffield, along with his five
brothers and sisters on a farm. John went off to fight in the war in 1918. Sheffield was part of the September automatic draft replacement. He reported to Fort Screven on Tybee Island as part of the 2nd detachment Coastal Artillery Corps. On September 23, 1918 he departed from Hoboken, NJ aboard the HMS Otranto.
Although his family received a letter from the military informing them that he had made it safely to Europe, he had in fact drowned when the Otranto sank on October 6, 1918. In a remembrance letter from Brooks Beasley’s sister, she also mentions that the Sheffield family received a letter from John informing them of his safe arrival in Britain. The news of his safe arrival was published in local newspapers.
The Otranto was struck by another vessel off the coast of Scotland and sank. Sheffield was one of the four young men from Bulloch County to die in the sinking of the Otranto. He passed away on October 6, 1918. Since Sheffield was on his way to the front lines, he never experienced warfare. Sheffield was buried with the other Otranto victims in Kilchoman Semetery on the Isle Islay, Argylls, in Scotland. On June 6, 1922, his remains were reburied in the Brookwood American Cemetery (Plot A, Row 3, Grave 8) in Brookwood, England.
Works Cited
MIlitary Hall of Honor. “PV2 John M. Sheffield.” Military Hall of Honor - Honoring Those Who Honor Us. Accessed April 18, 2024. https://militaryhallofhonor.com/honoree-record.php?id=14554.
Hackle , Al. “Sinking of HMS Otranto Hit Georgia Hard 105 Years Ago.” Statesboro Herald , September 29, 2023.
“Pvt John Morgan Sheffield (1892-1918) - Find a...” Find a Grave. Accessed April 18, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56503875/john_morgan-sheffield.
Sheffield, John. M. Burial Card. Card Register of Burials of Deceased American Soldiers. NAID: 109118823Container ID: 85.