Notes
The Roll lists his address as Providential Place. It wrongly states he died in November 1918. (This was due to an inaccurate report that had been printed in 1918 in the local newspapers, on which the details in the Peterborough Roll of Honour were based).
On 9/11/1918, under the heading "Brilliant Young Captain's Death", the Peterborough Advertiser announced the death from influenza "last week" of Chief Officer Albert Edward Johnson of the British Ensign, who it described as the nephew of Mr & Mrs George Johnson of Providential Place in Peterborough. The report stated that Albert had been educated at Deacon's School in Peterborough, before becoming apprenticed as a Midshipman, and that he had attained the rank of Captain at the age of 25. During his last voyage, the crew of his ship were reported to have fallen victim to influenza. Having helped nurse them, Albert was reported to have himself succumbed to the illness, and died on SS British Ensign at the East India Docks "at the early age of 30 years".
Albert Edward Johnson's death certificate records that he was a Chief Officer, aged 30, when he died on 28/10/1918 from influenza/pneumonia aboard SS British Ensign at East India Docks in the Poplar District of London; his death was registered by his widow Jean Johnson, whose address was recorded on the certificate as 6 New Quay, North Shields (which was Albert's address for Probate). The Probate Index recorded Albert as a Chief Officer of the Merchant Service; Probate was granted on 17/2/1919 to his cousin, Thomas William Johnson, whose parents George & Priscilla Johnson were living at 9 Providential Place in Peterborough on the 1901 census. Staying with them on that census was a nephew recorded by the enumerator as "Alfred Johnson" aged 13, a British subject whose place of birth was given as Monte Video, South America. On the previous census, in 1891, "Albert Edamo Johnson", aged 3, whose place of birth was given as Monte Video, was living with his mother Martha Johnson at Ore Christchurch in Sussex).
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission currently has no record of Albert Edward Johnson's death on 28/10/1918. As his death certificate states that he died as Chief Officer, and the Probate records confirm he was in the Merchant Navy, documents have now been submitted to the Commission asking them to consider whether he can be added to their casualty registers. JK