John Nash was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire on 28 August 1920, the son of Annie Nash. He joined the Royal Navy as an Acting Engine room Artificer fourth Class. He was drafted to the Submarine Depot HMS ELFIN at Blyth, Northumberland and is reported to have died from injuries sustained in an accidental mine explosion. He was found dead after an explosion and a fire in a minefield on land near Blyth.

Apparently, John Nash and Laurence Gilbert, another ERA4, had told a messmate on 30 January that they intended to walk to Whitley Bay. It seems they walked down the beach towards the battery only to wander into a sign-posted minefield with catastrophic consequences. When they did not return from leave, they were both posted as deserters.  It was not until ten weeks later, on 13 April 1944, that their bodies were discovered by firefighters fighting a gorse fire – which itself caused an explosion and claimed the lives of three firefighters, a soldier and a naval armourer.

John Nash from Lickley Road in Birmingham is buried in the Blyth Links Cemetery, Blyth, Northumberland in Grave No. 3419

See further information on this accident amongst a great account of life at HMS ELFIN at northeastwar.co.uk