My father died in 1981 at the age of 59 through Lung Cancer even though he was classified as a non-smoker. He had given up Players Plain Capstan High Stength (that speaks for itself - not even the filtered version if there was one) about 14years previously having gone from about 20 a day to zero overnight. That took some doing! Apparently he started smoking on 5th June 1944. He also suffered from nightmares until the 1960s because, like lots of men, he had witnessed the horrors of the Belsen Concentration Camp when it was liberated in April 1945. I put his death down to a combination of the delayed latent effects of smoking, stress and other matters arising from his and his brothers experiences in WW2. Also no councelling in those days.
A 23H veteran of my acquaintance, who died last year, was a non-smoker, non-drinker. The main cause of his death was given as Asbestosis. According to his family he'd never been near the stuff. I've since learned that the Sherman contained significant amounts. This may be 2 + 2 = 5, but even his doctor thought that prolonged exposure inside a tank turret could be the explanation.
Apologies for the thread drift I've tried searching for any vessels by the name of John I. Jones - only thing I could find relating to big ships was that JA Jones was a shipbuilder in Charlotte and built a lot of the Liberty Ships - http://www.jajones.com/pdf/Liberty_Ships_of_WWII.pdf
Re. post 42 - Plenty of mention of applying asbestos and then taking it off in my gd's memories. A lot of this written, years later, in the 1970's I think. Even when he was very ill himself. And... Asbestosis - Wikipedia Seems to make it clear that some at least knew of dangers associated with it etc. even earlier than that. But its "usefulness" was I guess what made people blind to these risks to those many years later perhaps. Re. post 43 - I had some great help here... with my own 24th Lancer LSTs queries etc ;-) 24th Lancers - LST Query
Re. Corporal Thomas Dunn Turnbull - 320178 Vehicle mechanic in "A" Squadron of the 24th Lancers. An unposted reinforcement attached to 270 FDS. Later posted to the 23rd Hussars. Link above - 24th Lancers Regimental Nominal Roll and Postings August 1944 Cpl. Thomas Dunn Turnbull Born 8 Jun 1912 in Gateshead, Durham Died 1986 in Coventry, Warwickshire. Also an ex-9th Lancer... Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_412.jpg - 9th/12th Royal Lancers Museum