About
World War I (1914-1918)
Ferdinand John France was born in Schenectady, New York, on November 12, 1898. Before joining the military, he worked for the Western Union Telegraph Company.
On November 15, 1915, Ferdinand enlisted in the United States Navy and began his training in Newport, Rhode Island. He was a quartermaster 3rd class and was stationed on the USS Birmingham. The USS Birmingham was serving as the flagship for the U.S Naval Forces and was leading convoys between Gibraltar, the British Isles, and France. On September 23, 1918, while in Gibraltar, Ferdinand died suddenly. He was originally buried in the North Front Cemetery, which was used throughout World War I for the burial of sailors and soldiers who died on ships passing through Gibraltar or in the military hospital. The cemetery faces southward towards the Rock of Gibraltar. He was brought back to the states in 1920 and buried in Old St. Joseph's Cemetery in Schenectady, New York.
Sources: The Schenectady Gazette, Find A Grave, Ancestry
