Biography

Kozar, John (Kazar; “Topsy”); b. December 28, 1913; CoB; Single; Seaman; CP October 1936; Received Passport# 388923 on February 23, 1937 which listed his address as 291 Oakland Street, Brooklyn, New York, and 2451 38^th Street, Astoria, New York; Sailed May 1, 1937 aboard the Britannic; Arrived in Spain on May 30, 1937 after surviving the sinking of the City of Barcelona; Served with the Republican Medical Services, Hospital Driver; Returned to the US on December 20, 1938 aboard the Ausonia; Married Jean Ewen, who was a nurse to Bethune in China and who was the sister of Mac-Paps Bruce Ewen and Tom Ewen; Their father was Tom Ewen who was a leader of the Communist Party of Canada; Kozar had two children. The second, Tom Kozar was born after his father’s death; WWII Merchant Marine; Killed at sea when his ship the Friar Rock was torpedoed by a submarine on January 13, 1942; Kozar, who was serving as 1^st Engineer aboard the vessel, died of hypothermia before he could be rescued.

Source: Sail; Scope of Soviet Activity; RGASPI; (obituary note) The Volunteer, Volume 4, No. 2, April 1942; American Merchant Marine at War www.usmm.org.

Photographs: John Kozar VALB/ALBA; in Spain, RGASPI Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 925 and VALB/ALBA.