Harold Williams

 

S.S. British Premier
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - findagrave

The S.S. British Premier had loaded with 8,000 tons of crude oil at Abadan in the Persian Gulf and was bound for Swansea.

S.S. British Premier
credit - uboat.net

When at 16.40, Christmas Eve, 1940. The S.S. British Premier was hit by two torpedoes fired from U-65 and sank 200 miles southwest of Freetown. The master, 30 crew members, and one gunner were lost. Nine crew members were picked up on 3^rd January 1941, by H.M.S. Hawkins and landed at Freetown. On 3^rd February 1941, four survivors were picked up after 41 days in an open boat (25 days without food) by H.M.S. Faulknor, off the west coast of Africa and landed at Freetown

The crew are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

The names of the crew are listed below.

Surname	Forenames	Age	Rank
Austin	Robert		Seaman
Beggs	Thomas	26	Fifth Engineer Officer
Blacklock	James Arthur	18	Able Seaman
Bratley	Douglas Alan	17	Apprentice
Clery	Philip Francis	42	First Radio Officer
Coombes	Roy Lester	27	Second Radio Officer
Curnock	David Jackson	19	Apprentice
Dalziel	Francis	48	Master
Darbyshire	Arthur Rowland	35	Chief Engineer Officer
Davies	Edwin	44	Fireman
Grey	Herbert Clifford	50	Greaser
Griffiths	Evan Owen		Seaman
Hayes	Arthur Frederick	35	Sailor
Hayter	Edwin William	46	Marine (gunner)
Knowles	Eric James	22	Fourth Engineer Officer
MacDermid	Donald John	40	Able Seaman
McCart	Robert	16	Cabin Boy
Moloney	Austin Griffin	22	Sailor
Nelson	William Graham	35	Second Officer
O’Neil	Daniel	20	Sailor
Ormston	Andrew	36	Carpenter
Owens	Robert Alfred	19	Sailor
Pesari	Thomas	52	Fireman
Price	John Wheeler	50	Sailor
Russ	Walter		Seaman
Seery	Michael	36	Electrician
Smith	Harold	31	Chief Officer
Steele	Robert	39	boatswain
Suero	Ramon	50	Engine Room Storekeeper
Sutherland	Robert R.	29	Chief Cook
Thornton	William Thomas	17	Mess Room Boy
Tierney	Dennis Melville	27	Third Officer
White	Frank Charles	52	Greaser
Williams	Harold	20	Ordinary Seaman
Wilson	Kenneth George	19	Second Steward

 

The names highlighted are boys/men from Swansea.

Western Mail

Four men were picked up after 41 days at sea, three of them were from the Swansea area. Evan Basil Davies and Walter Russ both from St. Thomas and David Lewis Beynon from Mumbles, were awarded the King’s Commendation for Bravery.  The Western Mail published an article regarding their decorations.

Ordinary Seaman, Harold Williams, was 20 years old when he was killed.

Harold was the son of Ernest George Williams and Jeanie Fox, who were married in 1904.

At the time of the 1921 Census, the Williams family was living at 162a Port Tennant Road.

1921 Census

Ernest George, 42, who was a Ships Stewards, employed by Shipsbrokers Burges & Co., was out of work. Jannie, was 37. 

Their children were Leonard, 14; Thomas Harry, 12; Cecil John Charles, 10; Mary Cecilia, 5, all of whom were in education; Ernest George, 3; William Clifford, 2, and 8-month-old Harold.