William Phillips

 Fireman and Trimmer William Phillips – Merchant Navy S.S. Baron Carnegie

Firemen and Trimmers in Wartime

William Phillips

During the Second World War, firemen and trimmers continued to serve aboard Merchant Navy vessels. Firemen were responsible for stoking the ship’s boilers, while trimmers managed the coal in the bunkers to keep the ship balanced and fuel accessible. It was demanding, dangerous work, especially in wartime when merchant ships were prime targets.

William Phillips – Early Life

William Phillips was born in 1911, the son of William and Margaret Ellen Phillips of Swansea.

1921 Census

In the 1921 Census, William, then aged 10, was living with his family at 5 Jeffreys Place, Oystermouth Road. His father, William (43), worked as a lodging housekeeper with premises in Fisher Street, while his mother, Margaret (40), assisted in the home. The household was busy, with several of William’s siblings present: Redvers (20), employed as a motor driver and a veteran of the Royal Navy in the First World War; Doris (17) and Violet (15), both working as domestic servants; Annie (13); James (8); and Aubrey (6). William, along with the younger children, was still in school at the time.

In March 1939, William married Dora B. C. Molyneux, and by the time of the 1939 Register, the couple were living together at 32 Brunswick Street, Swansea. William was recorded as serving with the Merchant Navy, continuing a seafaring career that would ultimately place him in the dangerous waters of the Second World War.

Death at Sea

Merchant Seamen Deaths Record

William was among those lost when the Baron Carnegie was torpedoed and sunk in June 1941. The Merchant Seamen Deaths Record notes that he was either killed or drowned in the attack. Unlike many of his shipmates, however, William’s body was recovered.

The S.S. Baron Carnegie

S.S. Baron Carnegie

The S.S. Baron Carnegie was a British cargo steamer built in 1925 by Dunlop Bremner & Co., Port Glasgow, for Ardrossan owners. On 11^th June 1941, while sailing in ballast from Swansea to Takoradi, she was attacked 15 miles west of St Davids Head. A German aircraft launched a torpedo that struck the vessel.

Though the Baron Carnegie was taken in tow, she later sank. Of the 39 crew, 25 men lost their lives. Their names are preserved on memorials and in cemeteries across Britain, including the Tower Hill Memorial in London.

Among the dead was Alfred Frank Yeoumans, a fellow Swansea fireman and trimmer. Yeoumans had once been a talented race walker, competing in the 1908 London Olympics in the 3500m walk before turning to a working life on the docks. His death on the Baron Carnegie underscores the breadth of lives lost at sea, from Olympians to ordinary seamen.

Crew of the S.S. Baron Carnegie – Lost 11^th June 1941

Surname	Forenames	Age	Rank	Cemetery / Memorial
Beard	Edgar Ross	45	Chief Officer	Llanwnda Cemetery
Begley	Arthur Charles	35	Fireman & Trimmer	Southport (Duke Street) Cemetery
Brophy	Bernard	34	Fireman & Trimmer	Tower Hill Memorial
Bruce	William	23	Third Engineer Officer	Tower Hill Memorial
Clark	James Pert	19	Apprentice	Tower Hill Memorial
Gay	Laurence John	20	Second Radio Officer	Cheam (St. Dunstan) Churchyard
Gervaise	Thomas Edwin Marshall	24	Ordinary Seaman	Tower Hill Memorial
Johansen	Sigurd	60	Fireman & Trimmer	Tower Hill Memorial
Malcolm	Robert Dickson	55	Fourth Engineer Officer	Cardiff (Cathays) Cemetery
Millican	Harold	43	Second Engineer Officer	Flimby Cemetery, Maryport
Morrison	Neil	40	Steward	Tower Hill Memorial
McTurk	John Wallace Lyon	28	Third Officer	Kilmarnock Cemetery
Nicholls	Marcus Hugh	24	Sailor	Tower Hill Memorial
Partridge	Horace	22	Ordinary Seaman	Tower Hill Memorial
Phillips	David William Richard	21	Able Seaman	Ammanford Cemetery
Phillips	William	30	Fireman & Trimmer	Swansea (Danygraig) Cemetery
Reed	David William	18	Cabin Boy	Tower Hill Memorial
Rideout	Kenneth	18	Mess Room Boy	Sunningdale (Holy Trinity) Churchyard
Scale	David John	21	Seaman	Swansea (Morriston) Cemetery
Scott	Matthew Sykes	18	Apprentice	Tower Hill Memorial
Wallace	Edward James	22	Boy	Tower Hill Memorial
Yeoumans	Alfred Frank	32	Fireman & Trimmer	Tower Hill Memorial

Burial

William Phillips
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

William Phillips was brought home and buried in Danygraig Cemetery, Swansea, where his grave can still be found.

Legacy

Tragically, William’s death came just months before the birth of his daughter, Janice, in July 1941. His sacrifice is remembered not only through his family but also through the wider commemoration of Merchant Navy losses.

Herald of Wales

Herald of Wales

The Herald of Wales published two articles on his death, reflecting the local grief and pride felt in Swansea at the loss of one of its own. His name is also linked to the memory of the Baron Carnegie’s crew, 25 of whom never returned—including fellow Swansea man and former Olympian Alfred Frank Yeoumans. Together, their stories highlight the heavy toll borne by the Merchant Navy, whose service and sacrifice were vital to Britain’s survival in the Second World War.