Charles William Reginald Gent – Mercantile Marine - S.S. Ilston

Third Engineer Charles William Reginald Gent – Mercantile Marine, S.S. Ilston

Early Life and Family Background

Charles William Reginald Gent was born in 1881, in Swansea, the son of Reginald Hamilton Gent and Elizabeth Roderick. His father was a Master Mariner, frequently away at sea, while his mother managed the family home in Swansea.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the Gent family were residing at 41 Kilvey Street, Swansea. Elizabeth, aged 41 and born in Llandovery, was recorded as head of the household, with her husband Reginald absent due to his work at sea. Their children were David R. (18), a Pupil Teacher; Charles W. R. (13); and George M. (6).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 36 Pentreguinea Road, Swansea. Reginald, now 54, was listed as a Master Mariner (Steamship), and Elizabeth, aged 51, kept the household. Their two sons still at home were Charles (23), now a Marine Engineer, and George M. (16), a Clerk.

Service at Sea

Following in his father’s footsteps, Charles Gent pursued a maritime career, qualifying as a Marine Engineer and joining the Mercantile Marine. As Third Engineer, he was responsible for maintaining the vital mechanical systems of the ship — the engines, boilers, and pumps that kept her moving. It was a demanding role carried out in the heat and noise of the lower decks, far from daylight and comfort.

Loss of the S.S. Ilston

At the time of his death, on 30 June 1917, Charles Gent was serving as Third Engineer aboard the S.S. Ilston, a Swansea-registered steam cargo vessel engaged in the essential wartime transport of materials around Britain’s coasts.

The Ilston was en route from Swansea to Falmouth with a cargo of railway material when she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine SM UB-23 off the Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, approximately four nautical miles south-east of The Lizard. The attack came suddenly, leaving the crew little chance of escape.

Herald of Wales

The ship went down quickly, claiming several lives — including that of Third Engineer Charles William Reginald Gent, aged 36. His death was reported in the Herald of Wales on 1^st July 1917, marking another loss among Swansea’s long line of mariners who served at sea during the Great War.

The S.S. Ilston

The S.S. Ilston was a British steam cargo ship of approximately 2,426 gross register tons, built in 1915 for the Swansea Steamers Company. Though designed for coastal trade, ships such as the Ilston became frequent targets of enemy submarines during the First World War, as Germany sought to blockade Britain and cut off vital supplies.

On 30^th June 1917, while steaming along the Cornish coast, the Ilston was struck by a torpedo fired from UB-23, a Type UB II submarine commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans Ewald Niemer. The ship sank within minutes, with heavy loss of life.

Today, the wreck of the Ilston lies in around 165 feet (50 metres) of water, serving as a silent memorial to her crew and to the many merchant vessels lost during the war.

The German Submarine SM UB-23

The SM UB-23 was a Type UB II coastal submarine of the Imperial German Navy, commissioned on 13^th March 1916. Compact yet deadly, she displaced 263 tons surfaced and 292 tons submerged, with a length of 36 metres and a beam of 4.3 metres.

Armed with two bow torpedo tubes, four torpedoes, and an 8.8 cm deck gun, the UB-23 was built for short-range attacks in the busy shipping lanes around Britain and France. She carried a crew of twenty-three men and could reach speeds of 9 knots on the surface and 5 knots submerged.

Under a series of commanders, including Hans Ewald Niemer, UB-23 completed 21 patrols and was credited with sinking 51 ships — over 33,000 tons of Allied and neutral shipping. In July 1917, the submarine was badly damaged by a depth-charge attack and forced to seek refuge in Corunna, Spain, where she was interned. At the war’s end, she was surrendered to the Allies in January 1919 and later dismantled.

Her record exemplified the deadly effectiveness of Germany’s U-boat campaign, which inflicted severe losses on the British Merchant Navy — the same campaign that claimed the Ilston and Third Engineer Charles Gent.

Commemoration and Legacy

S.S. Ilston
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources:
The Merchant Navy Memorial 

S.S. Ilston
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources:
The Merchant Navy Memorial 

Charles William Reginald Gent is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, which honours those of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who lost their lives during the two World Wars and have no known grave but the sea.

His name stands among many from Swansea — engineers, sailors, and officers — whose service kept the lifelines of Britain open in its darkest years. Through his sacrifice, and that of his shipmates, the essential work of the Mercantile Marine carried on, sustaining both the nation and the war effort.