Harold Selby Morgan – Mercantile Marine - S.S. War Wasp

Second Engineer Harold Selby Morgan – Mercantile Marine, S.S. War Wasp

Early Life and Family Background

Birth and Parentage

Harold Selby Morgan was born in 1899, the son of John and Charlotte Morgan of 17 Aylesbury Road, Brynmill, Swansea. Although several local families are documented in the census records of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Harold does not appear in the surviving census returns, leaving limited information about his early years.

S.S. War Wasp

The S.S. War Wasp was one of many British merchant steamers constructed or requisitioned during the First World War to support the country’s vast logistical needs. Operated under government control, ships of the “War” class—such as the War Wasp—were used to transport essential supplies, munitions, raw materials, and foodstuffs to ports in Britain and across the Allied world.

Engineers like Harold were responsible for keeping these vital steamships operational. Serving as Second Engineer, he would have worked deep within the vessel’s machinery spaces, ensuring the boilers, engines, and auxiliary equipment remained in continuous working order. These roles demanded technical skill, discipline, and endurance, especially during wartime when merchant vessels were heavily targeted by submarines and mines.

The War Wasp continued operating through the final year of the war and into the immediate post-armistice period, when shipping lanes remained dangerous due to residual mines, damaged ports, and ongoing naval hazards.

Harold Selby Morgan lost his life on 3^rd December 1918, only weeks after the armistice was declared, highlighting the continued risks faced by the Mercantile Marine even after hostilities had officially ceased.

Harold Selby Morgan
Janval Cemetery, Dieppe
credit - findagrave

He was buried with honour at Janval Cemetery, Dieppe, in northern France.

Legacy

Although few records survive to illuminate his early life, Harold’s service as a Second Engineer reflects the essential contributions made by young technical specialists in the Mercantile Marine. At less than twenty years of age, he held a position of considerable responsibility aboard a large steamship, demonstrating both ability and maturity beyond his years.

His death in December 1918, after the guns had fallen silent, serves as a poignant reminder that the dangers of wartime shipping did not end with the armistice. Mines remained adrift, channels uncleared, and merchant fleets continued their work to support Europe’s recovery. Harold stands among those whose sacrifice extended beyond the battlefield and beyond the official end of war.

Commemoration

Second Engineer Harold Selby Morgan is laid to rest at Janval Cemetery, Dieppe, where his grave is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. His name is preserved in their records and remembered as part of Swansea’s maritime heritage.

Although he has no entry in the census returns that document so many local families, his service at sea ensures he remains an important part of the city’s history. His story commemorates not only his own sacrifice but also that of the many young engineers whose skills kept Britain’s merchant fleet moving during and after the First World War.