Henry Hedley Anderson – Merchant Navy - S.S. Penrose

Able Seaman Henry Hedley Anderson – Merchant Navy, S.S. Penrose

Henry Anderson and Eleanor Thomas
marriage certificate
St Gabriel’s Church, Swansea

Henry Hedley Anderson was born in 1914 in Swansea, the son of Henry Anderson and Eleanor Thomas, who married in 1915 at St Gabriel’s Church, Swansea.

Family Life

1921 Census

According to the 1921 Census, the Anderson family were living at Mayhill Road, Swansea. Henry (senior), aged 33, was recorded as out of work, though his usual occupation was that of a Steam Pipe and Boiler Coverer, previously employed by British Tube Co. Ltd. Eleanor, aged 28, was engaged in household duties. Their children at the time were Peggy, aged 8, and Henry (recorded as Hedley), aged 7, both attending school, along with their younger daughters Muriel, aged 2, and Rose, who was 7 months old. Also present in the household was a visitor, Iris Theresa Smith, aged 21, a Hospital Nurse employed by Fever Hospital London Mab.

Service in the Merchant Navy

As a young man, Henry followed the path of many Swansea seafarers and joined the British Merchant Navy. He served as an Able Seaman, a skilled deck rating responsible for watchkeeping, maintaining the ship’s equipment, handling lifeboats, and assisting in navigation duties. His final service was aboard the S.S. Penrose, a British merchant ship engaged in coastal and transatlantic trade during the Second World War.

The S.S. Penrose

S.S. Penrose

The S.S. Penrose was a British steamship employed in general cargo work at a time when merchant vessels were vital to the survival of the United Kingdom. Like many similar ships operating during the war, the Penrose travelled without heavy armament or escort protection and was highly vulnerable to enemy submarines. Merchant ships such as the Penrose kept Britain supplied with food, fuel, and essential materials, often sailing in dangerous waters patrolled by German U-boats.

U-107 – The Attacking Submarine

The Penrose was sunk by the German submarine U-107, one of the Kriegsmarine’s most successful U-boats of the war. Commanded by skilled and aggressive officers, U-107 operated widely in the Atlantic, targeting Allied merchant ships. During its wartime career, U-107 was responsible for sinking numerous vessels, contributing significantly to the German campaign to sever Britain’s supply lines.

Loss of the S.S. Penrose

Merchant Seamen Deaths

On 3^rd September 1942, the Penrose encountered U-107 and was torpedoed during one of the submarine’s Atlantic patrols. The ship was lost with heavy casualties, including Able Seaman Henry Hedley Anderson. The Merchant Seamen Deaths register records him under the name “Hedley” and gives his home address as 74 Pantycelyn Road, Townhill, Swansea, confirming his identity. As with many wartime sinkings in open waters, there were no remains to be recovered, and Henry has no known grave.

Commemoration

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

Henry Hedley Anderson is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London, which bears the names of more than 36,000 merchant seafarers who died in the two world wars and have no resting place but the sea. His name stands alongside those of his fellow crewmen from the Penrose, ensuring that their sacrifice is formally remembered.

Legacy

Henry’s death at the age of 28 highlights the enormous risks faced by Merchant Navy sailors during the Second World War. Their work—often overlooked and performed in civilian clothing—was essential to the survival of the nation. Without men like Henry, the United Kingdom would have been unable to receive the food, fuel, and supplies needed to continue the war.

Henry’s legacy also reflects the experience of many Swansea families who sent fathers, sons, and brothers to sea. His name, preserved on the Tower Hill Memorial, stands as a lasting reminder of the courage and commitment of the Merchant Navy and of the personal sacrifice made by those who never returned home.