James Richard Simmonds – Mercantile Marine - S.S. Tangistan
Deck Boy James Richard Simmonds – Mercantile Marine, S.S. Tangistan
Early Life and Background
Birth and Family
James Richard Simmonds—possibly the youngest
serviceman from Swansea to lose his life during the First World War—was
born in 1901 in Hastings. He was the son of Thomas Simmonds and Martha
Salmon, who were married in 1897 in Hastings.
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| 1911 Census |
By the time of the 1911 Census, the family had moved to Walters Road, Llansamlet, Swansea. Thomas, aged 51 and born in Pontypridd, worked as a Railway Contractors’ Locomotive Engine Driver, while Martha, aged 42, was born in Hastings. Their children were:
Edith (13), James (10), Edward (8), and Walter (7),
all of whom attended school.
This is the only surviving census record showing James during his short life.
Service at Sea – S.S. Tangistan
Despite his youth, James enlisted in the Mercantile
Marine, becoming the third Swansea casualty from the sinking of the S.S.
Tangistan. His decision to go to sea—whether out of economic need,
opportunity, or wartime motivation—placed him in one of the most dangerous
professions of the war.
S.S. Tangistan
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| S.S. Tangistan |
On her final voyage in March 1915, the Tangistan was carrying a cargo of iron ore. While sailing off Flamborough Head in the North Sea, she was destroyed by a sudden and devastating explosion on 9th March 1915. The loss is widely believed to have been caused by a mine laid by German forces, a significant danger to merchant ships during the early war years.
Of the entire crew, only one man survived. Among
those lost were Swansea men, including Carpenter John Brustad Nielsen—and
James Richard Simmonds, still only around fourteen years old.
German Submarine U-35
Although the Tangistan almost certainly fell victim
to a mine rather than a torpedo attack, she was operating in waters heavily patrolled
and mined by German submarines, particularly the formidable U-35.
U-35 was a Type U 31 ocean-going submarine, commissioned in 1914,
and became the most successful U-boat of the First World War by total
tonnage sunk. Under the command of Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, she
carried out an extensive campaign across the Mediterranean and surrounding
regions.
Submarines like U-35 were instrumental in establishing the
deadly conditions in which merchant steamers such as the Tangistan were
forced to operate. Their mine warfare and aggressive patrols made the North
Sea and coastal waters among the most perilous in the world, contributing
directly to losses like that of the Tangistan.
Commemoration
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| S.S. Tangistan Tower Hill Memorial, London credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources: The Merchant Navy Memorial |
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| S.S. Tangistan Tower Hill Memorial, London credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources: The Merchant Navy Memorial |
As James Richard Simmonds has no known grave but the sea, his name is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London. This memorial honours the men and women of the Mercantile Marine lost during the First and Second World Wars who have no known resting place.
His name stands alongside thousands of others, ensuring that despite his youth, his service and sacrifice are remembered.
Legacy
James’s story remains one of the most poignant among
Swansea’s wartime maritime losses. Barely more than a child, he entered the
hazardous world of merchant seafaring at a time when German mines and
submarines made every voyage a matter of life and death. Though his life was
extraordinarily brief, his courage and service reflect the sacrifices made by
countless young mariners whose contributions were essential to sustaining
Britain during the war.
His legacy is preserved not only through his inclusion on
the Tower Hill Memorial but also through the remembrance of the Tangistan
tragedy and the recognition of Swansea’s young seafarers who served—and
died—far from home.
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