Mohamed Ali – Merchant Navy - S.S. Bellerock

Donkeyman Mohamed Ali – Merchant Navy, S.S. Bellerock

Early Life

Donkeyman Mohamed Ali was born in 1891 in Aden, Arabia. At the time, Aden was a major British-controlled port on the route between Europe and Asia, known for its busy harbour and large community of Arab seafarers. Many local men worked in maritime trades, often serving aboard British merchant ships as firemen, trimmers, greasers, and donkeymen. Although no records survive concerning Mohamed’s early life, it is likely he went to sea as a young man, following a common path for men from Aden.

Life in Swansea

1939 Register 

In 1936, Mohamed married Phyllis Stead, and the couple settled at 8 Ysgol Street, St. Thomas, Swansea, close to the docks where many Yemeni and Adeni seafarers lived.
He appears in the 1939 Register at this address, residing with Phyllis and their daughter Josephine. His occupation is listed as Fireman, a demanding role involving stoking and maintaining the ship’s boilers.

Service on the S.S. Bellerock

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Mohamed continued working at sea as a Donkeyman aboard the S.S. Bellerock, a British merchant vessel of 1,199 tons, owned by the Verano Steamship Company and registered at Gibraltar. The Bellerock was a small steamship employed in essential coastal trade, transporting coal, supplies, and general cargo between British ports at a time when coastal waters were extremely dangerous due to extensive German mining operations.

Merchant Seamen Deaths

On 15^th July 1940, while operating in the Bristol Channel, the Bellerock struck a German mine and was destroyed in the explosion. The Merchant Seamen Deaths register confirms Mohamed’s death on this date, records the location of the vessel’s loss in the Bristol Channel, and includes his home address, identifying him as a resident of Swansea.
The wreck site is recorded in modern maritime archaeological databases, although physical remains are uncertain due to the force of the explosion and shifting seabed conditions.
Mohamed Ali was among those who perished when the ship was lost.

Commemoration

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

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

As Mohamed has no known grave, his name is engraved on the Tower Hill Memorial in London. This memorial honours merchant seafarers who died at sea during both world wars and have no final resting place. His name, alongside those of his shipmates, ensures that his service and sacrifice are formally remembered.

Legacy

Mohamed Ali’s life reflects the story of many Arab seafarers who formed a vital part of Britain’s Merchant Navy. From Aden to Swansea, he built a family and made a home while working in one of the most demanding and dangerous occupations of the war.
Though he died far from home, his name endures on the Tower Hill Memorial, honouring not only his own sacrifice but also the contribution of thousands of immigrant merchant seamen who helped sustain Britain during its darkest years.