Rees Davies – Mercantile Marine - S.S. Duchess of Cornwall
Third Engineer Rees Davies – Mercantile Marine, S.S. Duchess of Cornwall
Who Was Rees Davies?
Even when a name is known, the details of a life can remain
elusive. Such is the case with Rees Davies, whose story survives only in
brief official records.
Rees Davies was born in 1886, in Swansea.
In 1914, he married Frances Eliza Redford, beginning what would
have been a new chapter in his life, just as war spread across Europe.
Rees served in the Mercantile Marine, holding the
rank of Third Engineer aboard the S.S. Duchess of Cornwall.
His duties would have included overseeing and maintaining the ship’s engines
and boilers — an essential and highly technical role requiring both skill and
endurance, particularly under the pressures of wartime service.
The S.S. Duchess of Cornwall
The Duchess of Cornwall was a British steam cargo
ship of 1,706 gross register tons, built in 1889 by W.
Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool, for the Duchess of Cornwall
Steam Ship Co. (R. B. Chellew) of Truro.
On 11th April 1917, the vessel was on
passage from London to Le Havre when she was torpedoed and
sunk by the German submarine UC-26, approximately five
nautical miles north of Cape Barfleur, off the coast of Normandy, France.
The attack came without warning, in keeping with Germany’s policy of unrestricted
submarine warfare.
The explosion was catastrophic, and the ship went down
quickly. Twenty-three lives were lost in the attack, among them Third
Engineer Rees Davies, who was just 31 years old. There were few, if
any, survivors.
This tragedy highlights the grave dangers faced by the men
of the Mercantile Marine, who continued to sail through hostile waters
to deliver essential goods and supplies despite the constant threat of
submarine attack.
The German Submarine UC-26
The UC-26 was a Type UC II minelaying
submarine of the Imperial German Navy, ordered on 29th
August 1915 and launched on 22nd June 1916. She was
commissioned less than a month later, on 18th July 1916.
Displacing roughly 400 tons surfaced and 480 tons
submerged, the UC-26 measured 49.45 metres in length, with a beam
of 5.22 metres and a draught of 3.65 metres. She was designed to
operate close to the British coast, laying mines and attacking merchant
shipping with torpedoes.
During her short but active career, UC-26
conducted nine patrols and was credited with sinking 36 ships,
totalling around 60,000 gross tons of Allied shipping losses — including
the Duchess of Cornwall. Her operations were typical of the German
U-boat campaign that sought to cripple Britain’s maritime supply routes.
UC-26’s own fate came only weeks after the loss of
Rees Davies. On 8th May 1917, she was rammed and sunk off
the coast of Calais while being pursued by Allied naval forces.
Commemoration
S.S. Duchess of Cornwall
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources:
The Merchant Navy Memorial
Third Engineer Rees Davies is commemorated on the
Tower Hill Memorial, London, which honours the men and women of the Merchant
Navy and Fishing Fleets who died at sea during the First World
War and have no known grave but the ocean.S.S. Duchess of Cornwall
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources:
The Merchant Navy Memorial
His name stands among thousands of others — men of courage,
endurance, and devotion — who kept Britain’s maritime lifelines open during one
of the most perilous times in history. Though little else is known of his life,
Rees Davies is remembered with honour for his service and sacrifice.
Legacy
At the age of 31, Rees Davies was part of a
generation of Swansea seafarers who gave their lives in the service of the Mercantile
Marine. His story is a reminder that many of those lost at sea were not
professional soldiers, but skilled civilian mariners who faced equal danger in
carrying out their duty.
His name, engraved on the Tower Hill Memorial, stands
as a lasting testament to his courage and to the countless others who perished
while keeping Britain’s ships — and hopes — afloat during the First World War.
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