Richard Roberts - Mercantile Marine - S.S. Cottingham

Fireman Richard Roberts - Mercantile Marine, S.S. Cottingham

Early Life and Background

Registers and Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea

Very little is known about Richard Roberts, who was born in 1852. The sole surviving record relating to his identity appears in the Registers and Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea, which notes that he was from Swansea. No information has yet been found regarding his family, early life, or circumstances before going to sea.

Service at Sea – S.S. Cottingham

Richard served aboard the S.S. Cottingham as a Fireman, undertaking some of the most physically demanding and hazardous work at sea. Firemen laboured deep in the ship’s stokehold, feeding coal into the boilers to maintain steam power—an exhausting job carried out in intense heat, confined space, and near-total darkness. In the event of a sudden attack, men working below deck often had little to no chance of escape.

The S.S. Cottingham was a British merchant steamer active during the early years of the First World War. As part of Britain’s Mercantile Marine, she transported essential supplies, raw materials, and industrial cargo vital to the nation’s war effort. Like most cargo vessels of the period, the Cottingham sailed unarmed or only lightly armed, making her especially vulnerable to the rising threat of German U-boat attacks.

Operating in the heavily trafficked shipping lanes linking Britain with France, Belgium, and the Low Countries, the Cottingham sailed through waters that were rapidly becoming some of the most dangerous in the world. By late 1915, Germany’s campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare meant that merchant ships could be attacked without warning.

On 26^th December 1915, the S.S. Cottingham was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine. The ship went down with several members of her crew, including Fireman Richard Roberts and fellow Swansea sailor John Lewis. No remains were recovered, leaving the men with no known grave but the sea. The sacrifice of the entire crew is honoured on the Tower Hill Memorial in London.

The U-boat Threat to the S.S. Cottingham

During the early phase of the First World War, German submarines—known as U-boats—emerged as one of the gravest dangers to British merchant shipping. Operating across the Western Approaches, Irish Sea, and English Channel, U-boats targeted unescorted merchant vessels in an attempt to sever Britain’s supply lines. Ships like the Cottingham, carrying coal, grain, and industrial cargo, were prime targets.

Attacks were often sudden and devastating. A single torpedo could cripple or sink a cargo steamer within minutes. Firemen and engine-room personnel—working deep below deck—were among the most vulnerable, with almost no chance of survival once the hull was breached.

Although the exact submarine responsible for the sinking of the Cottingham has not been definitively identified, her loss is consistent with the widespread pattern of U-boat attacks that claimed hundreds of British merchant ships in 1915 alone. Sailors like Richard Roberts faced constant peril, every voyage carrying the risk of sudden destruction.

Commemoration

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

As Richard Roberts has no known resting place, his name is recorded on the Tower Hill Memorial in London, dedicated to merchant seafarers from both World Wars who died at sea without a known grave. His inclusion ensures that, despite the absence of personal records, his service and sacrifice are formally remembered.

Legacy

The story of Richard Roberts speaks to the countless ordinary seafarers whose lives are largely unrecorded yet who played a vital role in sustaining Britain during the First World War. His work as a Fireman—a role demanding strength, endurance, and courage—placed him in constant danger aboard an unarmed merchant vessel. Though little is known of his life beyond the ship he served on, his death aboard the S.S. Cottingham stands as a testament to the bravery and sacrifice of the Mercantile Marine. His legacy endures through the memorials that honour him and the many others who gave their lives at sea.