Thomas Jones – Mercantile Marine - S.S. Boscastle
First Engineer Thomas Jones – Mercantile Marine, S.S. Boscastle
Early Life and Family
1881 Census
Thomas Jones was born in 1863, in Skewen,
Neath, the son of Philip and Elizabeth Jones. By the time of
the 1881 Census, the family were living at 130 Foxhole Road, Coedfrank,
near Neath.
His father, Philip Jones, then aged 51, was
employed as an Engine Fitter, a skilled occupation that supported the
heavy industries and shipping of South Wales. His mother, Elizabeth, was
47 years old, and their son Thomas, aged 18, was already
following in his father’s trade as an Engine Fitter.
In 1911, Thomas married Lily M. McNamara, and
the couple settled at 147 St. Helens Avenue, Swansea. With his
background in engineering, Thomas found employment in the Mercantile Marine,
where men of his experience were in high demand to serve aboard Britain’s
merchant steamers.
Service and Loss
During the First World War, Thomas Jones
served as First Engineer aboard the S.S. Boscastle, a
British merchant steamer engaged in transporting essential wartime supplies,
including coal and general cargo, across the coastal and Channel routes.
On 7th April 1918, while sailing off the Pembrokeshire
coast, the Boscastle was torpedoed without warning by a German
submarine. The explosion was devastating, and the vessel sank rapidly in
the cold waters of the St George’s Channel, resulting in the deaths of 18
crew members, including Thomas Jones.
His body was never recovered, and like so many merchant
mariners of the First World War, his grave is the sea.
The S.S. Boscastle
The S.S. Boscastle was a British steam
cargo vessel of 2,346 gross register tons, built for E. Jenkins
& Co. of Cardiff. The vessel was part of the South Wales coal fleet,
operating between British and continental ports during a time of growing danger
from enemy submarines.
On 7th April 1918, while steaming
approximately 14 nautical miles north-north-west of Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire,
the Boscastle was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine
SM U-111. The attack occurred during the submarine’s first
operational patrol in British waters. The ship was struck amidships, causing
catastrophic damage, and sank within minutes.
Of the crew aboard, 18 men were lost, including First
Engineer Thomas Jones. The wreck of the Boscastle now lies
off the Pembrokeshire coast, serving as a stark reminder of the dangers faced
by merchant seamen even in home waters during the Great War.
The German Submarine SM U-111
The SM U-111 was a Type U 51 class
submarine of the Imperial German Navy, launched in 1917 and
commissioned in early 1918. Measuring 65 metres in length and
displacing approximately 715 tons surfaced and 900 tons submerged,
she was equipped with four torpedo tubes and an 88 mm deck gun.
Operating in the Irish Sea and St George’s Channel,
U-111 was tasked with targeting Allied shipping and disrupting
Britain’s vital supply routes. On 7th April 1918, during her
first patrol, she launched a torpedo attack that sank the S.S. Boscastle.
Following the Armistice, U-111 was surrendered
to the Allies and transferred to the United States Navy for
evaluation and testing. She was later used for naval trials before being scuttled
in 1922 off the U.S. coast. Her remains were rediscovered decades
later, providing a tangible link to the early history of submarine warfare.
The brief but destructive career of SM U-111
underscores the immense risks faced by Britain’s merchant seamen, whose ships
were often unarmed and vulnerable to attack.
Commemoration
First Engineer Thomas Jones is commemorated on the
Tower Hill Memorial, London, which honours the men and women of the Merchant
Navy and Fishing Fleets who perished in both World Wars and have no
known grave but the sea.S.S. Boscastle
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources:
The Merchant Navy Memorial
Legacy
Though few personal records remain, Thomas Jones
exemplifies the courage and commitment of South Wales’s maritime engineers who
kept Britain’s ships moving through wartime peril. From his early years as an
engine fitter in Skewen to his final voyage aboard the Boscastle,
his story mirrors that of countless seafarers whose skill and endurance
underpinned Britain’s survival.
His name, engraved on the Tower Hill Memorial,
ensures that his sacrifice — and that of his shipmates — will never be
forgotten.
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