Thomas Lewis Nicholas – Mercantile Marine - S.S. Beatrice

Second Mate Thomas Lewis Nicholas – Mercantile Marine, S.S. Beatrice

Early Life and Background

Birth and Parentage

Thomas Lewis Nicholas was an Irish-born Mercantile Mariner, born in 1893 in Greyabbey, Balligan, County Down. He was the son of Thomas Lewis Nicholas and Margaret Johnston, both of whom came from the rural communities of County Down before later relocating to Wales.

Family Life in Swansea

Official records about Thomas are limited, but surviving information shows that the family eventually lived in Swansea, residing at Caedelyn, Mount Pleasant. Like many Irish families who moved to South Wales during the early 20th century, the Nicholases became part of the city’s diverse maritime and industrial community.

Thomas followed a seafaring career and rose to the rank of Second Mate, a senior deck officer responsible for navigation, watchkeeping, and the safety of the ship. He served aboard the S.S. Beatrice, a merchant steamship operating in dangerous wartime waters.

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

The Registers and Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea record Thomas’s death while serving on this vessel, providing vital documentation of his final voyage.

S.S. Beatrice

The S.S. Beatrice was lost on 20^th July 1917 during one of the deadliest phases of the First World War for merchant shipping. On that day, the vessel was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UC-47 while sailing in waters heavily patrolled by U-boats.

The attack formed part of Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare campaign, aimed at cutting off Britain’s supplies by targeting merchant ships without warning. Thomas Lewis Nicholas was among those who lost their lives when the Beatrice went down, leaving no survivors to describe the final moments of the ship.

UC-47

The UC-47 was a Type UC II coastal minelaying submarine, one of the most successful and dangerous classes operated by the Imperial German Navy. Commissioned in 1916, the UC II submarines were capable of laying mines stealthily while also carrying torpedoes for direct attacks.

UC-47 operated extensively in the North Sea and around the British coast, where she targeted merchant vessels passing through vital shipping routes. The submarine was responsible for sinking numerous ships during her operational career, including the S.S. Beatrice on 20^th July 1917.

Later in the war, on 18^th November 1917, UC-47 herself was sunk with all hands after being rammed and depth-charged by the British patrol boat P-57 off Flamborough Head.

Legacy 

Although only fragments of Thomas’s life survive in the historical record, his service as Second Mate demonstrates his skill, training, and responsibility as a professional mariner. He served during a time when merchant ships operated under constant threat, and the role of deck officers was critical to the safety of both crew and cargo.

His life reflects the contribution of Irish-born sailors who became part of Swansea’s maritime community, serving alongside Welsh, English, and international seafarers in the Mercantile Marine. Thomas’s service and sacrifice form part of the wider story of the men who kept Britain supplied during the war, often paying the ultimate price.

Commemoration

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

As Thomas Lewis Nicholas has no known grave but the sea, his name is inscribed on the Tower Hill Memorial in London, which honours the merchant seafarers lost during both World Wars.

His name stands as a lasting reminder of the danger faced by civilian mariners in wartime and the sacrifices made by those who came from far beyond Swansea’s shores but whose lives became part of the city’s maritime history.