Thomas William Morgan – Mercantile Marine - S.S. Intent

Second Engineer Thomas William Morgan – Mercantile Marine, S.S. Intent

Early Life and Family Background

Birth and Parentage

Thomas William Morgan was born in Cadoxton, Neath, the youngest son of Thomas Morgan and Ellen Davies, who married in 1872 at Neath. He grew up in a large working family deeply rooted in the industrial and mining communities of the Swansea Valley and Neath district.

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the Morgan family living at Poath Cottage, Dyffryn Clydach. Thomas Morgan, aged 41 and born in Neath, was employed as a Pit Man, while his wife Ellen, aged 39 and originally from Lampeter, managed the household. Their home was busy with children: Lavinia (15), Mary E. (13), Rhodrick William (10), and Frederick (7), all still in school. They also had two younger daughters, Winnifred (2) and the baby of the family, four-month-old Thomas William.

1901 Census

By 1901, the family had moved to Bath Cottage, still within Dyffryn Clydach. Thomas Morgan, now 50, had advanced to employment as a Foreman Engineer, and Ellen, aged 48, remained at home. Several children were still living with them: Frederick (17), Winnifred (12), Thomas William (10), Ellen (8), and Florrie (6). Their daughter Mary, who had married Charles Selby in 1900, was also back in the household at this time with her infant daughter Hilda. Mary and Hilda stayed with her parents while Charles was recorded at his own family’s home during the census.

1911 Census

Ten years later, the 1911 Census shows part of the family living at Maesyrhaf Place, Upper Loughor. Thomas Morgan, now 61, was working as a Colliery Foreman. Ellen was absent from the household at this time. Several of their children were still living at home: Fred, aged 27, was employed as a Colliery Fitter; Tom, aged 20, worked as a Colliery Engineer Driver; Winnie, now 23, had become a Dressmaker working from home; and Florrie, aged 17, carried out domestic duties. It was in this industrious environment that the younger Thomas came of age before embarking on a life at sea.

S.S. Intent 

The S.S. Intent was a British merchant steamer operating during the First World War, forming part of the vital Mercantile Marine fleet responsible for transporting supplies and wartime cargo. Like many steamships of the era, she sailed with minimal defensive armament, leaving her vulnerable to mines, torpedoes, and other wartime hazards.

Thomas William Morgan served aboard the vessel as a Second Engineer, a demanding role that required technical expertise, physical endurance, and the ability to maintain essential machinery under difficult and often dangerous conditions deep below deck. The engineering crew were responsible for the boilers, engines, and mechanical systems that kept the ship operational—work that was crucial to the safety and functioning of the vessel.

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

On 8^th March 1918, the Intent was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UC-40 off the east coast of England. In the tragedy that followed, Thomas William Morgan was the sole casualty of the sinking, the only member of the crew who lost his life. Like so many merchant seafarers, he has no known grave but the sea, and his sacrifice is remembered today on the Tower Hill Memorial in London.

UC-40

The UC-40 was a Type UC II German minelaying submarine of the Imperial German Navy, launched in 1916. Submarines of this class were among the most effective deployed during the war, designed to lay mines covertly while also being armed with torpedoes and a deck gun.

Displacing around 400 tons surfaced and nearly 500 tons submerged, UC-40 carried six mine tubes, three torpedo tubes, and a deck gun, giving her the capacity to attack both naval and merchant vessels. Operating mainly in the North Sea and along the British east coast, she patrolled busy shipping routes used by vessels such as the Intent, making her a significant threat to Allied shipping.

UC-40 was responsible for sinking numerous ships during her service, including the S.S. Intent on 8^th March 1918. Her own fate came later that year. On 21^st October 1918, UC-40 was lost with all hands in the North Sea, likely due to striking one of her own mines or suffering an internal explosion, just weeks before the Armistice ended hostilities.

Legacy

The life of Thomas William Morgan reflects the broader story of many young men from the collieries of South Wales who transitioned into maritime engineering roles. His background in industrial work made him well suited to the technical and physically demanding responsibilities of a steamship engineer. Serving below deck in high heat, confined spaces, and constant danger, engineers like Thomas kept their vessels operational despite the ever-present threat of mines or submarine attack.

His commitment to duty aboard the Intent highlights the courage and professionalism of the Mercantile Marine. These civilian sailors played an indispensable but often under-recognised role in Britain’s wartime survival, ensuring the transport of food, materials, and essential goods even at great personal risk. Thomas’s life and service stand as a testament to this bravery.

Commemoration

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

Although Thomas William Morgan has no known grave, his name is preserved on the Tower Hill Memorial in London, dedicated to merchant seafarers lost during the World Wars. His inclusion ensures that his sacrifice—and that of countless others who served beneath the waves, far from home—will endure in memory.