William John Pilling – Mercantile Marine - S.S. Algiers

Fireman William John Pilling – Mercantile Marine, S.S. Algiers

Early Life and Background

William John Pilling was born in 1883 in Liverpool, the son of Thomas Alfred and Arabella Pilling. Very few records survive regarding his early childhood, but the 1901 Census provides a rare glimpse into his young life. At that time, William—then 18 years old—was recorded as a prisoner, with his occupation listed as Ordinary Agricultural Labourer. The circumstances surrounding his imprisonment remain unknown, but like many from difficult or unsettled beginnings, he later turned to the seafaring profession.

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

William eventually settled in Swansea. He married Elizabeth Burden, a widow, and records from the Registers and Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea list his final address as 6 Owens Row, St. Thomas, Swansea, placing him within one of the town’s well-established maritime neighbourhoods.

Service at Sea – S.S. Algiers

William served as a Fireman aboard the S.S. Algiers. Firemen worked in the ship’s stokehold, feeding coal into the boilers to maintain the vessel’s steam power—one of the most physically exhausting and dangerous roles on a merchant ship. During wartime, these men were among the most vulnerable, trapped deep within the vessel if disaster struck.

S.S. Algiers

The S.S. Algiers was a British steam cargo ship of 2,361 tons, built in 1896 by William Gray & Co. of West Hartlepool for R. Ropner & Co. Employed as a tramp steamer, she carried coal, grain, and general cargo on routes across Europe and the Mediterranean. With the outbreak of the First World War, she continued her essential work transporting supplies, despite being unarmed and exposed to the increasing threat of submarine attacks.

On 26^th February 1917, while carrying coal through the English Channel, the Algiers was torpedoed without warning by the German submarine UC-65, sinking rapidly approximately three miles south of the Owers Light Vessel. The ship went down quickly, resulting in the loss of 24 crew members, including Fireman William John Pilling, Fireman and Trimmer John Flynn, and Fireman Ernest George Lewis. None of the men have a known grave; their names are preserved on the Tower Hill Memorial in London.

The attack demonstrated how perilous Britain’s coastal waters had become by 1917, as German U-boats extended their deadly reach into even the most frequently used shipping lanes.

German Submarine UC-65

UC-65 was a Type UC II minelaying submarine of the Imperial German Navy, launched in 1916 and built by AG Vulcan, Hamburg. Commanded chiefly by Oberleutnant zur See Otto Steinbrinck, she became one of the most effective submarines of her class. UC-65 was responsible for sinking numerous Allied vessels through both torpedo attacks and mine warfare, operating extensively in the English Channel and Western Approaches.

The submarine’s aggressive patrols and minefields posed a constant threat to merchant ships such as the Algiers. UC-65 herself was sunk later in the war, on 28^th October 1917, near Zeebrugge, with all hands lost.

Commemoration

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

As William John Pilling has no known grave but the sea, his name is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, which honours the men and women of the Mercantile Marine who died during the World Wars without a known resting place. His sacrifice is remembered alongside those of his fellow crewmen who perished aboard the Algiers.

Legacy

William’s life reflects the experiences of countless working-class seafarers who formed the backbone of Britain’s maritime labour during the First World War. Despite a difficult beginning, he found purpose in the Mercantile Marine—a lifeline service that kept Britain supplied throughout the conflict. His death aboard the Algiers illustrates the daily dangers faced by men serving on unarmed or lightly armed merchant ships, who confronted mines, torpedoes, and submarine attacks with courage and resilience.

His story, preserved through wartime records and the Tower Hill Memorial, ensures that the contribution of Swansea’s seafaring community—and the heavy price paid by many—continues to be recognised and remembered.