William Evan Evans – Merchant Navy

Boatswain William Evan Evans – Merchant Navy

Birth and Family Background

Another name commemorated on the Mumbles War Memorial, about whom little information survives, is William Evan Evans.

William Evan Evans was born in 1905 at Bridgend. The limited details known about his life and service are drawn primarily from Commonwealth War Graves Commission records. In 1930, he married Evelyn Williams of Mumbles.

Merchant Navy Service

William served with the Merchant Navy and held the rank of Boatswain aboard the S.S. Empire Amethyst. Empire Amethyst was a British steam tanker of 8,023 tons, built in 1941. On 23^rd January 1942, the vessel rescued five survivors from the Norwegian ship Innerøy, which had been sunk by U-553, and landed them safely at Halifax.

Loss of the Empire Amethyst

On 14^th April 1942, while en route from New Orleans to Freetown carrying 12,000 tons of clean oil, Empire Amethyst was torpedoed by the German submarine U-154 and sunk. All on board were lost, including the master, 40 crew members, and six gunners. William Evan Evans lost his life as a result of this attack.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

Merchant Seamen Deaths records state that at the time of his death his home address was 28 Park Street, Mumbles.

William Evan Evans
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources
The Merchant Navy Memorial

William Evan Evans has no known grave, and his name is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, which honours Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleet personnel who lost their lives during the Second World War and have no known place of burial.