Llewellyn Arnold – Mercantile Marine Reserve, H.M.S. Derwent

Fireman Llewellyn Arnold – Mercantile Marine Reserve, H.M.S. Derwent

Frank Arnold and Mary Lodwig
marriage certificate
St John Juxta Swansea

Llewellyn Arnold was born in 1899 at Swansea, the son of Frank Arnold and Mary Lodwig, who were married in 1894 at St John Juxta Swansea.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the Arnold family were residing at 72 Gibbet Hill, Swansea. Frank Arnold (27), born in Gloucestershire, was employed as a corporation haulier, while his wife Mary (24) managed the household.
Their children were Ethel (5) and Llewellyn (2).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 18 North Hill Road, Swansea. Frank Arnold (37) was working as a horse driver, and Mary (34) continued to manage the household.
Their children were Ethel May (15); Llewellyn (12); Lilian (9); Violet (6), all attending school; Gladys (3); Clifford (1); and Clara W. (3 months).

Also resident in the household was Mary Lodwig (62), Mary’s widowed mother.

Service and Death

H.M.S. Derwent

Llewellyn served with the Mercantile Marine Reserve, holding the rank of Fireman aboard H.M.S. Derwent.

Derwent was a River-class destroyer, a type of vessel designed for speed, endurance, and the protection of shipping against torpedo boats and submarines. She was built in 1903 by Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. Ltd., Newcastle upon Tyne, and displaced approximately 555 tons. During the First World War, Derwent was employed on patrol, escort, and anti-submarine duties, primarily in the English Channel, where the threat from German submarines and naval mines was constant.

By 1917, German UC-class submarines were actively laying mines in coastal waters and major shipping routes, particularly off the French coast. These mines were difficult to detect and posed a grave danger even to experienced warships operating close to friendly ports.

On 2^nd May 1917, while on patrol off Le Havre, H.M.S. Derwent struck a mine laid by the German submarine UC-26. The explosion caused catastrophic damage, and the ship sank rapidly. Fifty-eight officers and men were killed, including Fireman Llewellyn Arnold.

Llewellyn Arnold
Plymouth Naval Memorial
credit - findagrave

Having no known grave, Llewellyn is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, which honours sailors and marines lost at sea whose resting places are unknown.

His death reflects the constant dangers faced by destroyer crews and auxiliary personnel operating in heavily mined waters, and stands as a reminder of the relentless nature of naval warfare during the First World War.