Howell Egbert Lewis – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, S.S. Narragansett
Ordinary Seaman Howell Egbert Lewis – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, S.S. Narragansett
Early Life
Howell Egbert Lewis was born in 1897 in Llangyfelach,
Glamorgan, the son of David Richard Lewis and Jane James, who
had married in 1894 at Pontardawe.
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| 1901 Census |
The 1901 Census records the Lewis family living at Trebanso, Clydach‑on‑Tawe. David R. Lewis, aged 29, was employed as a Colliery Engine Driver, while his wife Jane, aged 30, was at home caring for their two children, Gwenllian, aged 6, and Howell Egbert, aged 4.
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| 1911 Census |
By 1911, the family had moved to Swansea Road, Trebanso, near Swansea. David, now 39, was working as a Skates Mechanic, and Jane, aged 36, was recorded as his wife. Their children were Gwenllian, aged 16; Howell Egbert, aged 14, employed at the Tin Works as a Cold Roller Assistant; Richard, aged 9, who was attending school; and William Islwyn, aged 3.
Royal Naval Service
Howell later enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer
Reserve, serving as an Ordinary Seaman.
Loss of S.S. Narragansett – 16th March 1917
S.S. Narragansett was a 9,196‑grt
defensively‑armed British steam tanker, employed in the hazardous but vital
work of transporting fuel across the Atlantic during the First World War. On 16th
March 1917, she was nearing the end of her voyage from New York to
London, carrying a full cargo of lubricating oil, when she reached
the waters off the Scilly Islands—an area heavily patrolled by German U‑boats.S.S. Narragansett
Without warning, the tanker was struck by a torpedo fired
by the German submarine U‑44. The explosion was catastrophic. Laden with
oil and travelling alone, Narragansett had little chance of survival.
Flames spread rapidly across the ship, and she began to sink with alarming
speed. Despite being defensively armed, the crew had no opportunity to return
fire or launch an effective defence.
The attack resulted in the loss of 46 lives,
including the ship’s Master and many members of her naval and merchant crew.
Among those who perished was Ordinary Seaman Howell Egbert Lewis, Royal
Naval Volunteer Reserve. His body was never recovered, and like so many who
served at sea during the war, he has no known grave but the ocean.
Commemoration
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| British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records |
The British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records provide the official confirmation of Howell Egbert Lewis’s death. These records, compiled from service returns and wartime casualty lists, document the loss of personnel who died while serving with the armed forces. It is through these records that the death of Ordinary Seaman Howell Egbert Lewis, following the sinking of the S.S. Narragansett on 16th March 1917, is formally recorded and preserved for posterity.
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| Howell Egbert Lewis Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth credit - findagrave |
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