Alfred James Daley – Merchant Navy, S.S. Ocean Crusader

Greaser Alfred James Daley – Merchant Navy, S.S. Ocean Crusader

Early Life

John Daley and Mary Sarah Williams
marriage certificate
Holy Trinity Church, Swansea

Alfred James Daley was born in 1918 in Swansea, the son of John Daley and Mary Sarah Williams, who had married at Holy Trinity Church, Swansea, in 1911.

Family 

1921 Census

The 1921 Census records the Daley family living at 7 Dangham Tenements, Strand, Swansea. Alfred’s father, John, aged 34, was a Coal Trimmer, previously employed by Swansea Shippers, though out of work at the time of the census. His mother, Mary, aged 31 and born in Carmarthenshire, was at home caring for their children. The household included Maisey (8), David John (6), Violet (5)—all attending school—along with Alfred (3) and Jack (1). The census paints a picture of a young working‑class family living in the heart of Swansea’s dockside community.

Marriage

In 1941, Alfred married Elizabeth Ann Sterio in Swansea. The couple lived at 54 Kilvey Terrace, a neighbourhood closely connected to the city’s maritime workforce.

Service in the Merchant Navy

Alfred served with the Merchant Navy as a Greaser, a demanding engineering‑room role responsible for lubricating and maintaining the ship’s machinery. His work was essential to the safe running of the vessel, particularly during wartime conditions.

He served aboard the S.S. Ocean Crusader, a newly built British steam merchant ship operated by the Ministry of War Transport.

Sinking of the S.S. Ocean Crusader – 26^th November 1942

The S.S. Ocean Crusader was a 7,178‑ton vessel, completed in November 1942 and immediately assigned to Convoy HX 216 on her maiden voyage. She carried 8,891 tons of general cargo from Portland, Maine, via Panama and New York, bound for Avonmouth.

On the night of 25^th November 1942, the ship encountered heavy weather and fell behind her convoy, becoming a straggler—a perilous situation in U‑boat‑patrolled waters. By the afternoon of 26 November, she was sailing alone, about 330 miles northeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland.

At 16:57 hours, the unescorted vessel, commanded by Master Ellis Wynne Parry, was attacked by the German submarine U‑262. The U‑boat fired three G7e torpedoes, two of which struck the Ocean Crusader on the port side, causing catastrophic damage. The ship sank rapidly, and all 50 men on board were lost, including Greaser Alfred James Daley. There were no survivors.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

Alfred James Daley
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources
The Merchant Navy Memorial 

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, Greaser Alfred James Daley, of 54 Kilvey Terrace, Swansea, lost his life on 26^th November 1942 in the sinking of the S.S. Ocean Crusader. As he has no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, which honours the thousands of Merchant Navy personnel who died at sea during both world wars