Frederick James Flitt – Merchant Navy, S.S. Mill Hill

Sailor Frederick James Flitt – Merchant Navy, S.S. Mill Hill

Early Life

Charles Eaton Flitt and Eliza Catherine May
marriage certificate
St. Mary's Church, Swansea

Frederick James Flitt was born in 1909 in Swansea, the son of Charles Eaton Flitt and Eliza Catherine May, who had married in 1904 at St. Mary’s Church.

1911 Census

The 1911 Census records the family living at 5 Newton Road, Mumbles. Charles Eaton, aged 42 and born in Hereford, was working as a Rent Collector, while his wife Catherine, aged 39 and born in Wiltshire, managed the home. Their children at that time were Cyril Charles (5), Hilda May (3), and Frederick James (1).

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the family had moved to Castleton Cottage, Oystermouth. Charles Eaton, now 53, was employed as a Carman for a wholesale provision merchant, and Catherine Eliza, aged 49, was recorded at home. Their children were Cyril Charles (15), working as a Shop Assistant; Hilda May (14); Frederick James (12); and Jack (10)—all of whom were attending school.

Service in the Merchant Navy

Frederick James later joined the Merchant Navy, serving as a Sailor during the Second World War. His recorded address at the time of his death was 432 Mumbles Road, placing him still within the community where he had grown up.

S.S. Mill Hill 
credit - wrecksite

He served aboard the S.S. Mill Hill, a British steam cargo ship operating during the early and perilous years of the Battle of the Atlantic.

Sinking of the S.S. Mill Hill – 30^th August 1940

The S.S. Mill Hill was a 4,318‑ton British steam cargo ship, built in 1930 by William Doxford & Sons Ltd., Sunderland. She had previously sailed under the names Gracechurch and Peebles before becoming Mill Hill in 1936, and at the time of her loss she was operated by Counties Ship Management Co. Ltd., London.

On 30^th August 1940, the Mill Hill was part of Convoy HX 66A, travelling from Boston and Halifax to Middlesbrough with a cargo of 6,755 tons of pig iron and steel. While crossing the North Atlantic, she was attacked by the German submarine U‑32. A torpedo struck the vessel at 58°48’N, 6°49’W, west of Scotland.

The explosion was devastating. The Mill Hill sank rapidly, giving the crew almost no chance to escape. All 34 men on board were lost—there were no survivors.

Her loss was one of many inflicted during the early phase of the Battle of the Atlantic, when German U‑boats were inflicting heavy casualties on Allied merchant shipping.

Among those who perished was Sailor Frederick James Flitt.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

Frederick James Flitt
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources
The Merchant Navy Memorial 

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, Sailor Frederick James Flitt lost his life on 30^th August 1940 in the sinking of the S.S. Mill Hill. 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.