James Alexander Dadds – Merchant Navy, S.S. Ocean Crusader

Third Engineer Officer James Alexander Dadds – Merchant Navy, S.S. Ocean Crusader

Early Life

James Alexander Dadds was born in 1916 in Swansea, the son of William Dadds and Florence Elizabeth Maxwell, who had married in 1906, also in Swansea.

Family

1921 Census

The 1921 Census records the Dadds family living at 45 Hewson Street, Swansea. James’s father, William, aged 38, was employed as a Cabinet Maker and Working House Joiner with J & J Weaver, Builders, while his mother Florence, also 38, was at home caring for their children. Living with them were Violet Matilda (12), Graham Bassett (10), James Alexander (5), and Wilfred Ernest (1). Also present was James’s maternal grandfather, William Maxwell, aged 62, making it a close and multi‑generational family home.

Service in the Merchant Navy

James later joined the Merchant Navy, serving as a Third Engineer Officer, a technically skilled and vital role responsible for the operation and maintenance of the ship’s engines and machinery. His recorded address during his service was 18 Llewellyn Circle, Swansea, placing him among the many men from the city who contributed to Britain’s wartime maritime effort.

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

The S.S. Ocean Crusader was a 7,178‑ton British steam merchant ship, newly built for the Ministry of War Transport and completed in November 1942. She joined Convoy HX‑216 on her maiden voyage, carrying 8,891 tons of general cargo from Portland, Maine, via Panama and New York, bound for Avonmouth.

During the night of 25^th November 1942, the ship encountered heavy weather and fell behind her assigned position in the convoy, becoming a straggler—a dangerous situation in waters patrolled by German U‑boats. By the afternoon of 26^th November, she was sailing alone, approximately 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 Third Engineer Officer James Alexander Dadds. There were no survivors.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

James Alexander Dadds
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources
The Merchant Navy Memorial 

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, James Alexander Dadds is officially recorded as having lost his life on 26^th November 1942 in the sinking of the S.S. Ocean Crusader. As he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, which honours the thousands of Merchant Navy personnel who died at sea during both world wars.